How DeviceCheckOnline measures typing speed (WPM)
Words per minute looks like a single number, but four common variants exist — and they disagree by 20% or more. DeviceCheckOnline reports the strict version (correct chars / 5 / min) plus a raw version (everything you typed) so you see both.
Open the tool →1. The 5-character convention
Since 1932 a 'word' in typing tests means five keystrokes including the space — the average length of an English word. The formula: `WPM = (correct chars / 5) / minutes`. A 60 WPM typist produces 300 correct characters per minute. This is what 10fastfingers, Monkeytype, and Typing.com all report as their primary number.
2. Net vs raw
Net WPM only counts correct keystrokes. Raw WPM counts everything. Backspacing a wrong character then typing the right one costs you net WPM (the wrong char wasn't a 'correct' keystroke) but raw WPM is unaffected. A skilled typist with 5% errors loses about 10 net WPM versus raw.
3. Accuracy
Accuracy = correct / total keystrokes (excluding modifiers). Most professional touch-typists hold 95–98%. Below 90% your net WPM gets penalized faster than you can type — slowing down is a net gain. Above 99% you're probably typing too cautiously.
4. Consistency
We sample your net WPM every second and compute the coefficient of variation. Consistency = 100 − (CV × 100), clamped to 0–100. A consistency of 85% or higher matches professional touch-typists. Anything under 60% suggests bursts of fast typing followed by long pauses — the rhythm is what fatigue and lack of practice break first.
FAQ
Why is my Monkeytype WPM higher?
Monkeytype's primary score is raw WPM in their default settings. Switch to 'net' in their config for a direct comparison.
Does code mode count syntax characters?
Yes. Every character including brackets, semicolons, and quotes counts as a keystroke. Code mode therefore reports lower WPM than common-word mode at the same skill level — that's expected.