Typing guide
Whether you are taking your first typing test or chasing 100 WPM, here is what helps.
How is typing speed measured?
- WPM (words per minute): every 5 keystrokes count as one word. 300 keystrokes per minute ≈ 60 WPM.
- CPM / KPM: characters or keystrokes per minute. Typing Derby shows correct keystrokes per minute (KPM) for every language, plus WPM for English and Spanish.
- Accuracy: correct keystrokes ÷ all keystrokes. Your error rate is the rest.
What is a good typing speed?
| Level | English (WPM) | Keystrokes / min |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 20–30 | 100–150 |
| Average | 35–50 | 175–250 |
| Fast | 60–80 | 300–400 |
| Very fast | 90+ | 450+ |
These are rough, commonly cited ranges. In Typing Derby, holding 350 KPM (70 WPM) in English for the whole race finishes the 100m exactly.
Start with the home row
- Rest your index fingers on F and J — feel for the small bumps.
- Aim for touch typing (typing without looking). Accuracy first, speed follows.
- Wrong keys don’t advance in Typing Derby, so it trains a steady rhythm.
Typing in other languages
- Korean typing test
- Standard 2-set (Dubeolsik) layout — no need to switch input methods.
- Japanese typing practice
- Romaji input with alternate spellings (shi/si, tsu/tu, ん = nn).
- Chinese typing practice
- Pinyin without tones (ü = v or u).
- Spanish typing test
- Accents are optional: á→a, ñ→n.
Typing glossary
- Typing test
- A timed test of how fast and accurately you type.
- Typing games
- Games that build keyboarding skills — races, shooters, word games.
- Typing race
- Racing other typists (or their ghosts) over the same text.
- Touch typing
- Typing with all ten fingers without looking at the keyboard.
- Home row
- ASDF JKL; — where your fingers rest between keystrokes.
- Keyboarding
- Another word for typing skills, common in schools.