Typing Accuracy vs Speed: Which Matters More?

Should you type faster and accept a few mistakes, or slow down and get everything right? For nearly everyone, the answer is to prioritize accuracy. The maths below shows why: a small drop in accuracy costs far more speed than most people expect.

How errors are counted

Typing tests report two related numbers:

• Accuracy is the share of your keystrokes that were correct. If you press 300 keys and 15 are wrong, your accuracy is 95%, even if you go back and fix all of them.
• Net WPM counts only the correct text. Each standard "word" is five characters, and mistakes left in the text reduce your score.

Corrected errors also cost time. Every mistake means noticing it, pressing Backspace, and retyping, so it costs you at least two extra keystrokes plus the moment it takes to notice.

A worked example

Two typists each take a one minute test. We'll use the standard formula: gross WPM is the characters in the finished text divided by five, and net WPM subtracts one word for every uncorrected error.

Alex types fast but carelessly. Alex presses 350 keys at 90% accuracy, so 35 of those keystrokes are wrong. Alex fixes 18 of the mistakes, which takes 18 Backspaces plus retyping, and leaves 17 in the text.

• Keys that produced correct characters: 350 - 35 wrong - 18 Backspaces = 297
• Finished text: 297 correct + 17 wrong = 314 characters, so gross WPM = 314 / 5 = 62.8
• Net WPM: 62.8 - 17 errors = about 46 WPM

Sam types a little slower but cleanly. Sam presses 300 keys at 98% accuracy: 6 wrong keystrokes, all fixed.

• Keys that produced correct characters: 300 - 6 wrong - 6 Backspaces = 288
• Finished text: 288 characters, so gross WPM = 57.6
• Net WPM: 57.6 - 0 errors = about 58 WPM

Sam pressed 50 fewer keys and still scored 12 WPM higher, with no errors left in the text - which is what matters at work.

Try the numbers yourself with the typing accuracy calculator or the WPM calculator.

Why accuracy also makes you faster later

Every time you hit the wrong key, your fingers rehearse the wrong movement. Typing at 90% accuracy means practicing one mistake in every ten keystrokes. Slowing down until you're at 97% or more means your practice builds the right muscle memory, and the speed comes from that.

The 95% rule

A simple rule that works for almost everyone:

1. If your accuracy is below 95%, slow down by about 10% until it's above 95%.
2. If it's 95-97%, keep your pace and focus on your weakest keys.
3. If it's above 97% on several tests in a row, push your speed a little.

Test your accuracy now

This drill uses words that are easy to mistype. Go at a pace where you make no more than one or two errors:

When you're ready, take the untimed typing accuracy test. There's no timer, just a 98% pass mark.

When speed matters more

There are a few exceptions. In live chat or note-taking, where small typos don't matter much, a slightly lower accuracy can be fine. And competitive typists sometimes push past their comfortable speed to break plateaus. But they only do it in short sprints, and it isn't how they practice day to day.