Putting WPM in context

Average for which
kind of typing?

A typing average needs context: who took the test, which device they used, and whether they copied text or composed their own words.

A reference point for copying

A 2018 Aalto University and University of Cambridge study of approximately 168,000 online volunteers reported an average of 52 words per minute on its typing test. This was a volunteer sample and a supplied-text task, not a representative average for everyone or for freeform writing.

Read Aalto University’s study summary ↗

There is no WPM Speed population average yet

V1 does not collect test results. We therefore do not claim an average, percentile, or “good” score for composing freely. A copying-test benchmark should not be presented as a freeform benchmark.

A useful starting point is your own baseline

Take a few tests with the same duration and keyboard. Try different prompts. Notice whether changes in your result come from active typing speed or longer pauses. Faster output is only one aspect of writing; a careful sentence may be worth taking your time.