This Malayalam typing test gives you real Malayalam text and measures how quickly and accurately you type it. In Malayalam it is a മലയാളം ടൈപ്പിംഗ് ടെസ്റ്റ്. The test is free, runs in any browser with no sign-up, and needs no app to check your typing speed: just open the page on a computer, laptop or phone.
What is a typing test, and how long is it?
A typing test times you while you copy a passage, then reports your speed in words per minute (WPM) and your accuracy. How long is a typing test? It depends on what you want to measure. You can choose between several types of typing test here:
| Test type | Timing | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Short timed test | 15 s, 30 s or 1 minute | Checking your typing speed per minute, warm-ups |
| Standard timed test | 2, 3 or 5 minutes | A fair, repeatable speed score |
| Long timed test | 10 minutes | Exam stamina, like a Kerala PSC skill test |
| Words | 10, 25, 50 or 100 words | Quick drills and beginners |
| Paragraph | One full passage | Exam practice on continuous Malayalam text |
Malayalam keyboards: Inscript, ISM and Manglish
- Inscript is the Government of India standard. It is built into Windows, Mac and Linux and has the same key positions for every Indian script.
- ISM (from C-DAC) is common in Kerala government offices and typing institutes. It offers Inscript and typewriter-style layouts and, in newer versions, Unicode output. ISM Malayalam shortcut keys, such as the ones for switching languages, are part of the ISM software itself.
- Manglish (phonetic) tools such as Google Input Tools and phone keyboards let you type Malayalam in English letters:
malayalam→ മലയാളം.
This site offers built-in Inscript (Unicode) and your own keyboard. To take the test with ISM or a Manglish tool, choose "My own Malayalam keyboard" in the Keyboard menu and type as usual, as long as the output is Unicode Malayalam. Old non-Unicode fonts store different characters and won't match the passage.
The Malayalam Inscript keyboard and home row
Rest your left fingers on A S D F and your right fingers on J K L ;. The Malayalam typing keyboard puts vowel signs under the left hand and common consonants under the right:
| Key | A | S | D | F | G | H | J | K | L | ; | ' |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | ോ | േ | ് | ി | ു | പ | ര | ക | ത | ച | ട |
| Shift | ഓ | ഏ | അ | ഇ | ഉ | ഫ | റ | ഖ | ഥ | ഛ | ഠ |
Malayalam typing letters that learners look for most:
- റ Shift+J (next to ര on J), ഴ Shift+B, ള Shift+N, ണ Shift+C.
- ങ Shift+U and ഞ Shift+].
- Anusvara ം is X, very common at word ends (മലയാളം).
- Top row: Q ൌ, W ൈ, E ാ, R ീ, T ൂ, Y ബ, U ഹ, I ഗ, O ദ, P ജ, [ ഡ.
- Short and long e/o: െ is Z and േ is S; ൊ is the key left of 1 and ോ is A.
Chandrakkala, koottaksharam and chillu
- Chandrakkala (്) is on D. It joins consonants into koottaksharam (conjuncts): ക ് ക = ക്ക, ന ് ന = ന്ന. It also ends many words on its own, as in ഒന്ന്, so D is one of the busiest keys in a Malayalam typing test.
- Type vowel signs after the consonant. െ, േ and ൈ are drawn to the left, and ൊ, ോ wrap around the letter, but you always type the consonant first: ക then ൊ gives കൊ.
- Chillu letters (ൻ ർ ൽ ൾ ൺ) are consonants with no vowel, as in അവൻ and അവൾ. Modern Unicode gives each chillu its own character; classic Inscript made them with the consonant, chandrakkala and an invisible joiner. On the built-in layout each chillu has its own key: ർ on \, ൽ on Shift+\, ൺ on Shift+1, ൻ on Shift+2 and ൾ on Shift+4, so you never need the invisible joiner.
For guided practice, open typing lessons and choose "Malayalam – Inscript". Each lesson adds two keys and ends with real words.
How your Malayalam typing speed is measured
Net WPM = (correct characters ÷ 5) ÷ minutes
Accuracy = correct keystrokes ÷ all keystrokes × 100
Every Unicode character counts, including vowel signs, the chandrakkala and the anusvara, plus the space after each correct word. So മലയാളം is six characters (മ ല യ ാ ള ം). Raw WPM counts everything typed, and CPM is characters per minute.
Worked example: in a 5 minute Malayalam typing test you type 650 correct characters and 700 in total. Net speed = (650 ÷ 5) ÷ 5 = 26 WPM. Raw speed = (700 ÷ 5) ÷ 5 = 28 WPM. Accuracy = 650 ÷ 700 × 100 = about 92.9%, so the next goal is accuracy, not speed.
Malayalam words are long and full of conjuncts, so speeds run lower than in English (where about 40 WPM is average). Rough typing test levels for Malayalam:
| Level | Malayalam (WPM) |
|---|---|
| Beginner | about 5–15 |
| Working speed | about 20–30 |
| Good | about 30–40 |
| Fast | 40+ |
Malayalam typing for Kerala PSC and other exams
In Kerala, typist, clerk-typist and confidential assistant posts recruited through the Kerala PSC commonly ask for a typewriting qualification in English and Malayalam, usually the KGTE (Kerala Government Technical Examination) certificate at the lower or higher grade. Courts and some departments may add their own skill test on a computer.
The certificate grade, speed, timing and the Malayalam keyboard required depend on the post. Always check the official notification before you practise to a target.
For Malayalam typing exam practice, use Paragraph mode with the 10 minute timer, and try the government exam typing test for strict exam-style marking with a pass/fail verdict. If the post needs English as well, add the English typing test to each session.
A simple Malayalam typing practice plan
- Days 1–7: home row lessons. Say each letter in your head as you type it.
- Week 2: top row, bottom row and the Shift letters റ ഴ ള ണ.
- Every day after that: one 1 minute test, one Malayalam typing test of 5 minutes, then "Practise weak keys" on the result screen to open typing practice with words built from your mistakes.
- Once a week: a Malayalam typing test of 10 minutes in Paragraph mode as a mock exam.
A typing class or an online class helps with exam routine; this free online Malayalam typing practice is a quick way to track progress between sessions. For a break, the typing games also run in Malayalam.
How to type Malayalam on a computer, laptop or phone
- On this page: nothing to install. Keep Inscript selected.
- Malayalam typing for PC and laptop (Windows 10 and 11): add Malayalam in Settings → Time & language → Language & region and pick the Malayalam Inscript or phonetic keyboard. Switch with Windows+Space. Your Malayalam typing then works in Word, WhatsApp Desktop and every other program.
- Malayalam typing for iPhone and Android: add Malayalam in your phone's keyboard settings or in Gboard for WhatsApp and Instagram. On touch screens this test uses your own keyboard automatically.
- Malayalam typing in English (Manglish): Google Input Tools and similar online tools convert English letters to Malayalam. They are easy for chats but slower than a real layout for long texts.
Any Unicode Malayalam font, such as Kartika (Windows), Noto Sans Malayalam or Manjari, shows the same text. Results are saved on My progress, and any result can become a free typing certificate (a personal record, not a KGTE certificate).