Most typing tests use lowercase words with no punctuation, which makes scores look good but hides the slow parts of real typing. This typing test with punctuation and numbers adds capital letters at the start of sentences, commas, full stops, question marks, exclamation marks, quotation marks, semicolons, brackets and numbers. It runs for one minute by default, and you can change the time or switch each option off.
What this punctuation test includes
With both toggles on, the text is built from common words, and roughly:
- 1 word in 10 ends a sentence with a full stop, and the next word starts with a capital letter.
- 1 word in 14 or so is followed by a comma.
- A few words end with a question mark or exclamation mark, or sit inside quotation marks or brackets, and some end with a semicolon.
- About 1 word in 8 is replaced by a number, from single digits up to four figures, such as 7, 42 or 3861.
Here is one of the typing test examples you might see: The team met 42 people, and "later" (after lunch) they left. Why?
That mix is close to ordinary business writing: reports, emails and letters. It is also why this page is a better check than a plain test if you are preparing for a job test or an exam passage.
Typing test with or without punctuation and capital letters
You control both parts with the buttons above the text:
| @ punctuation | # numbers | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| On | On | Capitals, punctuation marks and numbers (the default on this page) |
| On | Off | A typing test with punctuation marks and capitals, but only words |
| Off | On | Lowercase words with numbers mixed in |
| Off | Off | Plain lowercase words, with no punctuation and no caps |
Want a typing test with no punctuation or capitalization? Switch both buttons off. You then get normal words with no punctuation and no caps, the easy version of the typing test, which is good for warming up. Your typing WPM with no punctuation is usually your highest score. A keyboard typing speed test without punctuation marks or capitals is also the fairest one for comparing with friends. The version with punctuation marks is the one that predicts how fast you type real text. The Numbers mode in the mode bar gives you a typing test with numbers only: whole numbers, decimals such as 482.17, and phone-style figures such as 45-6789.
How punctuation changes your WPM
As a typing speed test with punctuation and numbers, this page usually gives a lower result than a plain test. Every capital needs a Shift press, and every punctuation mark is an extra key, often on the little finger. So most people score lower with punctuation on, typically by about 10–20%, though the gap is different for everyone. A small gap means your Shift and punctuation technique is already good; a big gap shows exactly what to practise.
The typing test measures the number of words per minute in the standard way, with punctuation and digits counted like letters:
WPM = (correct characters ÷ 5) ÷ minutes
Worked example: on a 1-minute plain test you type 260 correct characters, which is 260 ÷ 5 = 52 WPM. On this page you type 230 correct characters in the same minute, which is 230 ÷ 5 = 46 WPM. The gap is 6 WPM, or 6 ÷ 52 = about 11.5%. That is a normal result. For reference, the average adult typing speed is about 40 WPM on a plain test. Punctuation marks and numbers count as characters, so a correctly typed comma adds to your score just like a letter.
Accuracy = correct keystrokes ÷ all keystrokes × 100
Accuracy also tends to drop, because it is easy to forget a full stop or a capital. Aim for 95% or better here, the same target as a plain test.
Typing punctuation rules and finger positions
These are the standard touch-typing fingers for the marks in this test, with the opposite-hand rule for Shift:
| Mark | Key | Finger |
|---|---|---|
| , (comma) | Comma key | right middle |
| . (full stop) | Full stop key | right ring |
| ; (semicolon) | Semicolon key | right little |
| ? (question mark) | Left Shift + slash key | right little |
| " (quotation mark) | Left Shift + quote key | right little |
| ! (exclamation mark) | Right Shift + 1 | left little |
| ( and ) | Left Shift + 9 or 0 | right ring, right little |
| Capital letters | Shift on the opposite hand + letter | little finger on Shift |
Spacing rules used in the test: no space before a comma, full stop, question mark or semicolon; one space after them. Quotation marks and brackets sit directly against the word inside them.
Typing test with numbers: number row or number pad?
The default typing test, including numbers, is meant for the number row above the letters, typed with the touch-typing fingers: 1 with the left little finger through to 0 with the right little finger. That is the typing test for number keys most jobs need, because figures appear inside ordinary text.
If your work is mostly figures, such as accounts or billing, you probably use the numeric keypad instead. For that, the 10-key typing test is a typing test with number pad practice, and it measures keystrokes per hour (KPH), the unit employers use for number entry. For mixed text, numbers and symbols over five minutes, try the data entry typing test.
Tips to type punctuation and numbers faster
- Learn Shift properly. Using the Shift key on the same hand as the letter is the most common cause of slow capitals.
- Type the mark with the word. "Yes," is one movement, not a word, a pause and a comma.
- Keep your right little finger home. Most punctuation lives around the semicolon key; drifting away costs time.
- Practise numbers in context. Numbers inside sentences, like "chapter 12" or "3861 people", are harder than lists of digits.
- Drill your weak keys. After each test, press "Practise weak keys" on the result screen to drill the marks you missed.
If a mark keeps tripping you up, the Numbers & symbols lessons in the typing lessons course teach each one slowly with the correct finger.
Typing test comparison: which result should you quote?
For a CV or a job form, quote your score from a test with punctuation and capitals, or from a paragraph typing test, because employers test with real text. Plain-word scores are fine for comparing with friends or tracking daily progress. Either way, the site can make a free certificate from your result, showing the WPM and accuracy you actually typed.