Guide
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Start with a short HSK 1 typing session. No signup is required.
Practice HSK 1 vocabularyFor Chinese typing, characters per minute (CPM) is usually easier to interpret than words per minute. A result near 27 CPM is the median among returning TypeChinese typists in our current benchmark; 42 CPM is around the 75th percentile, and 57 CPM is around the 90th percentile.
Those numbers are useful reference points, not universal standards. Your input method, text difficulty, accuracy, and familiarity with the passage all affect the result.
| Percentile | Speed |
|---|---|
| 25th | 15 CPM |
| Median | 27 CPM |
| 75th | 42 CPM |
| 90th | 57 CPM |
A practical interpretation is:
The sample covers 66,771 valid completed practices from 3,437 returning typists between May 1 and August 2, 2026. A returning typist needed at least three completed practices.
We excluded pasted input, implausible speeds outside 1-300 CPM, sessions shorter than five seconds, and sessions longer than one hour. To stop frequent users from dominating the result, we calculated one median speed per typist before finding the percentiles.
This is a self-selected sample of people using TypeChinese, not a representative survey of every Chinese typist. It is most useful for comparing your progress with other people who intentionally practice Chinese typing.
English typing tests commonly use WPM, with a “word” standardized as five characters. Chinese does not use spaces between every word, so software may count Chinese words differently.
CPM avoids that ambiguity: if you entered 150 Chinese characters in five minutes, your speed was 30 CPM. When comparing results from different sites, first check whether their “WPM” actually means characters per minute.
Pinyin and Zhuyin depend on pronunciation and candidate selection. Cangjie, Quick, and Wubi depend more on recognizing character shapes and recalling codes. Do not treat a score from one method as a perfect prediction for another.
Common HSK vocabulary is easier than names, formal news, or unfamiliar literary text. Compare like with like whenever you track improvement.
A high raw speed with many corrections is not fluent typing. Track accuracy alongside CPM and aim for at least 95% before deliberately pushing speed.
Repeating a passage is useful practice, but the second attempt will usually be faster. Label repeated tests so you do not confuse familiarity with general improvement.
Choose one practice category, script, and input method. Complete three short sessions per week, then compare your weekly median rather than your single fastest result.
Record:
Start with HSK 1 vocabulary practice, or use our seven-day Pinyin typing plan if you want a structured first week.
Yes. In this sample, 30 CPM is slightly above the median returning typist. Accuracy and consistency still matter more than crossing an exact number.
About 42 CPM reaches the 75th percentile in this sample. Around 57 CPM reaches the 90th percentile.
There is no fixed schedule. In the first few weeks, fewer pauses and better accuracy are stronger signs of progress than raw speed. Measure under consistent conditions and look for a trend across several sessions.
