Expect your WPM to be a little lower than on the plain words test. Every capital letter needs the Shift key, and punctuation keys are reached with your weakest fingers.
Using the Shift key correctly
Use the Shift key on the opposite hand from the letter you're capitalizing. To type a capital A (left hand), hold the right Shift with your right pinky. To type a capital J (right hand), use the left Shift. This keeps both hands balanced and avoids awkward stretches.
Common punctuation keys
All of these live on the right side of the keyboard and are typed with your right ring finger or pinky:
- Comma (,) - right middle finger
- Period (.) - right ring finger
- Semicolon and colon - right pinky
- Quotes and apostrophes - right pinky
- Question mark - right pinky with left Shift
Frequently asked questions
Why is my punctuation WPM lower?
Shift and punctuation keys add extra movements. A drop of 5-15% compared to plain words is normal.
Are capital letters counted as errors if I miss Shift?
Yes - a lowercase letter where a capital is expected counts as an incorrect character.
How do I practice punctuation?
Take this test regularly and do the Shift and punctuation lesson in our course. The adaptive practice mode also targets punctuation keys you miss often.