Fact · Typing and writing speed
5characters per word
Monkeytype computes speed by dividing the characters typed by five and by the test length in minutes, so one word counts as five characters.
Checked against its source on October 17, 2026
In the source's own words
“return charCount / 5 / (durationSeconds / 60);”
Monkeytype source code: frontend/src/ts/utils/numbers.ts (calculateWpm), GitHub (monkeytypegame/monkeytype), main branch, n.d., calculateWpm function.
Open the original- What it measures
- The function divides the character count by five and by the duration in minutes. The results code calls it once for the headline speed and once for a raw speed that counts every character typed.
- What it does not show
- This is the site's rule on the date read. Other tests may define a word differently, which is why speeds from different tests are not directly comparable.