Monkeytype review

Monkeytype is where many confident typists go to push their speed. It is a minimalist typing test that shows text in place and marks typos, speed and accuracy in real time, so practice feels close to normal typing. By default it draws from the 200 most common English words, and you can switch to a 1000-word set or another language. An account saves your history so you can see whether accuracy and speed are improving, and leaderboards add some competition. Customization is a big draw: themes, sounds, a smooth caret and many test modes, all reachable from a keyboard command line. The site reports 952 million completed tests since its launch in May 2020. It is free and funded by supporters who donate, enable optional ads or buy merch. What it does not do is teach touch typing from the home row up, so beginners should start with a course and come here later.

Who it is for

People who can already touch type and want fast, distraction-free speed and accuracy practice.

Price

Free, supported by donations, optional ads and merch.

Supporterswho helped financially by donating, enabling optional ads or buying merch
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 9, 2026.

Key features

• Many test modes with real-time feedback on typos, speed and accuracy
• Account system that saves your typing speed history
• Default set of the 200 most common English words, expandable to 1000 or other languages
• Themes, sounds, smooth caret and other configurable settings
• Keyboard-only command line and leaderboards

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Clean, ad-light test that keeps the focus on typing
• Strength: Deep customization of test modes and appearance
• Strength: Large community, with 952 million tests completed
• Weakness: No lessons that teach finger placement from scratch
• Weakness: Better for measuring and pushing speed than for learning
• Weakness: Not designed for young children

Key facts

• Price: Free
• Launched: May 15, 2020
• Tests completed: 952 million
• Default word set: 200 most common English words
• Platform: Web browser

Where it ranks

Monkeytype is No. 4 in our Best Typing Courses verdict.