RaccoonType — Minimalist, High-Performance Typing Platform
A minimalistic, high-performance customizable typing platform. Measure your WPM, race friends live in multiplayer lobbies, compete on ranked ELO ladders, and master programming syntax.
RaccoonType
WPM Test
WPM Test — What Is Your Words-Per-Minute Speed?
WPM condenses your typing into one comparable number. Take the test, get your WPM alongside raw WPM and accuracy, and see exactly where your score sits — from casual to competitive.
- Standard WPM formula
- WPM vs raw WPM
- Score benchmarks
Free forever · No signup to try · Content last reviewed September 2026
Quick definition
Quick definition
WPM (words per minute) is the standard typing-speed metric: every 5 correct characters count as one word, divided by minutes spent typing.
How this metric works
How this metric works
How WPM is calculated
WPM = (correct characters ÷ 5) ÷ minutes
Type for 60 seconds and every 5 correct characters count as one word. Raw WPM counts all keystrokes; net WPM counts only correct characters. Accuracy is correct keystrokes divided by total keystrokes.
60-second benchmark
Measure your WPM now
The standard 60-second test: WPM, raw WPM, accuracy, and consistency, scored with the industry formula.
WPM = (correct chars ÷ 5) ÷ minutes
How WPM is calculated
RaccoonType uses the industry-standard formula: count every correctly typed character, divide by 5 to estimate words, then divide by minutes elapsed. Uncorrected errors don't count toward WPM — they show up in your accuracy instead.
- WPM = (correct characters ÷ 5) ÷ minutes — the comparable score
- CPM = characters per minute — WPM × 5, common in some regions
- Accuracy = correct keystrokes ÷ total keystrokes — keep it above 97%
Gross WPM vs Net WPM
Gross WPM (also called raw WPM) counts every keystroke — correct characters, errors, and backspaces — through the same formula. It shows your raw typing output before any error correction penalty.
Net WPM subtracts uncorrected errors from the character count: gross WPM minus (uncorrected errors ÷ minutes). This is the number employers and certification screens look at, because it reflects usable typing speed. RaccoonType reports both WPM and raw WPM after every test so you can see the gap.
- Gross WPM = (all keystrokes ÷ 5) ÷ minutes — your burst ceiling
- Net WPM = gross WPM − (uncorrected errors ÷ minutes) — usable speed
- A small gap between the two signals clean, mature technique
- A large gap means you type fast but spend time correcting — drill weak keys
What is a good typing speed?
There is no single number — typing speed depends on task, language, text difficulty, accuracy, test duration, and your experience level. A developer typing code with symbols operates in a different range than a transcriptionist copying clean prose.
These ranges (last reviewed September 2026) reflect consensus across typing-education sources on 60-second tests at 97%+ accuracy, not a RaccoonType population study. Use them as practice bands, not absolute thresholds.
| WPM Range | Level | Typical Context |
|---|---|---|
| Under 30 | Beginner | Hunt-and-peck or new to touch typing |
| 30–50 | Casual | Everyday emails, messages, and light writing |
| 50–65 | Professional | Office and admin work, general business typing |
| 66–80 | Fast professional | Data-heavy roles, writers, and paralegals |
| 80–100 | Advanced | Top few percent; strong touch-typing fluency |
| 100–130 | Competitive | Ranked ladder and tournament territory |
| 130–150 | Elite | Leaderboard range and boss-trial territory |
| 150+ | World-class | Tournament finalists and speed champions |
Good WPM by role
Different jobs demand different speeds. Developers are the exception: with symbols, boilerplate, and thinking time, 45–70 WPM is a strong, realistic band and no employer standard exists. Two rules travel across every role: take three 60-second tests and average them for a reliable number, and accuracy gates everything — a repeatable 55 WPM at 97% beats a shaky 70 WPM in any serious ranking or hiring screen.
- Casual and student use: 35–50 WPM is more than sufficient
- Office and admin roles: practical target 50–65 WPM at 95%+ accuracy
- Data entry and live support: 55–80 WPM with very high accuracy
- Transcription and legal: 75–100+ WPM with near-zero errors
- Competitive and ranked play: 100+ WPM with 97%+ accuracy
Frequently asked questions
How is WPM calculated?
WPM = (correctly typed characters ÷ 5) ÷ minutes elapsed, where 5 characters count as one standard word. RaccoonType counts only correct characters for WPM and reports raw WPM (all keystrokes) separately so you can see the gap.
What is the difference between WPM and raw WPM?
WPM counts only correctly typed characters; raw WPM counts every keystroke including errors and backspaces. A large gap means you type fast but correct a lot — the goal is to push WPM up while keeping raw WPM close to it.
What is gross WPM vs net WPM?
Gross WPM is raw output: (all characters ÷ 5) ÷ minutes. Net WPM subtracts uncorrected errors: gross WPM − (uncorrected errors ÷ minutes). Employers and certification screens look at net WPM, which is why RaccoonType reports both numbers plus accuracy after every test.
What is a good WPM score?
Around 40 WPM is average, 60–80 WPM is solid professional speed, and anything over 100 WPM is competitive. Accuracy matters as much as speed: 80 WPM at 99% accuracy beats 100 WPM at 90% in any serious ranking.
Does capitalization and punctuation affect WPM?
Yes. Capitals, punctuation, and numbers count as characters like anything else, and they are where most typists lose speed. Practicing with punctuation enabled gives a more honest benchmark of real-world typing.
Explore RaccoonType
Typing Test
Free online typing test across 15s, 30s, 60s, and words modes to benchmark your WPM.
WPM Percentile Calculator
See what percentile your typing speed ranks in — computed from eligible anonymized benchmark results.
Typing Practice
Targeted touch-typing drills, weak key isolation, and bigram rhythm exercises.
Global Leaderboard
Live competitive ladder across ranked ELO, speed burst, accuracy, and friends circle.
1 Minute Typing Test
The global 60-second typing speed sprint benchmark with WPM, raw WPM, and accuracy breakdown.
3 Minute Typing Test
180-second stamina and rhythm evaluation favored by corporate employment screenings.
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