Typing glossary
Every typing term used on TypingSpark, explained in a sentence or two.
Typing tests and job postings use a handful of terms that are rarely explained. Here they are in plain language, in alphabetical order.
Terms
- 10-key
- Typing numbers on the numeric keypad without looking. Measured in keystrokes per hour. See the 10-key guide.
- Accuracy
- The share of your keystrokes that were correct, including mistakes you later fixed. 95% or better is a common target.
- Characters per minute (CPM)
- Correct characters typed per minute. Five characters make one word, so 200 CPM is 40 WPM. In German-speaking countries, speed is often given as keystrokes (Anschläge) per minute.
- Consistency
- How even your speed was through a test. A high percentage means a steady rhythm.
- Corrected error
- A mistake you fixed with Backspace. It lowers accuracy but not net speed.
- Gross WPM
- Your speed before any penalty for errors: all characters typed, divided by five, per minute.
- Home row
- The middle row of letter keys where your fingers rest: A S D F and J K L ; on QWERTY.
- Keystrokes per hour (KPH)
- Every key pressed, including Enter, scaled to an hour. Used for data entry and 10-key tests.
- Net WPM
- Gross WPM minus one word per minute for each uncorrected error. The number most employers ask for.
- Raw WPM
- Speed counting every keystroke, including mistakes and deleted characters.
- Strict mode
- A test where Backspace is turned off, as in some employment tests.
- Touch typing
- Typing with all ten fingers without looking at the keyboard, each finger responsible for its own keys.
- Uncorrected error
- A mistake left in the text at the end of the test. Each one lowers net WPM.
- Words per minute (WPM)
- Typing speed, where a word is counted as five characters, including spaces and punctuation.
Learn more
The formulas behind each number are in how typing speed is measured, and typical values are in what is a good typing speed.