CPM — Characters Per Minute

What Does CPM Mean?

CPM stands for characters per minute. It measures how many individual characters — letters, spaces, numbers, and punctuation marks — you type per minute. Unlike WPM, CPM counts every single character rather than grouping them into five-character words.

CPM vs WPM

The relationship between CPM and WPM is simple: WPM = CPM ÷ 5. A CPM of 250 equals 50 WPM. CPM is a more granular measure and is used in some professional contexts (particularly data entry) where character accuracy matters more than word rhythm.

When CPM Is Used

CPM is common in:

• Data entry job requirements (often listed as "10,000+ keystrokes per hour" which is ~167 CPM)
• Typesetting and transcription benchmarks
• Some international typing certifications

Keystrokes Per Hour

Some jobs list requirements in keystrokes per hour (KPH). To convert: KPH ÷ 60 = CPM. A requirement of 8,000 KPH equals about 133 CPM or 26 WPM — much lower than it sounds.