German Typing Test
Type a short German text and get your words per minute and accuracy. The passages are everyday German with its special letters (ä ö ü ß), and you choose whether missing accents count as mistakes.
time left
1:00
wpm
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accuracy
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The clock starts on your first key. Backspace fixes mistakes.
special letters · tap one to type it
- Windows
- The German (QWERTZ) layout has keys for ä, ö, ü and ß. On US-International: " then a, o or u for ä ö ü, and AltGr+S for ß.
- Mac
- Option+U then a, o or u for ä ö ü (add Shift on the letter for Ä Ö Ü). Option+S for ß. The German input source has dedicated keys.
- Phone
- Long-press a, o or u for the umlaut, and long-press s for ß.
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How the score works
WPM counts correct characters, divided by five, per minute, so a wrong letter does not add to your speed. Accuracy counts every key as you press it, so a mistake you fix still counts. Typing in German is slower than in your first language for most people; the useful number is your own score next week.
- 01
Pick a text and a length
A passage or random common words, for 30, 60 or 120 seconds, or the whole text.
- 02
Start typing
The clock starts on your first key. Letters turn red when they are wrong; backspace to fix them.
- 03
Read your score
WPM, raw WPM and accuracy. Try the same text again, or move on to a new one.
other languages
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Common questions
What is a good typing speed in German?
There is no official benchmark, but a rough guide is the same as for English: around 30 to 40 WPM is a comfortable everyday speed, 50 to 70 is fast, and above 80 is very fast. Expect to be slower in German than in your first language, often noticeably so at the start, because the words are less familiar and the accented letters take extra keys. Compare your scores over time rather than with other people.
How do I type ä, ö, ü and ß?
On a Mac, Option+U then a vowel gives the umlaut, and Option+S gives ß. On Windows, the German QWERTZ layout has keys for all four; on US-International, " then a vowel gives the umlaut and AltGr+S gives ß. On a phone, long-press a, o, u or s. You can also tap the letters under the test.
Can I type ae, oe, ue or ss instead?
Not in this test. Those spellings are a workaround when umlauts are unavailable, but they change the length of the word, so they cannot be matched letter by letter. Turning off "Count missing accents as errors" lets you type a for ä, o for ö and u for ü; ß always needs its own key.
Does the test count accents?
Yes, by default. With "Count missing accents as errors" on, a letter without its accent counts as a mistake, just as it would be a spelling mistake in German. Turn it off to compare letters with accents removed, so you can practise on a keyboard without the German layout. Curly and straight apostrophes and quotes always count as the same character.
How is WPM calculated?
A "word" is counted as five characters, including spaces, which is the standard for typing tests. WPM is the number of correct characters divided by five, divided by the minutes you typed. Raw WPM counts every character you typed, right or wrong. Accuracy is the share of keystrokes that were right when you typed them, so mistakes you corrected with backspace still count against it.
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Talk to people in German, not just type it
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