Words per minute looks like a single number, but it hides three separate skills: raw key speed, accuracy under pressure, and rhythm consistency. Most online tests divide your correct characters by five, then scale to a minute. That five-character convention comes from mid-century typing manuals and stuck because it makes scores comparable across tests.
Accuracy matters more than speed
Every error costs you twice: once for the wrong key, once for the correction. A typist at 70 WPM with 99% accuracy produces more usable text than one at 90 WPM with 92% accuracy. When you review a Typestrix result, look at accuracy first and speed second.
Consistency beats bursts
Fast bursts followed by pauses score worse than steady rhythm. The per-second WPM chart on your result screen shows this directly: a flat line means controlled typing, spikes mean rushing. Train rhythm by typing slightly below your max until the line flattens, then push speed up.
How to practice this week
Run three one-minute tests a day on Typestrix. Ignore the score on the first run and focus on even pacing. Compare only your seven-day average, never a single test, single tests are noise, averages are signal.
Put this guide to work
Open a test and practise what you just read.