How is WPM Calculated?
In professional typing tests, a "word" is standardized as exactly 5 characters (including spaces). This ensures fairness, as typing "hippopotamus" takes much longer than typing "cat".
Gross WPM Formula
Gross WPM = (Total Characters Typed / 5) / Time in MinutesGross WPM represents your absolute raw typing speed, assuming every single keystroke was perfectly correct.
Net WPM Formula
Net WPM = Gross WPM - (Uncorrected Errors / Time in Minutes)Net WPM is the globally accepted standard for typing speed. It penalizes you for mistakes that you did not backspace and fix. If your Net WPM drops significantly below your Gross WPM, it means you are typing too fast for your accuracy level.