How can I test typing speed for MEMORIZED text?

[roisin and mac]

Hey

I just did a typing speed test, pretty much at random - googled 'typing speed test' and picked the likeliest looking link (boy I love me some alliteration).

It was the kind that is, as it turns out, most usually given: a small passage to copy.

Trouble is, I'd like to find out how fast I am when I'm typing what I'm thinking, as opposed to what I'm reading off a screen or document, because this is what I do most often - original writing. I would like to know that because it would give me a better idea of my 'real-world' typing speed. After some research, it turns out that sometimes they can test for memorized text (I found a reference to that in relation to handwriting speed - as in, it was about 30 wpm for memorized text, versus about 22 for copied text).

Does anyone know of a place where I can do something like that? If there isn't a memorized text feature, a good alternative might be typing from a dictation, perhaps? I can set up a dictation myself - meaning, I can just get someone to dictate a bit of text for me to type - but I would still need the counter for the words per minute.

Any and all ideas appreciated

 

[miles01110]

Use a stop watch and the word count feature of your word processor.

 

[roisin and mac]

Yeah, I thought of that too, but don't they actually count words different for speed-testing purposes compared to how they count them on a word processor? I mean, the word processor would count words as whatever's demarcated by two spaces (one before, one after, ignoring punctuation); by contrast, for speed testing purposes they would calculate differently because in that context it doesn't make sense for the word 'of' and the word 'circumnavigational' to be counted as ONE word each

 

[waloshin]

Try this website:

http://free-typing-tests.com/wpm-typing-tests/wpm-test-v9/

 

[r1ch4rd]

Yeah, I thought of that too, but don't they actually count words different for speed-testing purposes compared to how they count them on a word processor?

For the purposes of WPM measurement a word is standardized to five characters or keystrokes. For instance, "I run" counts as one word, but "rhinoceros" counts as two. "Let's talk" would also be considered two words because the space key counts as a keystroke. (Wikipedia)

So, you can use the number of characters from Word to work out a figure.

Over a sufficiently large piece of text I would expect that the length of the average word would converge so it may not actually make much difference. However, you could never guarantee that it would converge to the same number every time. It depends how accurate you want to be.

EDIT: You also need to be sure you type with no mistakes, which is usually enforced by a lot of tools.

 

[roisin and mac]

Try this website:

http://free-typing-tests.com/wpm-typing-tests/wpm-test-v9/

oh, that's neat! thanks In light of what r1ch4rd said after you, I probably won't need it, but it's nice to know - one of those interesting webpages you can usually only find if someone actually gives them to you or completely by chance otherwise

For the purposes of WPM measurement a word is standardized to five characters or keystrokes. For instance, "I run" counts as one word, but "rhinoceros" counts as two. "Let's talk" would also be considered two words because the space key counts as a keystroke. (Wikipedia)

So, you can use the number of characters from Word to work out a figure.

Over a sufficiently large piece of text I would expect that the length of the average word would converge so it may not actually make much difference. However, you could never guarantee that it would converge to the same number every time. It depends how accurate you want to be.

EDIT: You also need to be sure you type with no mistakes, which is usually enforced by a lot of tools.

Okay, that's a good idea. I can definitely use that. Thanks for the edit on mistakes, but I think I should be fine - since I began to type looking at the screen I'm not making that many mistakes, at least none that I don't correct immediately (ie not as part of an edit or spellcheck). Most of all though, it's not terribly important for my purposes because as I'm trying to assess speed on original text, original writing will ALWAYS get a review after for content, and leftover typos can be fixed at that time.

Thanks everyone! Knew I was bound to get an answer here

 

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