Words Per Minute (WPM) Explained
What WPM really means, the exact formula behind it, and how to convert it into the CPM and keystrokes-per-hour figures other tests and job adverts use.
Words per minute is calculated by dividing the number of characters you typed by five, then dividing by the minutes elapsed. A word is defined as exactly five characters including the space that follows it, not a real English word, which is what makes scores comparable between different passages. So 300 characters in one minute is 60 WPM.
Words per minute, or WPM, is the standard unit for measuring typing speed. It tells you how many words you can type correctly in one minute. Because real words vary in length, typing tests do not count actual words. Instead, the convention is that every five characters, including spaces, count as one word. So if you type 250 correct characters in a minute, that is 50 words, or 50 WPM. Using a fixed five character word keeps scores fair and comparable no matter what passage you type.
There are two figures worth knowing: gross WPM and net WPM. Gross WPM counts everything you typed, mistakes included, while net WPM subtracts your errors and is the number that actually matters. A blazing gross speed means little if half of it is wrong, which is why accuracy and WPM always belong together. TypeBurst reports the accuracy percentage right next to your speed so you can see the full picture at a glance.
How is WPM calculated?
Take the number of characters typed, divide by five to convert characters into standard words, then divide by the number of minutes elapsed. For a 30 second test you divide by 0.5 minutes, for a 2 minute test by 2, and so on. TypeBurst does this continuously, counting only characters you typed correctly, so the WPM you see during a test is your correct characters so far, divided by five, divided by the time gone by. When the timer stops, that becomes your final score.
The five-character word is the part that surprises people. It is not an approximation of English word length picked at random; it is a fixed unit borrowed from typewriter-era testing so that two people typing two different passages get comparable scores. If tests counted real words, a passage full of short words would inflate a score and a passage of long ones would deflate it. Fixing the unit at five characters, including the space that follows each word, removes the passage from the equation entirely.
What is the difference between gross WPM, net WPM and CPM?
Gross WPM counts every character you typed, correct or not, divided by five, per minute. Net WPM starts from gross and subtracts uncorrected errors divided by the minutes elapsed, which is the classic scoring method used for typing certificates. CPM is characters per minute: the same measurement without the division by five, so a 60 WPM score is 300 CPM.
TypeBurst shows WPM, CPM and accuracy together and calculates WPM from correct characters only. That is a third variant, sitting between gross and net: wrong characters simply do not count toward your score, but they are not penalised twice either. Whichever definition a test uses, quoting accuracy alongside speed is what makes the number meaningful, because errors are the difference between the three figures.
How do I convert WPM to keystrokes per hour (KPH)?
Data entry and clerical job adverts often specify keystrokes per hour rather than words per minute, which makes a WPM score hard to compare against a requirement. The conversion follows straight from the definitions: one WPM is five characters per minute, and an hour is 60 minutes, so KPH equals WPM multiplied by 300.
So 40 WPM is 12,000 KPH, 50 WPM is 15,000 KPH and 60 WPM is 18,000 KPH. Going the other way, divide the KPH figure by 300: a posting asking for 10,000 KPH is asking for roughly 33 WPM. Bear in mind that some employers count only alphanumeric keystrokes and some count every key including numeric keypad entries, so treat the conversion as a close comparison rather than an exact equivalence.
Why does the same typist score differently on different tests?
Three variables move a score without your typing changing at all. First, whether the test uses gross, net or correct-characters WPM, which as the numbers above show can differ by more than 10 WPM on the same run. Second, whether errors can be corrected: a test that forces you to fix mistakes before continuing spends your time differently from one that lets them stand. Third, the difficulty of the passage, since common short words are faster to type than technical vocabulary even under a fixed five-character convention.
That is why comparing your score to your own previous score on the same test and the same duration is far more informative than comparing across sites. TypeBurst stores a separate personal best for every duration for exactly that reason.
WPM, CPM and keystrokes per hour side by side
Direct conversions from the definition of WPM: CPM is WPM times five, and KPH is WPM times 300.
| WPM | CPM | Keystrokes per hour | Characters in 30 seconds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 100 | 6,000 | 50 |
| 30 | 150 | 9,000 | 75 |
| 40 | 200 | 12,000 | 100 |
| 50 | 250 | 15,000 | 125 |
| 60 | 300 | 18,000 | 150 |
| 70 | 350 | 21,000 | 175 |
| 80 | 400 | 24,000 | 200 |
| 100 | 500 | 30,000 | 250 |
Employers differ on whether KPH counts only alphanumeric keystrokes, so use this as a close comparison rather than an exact match to a job requirement.
Frequently asked questions
How many characters are in a word for WPM?
Five characters, including the space that follows the word. This fixed length keeps typing scores comparable no matter which passage you type, which is why tests do not count real English words directly. So 300 characters typed in one minute is reported as 60 WPM.
What is the difference between gross and net WPM?
Gross WPM counts everything you typed, mistakes included, divided by five, per minute. Net WPM then subtracts uncorrected errors divided by the minutes elapsed, and it is the figure used for typing certificates. TypeBurst uses a third variant, counting only correct characters, which sits between the two.
How do I convert WPM to keystrokes per hour?
Multiply your WPM by 300, because one WPM is five characters per minute and an hour is 60 minutes. So 40 WPM is 12,000 KPH and 60 WPM is 18,000 KPH. To go the other way, divide the KPH requirement by 300.
What is CPM and how does it relate to WPM?
CPM is characters per minute, the same measurement as WPM without dividing by five. A score of 60 WPM is 300 CPM. Some tests report CPM because it avoids the slightly artificial five-character word entirely.
Why do I get a different WPM on different typing tests?
Usually because of the scoring definition rather than your typing. Gross, net and correct-characters WPM can differ by more than 10 WPM on the identical run, and tests also vary in whether they force you to correct errors and how difficult the passage vocabulary is. Compare your score to your own previous score on the same test and duration instead.
Sources
Every conversion on this page follows from the definition of WPM rather than from a measurement, so it can be reproduced with a calculator. The variant TypeBurst itself reports, and why it differs from gross and net WPM, is set out in full on the methodology page. Read the full measurement methodology.