This free Arabic typing test shows your speed in words per minute (WPM) and your accuracy. Pick 1, 3 or 5 minutes, choose plain text or text with tashkeel, and start typing. No Arabic keyboard needed: each English key types an Arabic letter.
What should I do before I start the Arabic typing test?
Two minutes of setup saves you from a bad score.
- Switch your computer to the English keyboard. The page changes your keys into Arabic for you.
- Sit straight and rest your fingers on the middle row, as in our Arabic typing lessons and course guide.
- Close chat apps and other tabs, so nothing pulls you away.
- Warm up first. Type the three words below slowly, then start.
How do I take the Arabic typing test?
It runs in your browser, so there is nothing to install.
- Pick a time. Choose 1, 3 or 5 minutes under the text.
- Click the Arabic text. The timer starts on your first key, so get ready first.
- Type word by word. Press Space after every word.
- Fix mistakes with Backspace. A fixed mistake still counts against accuracy.
- Read your result. Press Restart to retry, or New text for a different passage.
Finish early? More text is added until time ends. Choose Show keyboard if you want to see which key types which letter.
What does my result look like?
An example only. Your own result appears under the text when time is up. Press Restart to try for a better score.
Which test length should I choose?
A quick check, or a weekly progress note.
A steady score. This is the default.
Builds stamina and feels like a real test.
Who is the Arabic typing test for?
You are learning Arabic and want to see how fast you can type it.
You type Arabic for school work, and want your speed to catch up with your ideas.
You type Arabic at work, or you are applying for a job that asks for it.
New to the Arabic keyboard? Do the first lessons of the Arabic typing tutor first. A test is much more fun when you know where the keys are.
How is Arabic typing speed measured?
Like most typing tests, we count every 5 letters as one word. Only letters in correctly typed words count toward your speed.
WPM
Correct letters ÷ 5, then ÷ minutes.
600 correct letters in 3 minutes = 120 words = 40 WPM
Characters per minute
WPM × 5. Some sites show this instead of WPM.
40 WPM = 200 CPM
Accuracy
Correct letters out of every letter you tried, even ones you fixed later.
95 right out of 100 = 95%
Mistakes
Every wrong letter you typed, even if you fixed it.
Counts everything you typed.
Takes the errors away. Our speed score is closer to this.
A job test may use its own formula. Read the notice for your test.
What is a good Arabic typing speed?
There is no official Arabic typing speed that we could find.
These bands are our own rough guide. They follow the same idea as our lessons, where 30 WPM counts as full speed.
| Speed | Level | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Under 10 WPM | Just starting | Learn where the keys are. Ignore speed for now. |
| 10 to 19 WPM | Learning | Push your accuracy to 95%. |
| 20 to 29 WPM | Steady | Everyday typing starts to feel comfortable. |
| 30 to 39 WPM | Good | Keep your accuracy high and add longer tests. |
| 40 WPM and up | Strong | Practice paragraphs and the 5 minute test. |
Accuracy matters as much as speed. Mistakes slow you down, and many tests count them against you.
Why does my Arabic typing score feel low?
A low first score is normal. These are the usual reasons.
Hamza (أ إ آ) and the Arabic punctuation need Shift. Beginners often pause on them.
On Arabic (101) the key does not match the sound, so your fingers must learn fresh spots.
Every glance down costs a second. Look at the screen, and use the on-screen keyboard only at first.
Mistakes and Backspace slow you down more than a steady pace does.
Do not compare your score with English tests. Compare it with your own score from last week.
What should I do with my score?
A test only shows where you are. To get faster, practice with the 12 free Arabic typing lessons, then test again.
Start the course with Lesson 1: Home Row.
Work on the keys you miss. Try Lesson 3: Upper Row or Lesson 5: Lower Row.
Build stamina with Lesson 9: Paragraphs and the 5 minute test.
Which keyboard layout does the Arabic typing test use?
The test uses Standard Arabic (101). Each letter has a fixed key, and the key does not match the sound.
Example: the A key types ش and the H key types ا. It is the same layout our Arabic typing tutor teaches.
The layout this test uses.
Windows lists it too. A few keys sit in other places.
Another Windows variant with its own key spots.
Taking a job test? Ask which layout it uses before you practice. If it is not Arabic (101), practice on that layout in Windows as well.
Which key types which letter?
Key left of 1
Top row
Middle row
Bottom row
The small text on a tile is what you get with Shift. Do you need an Arabic keyboard? No. This page changes your keys for you.
What text will I type in the Arabic typing test?
No harakat, like most Arabic you read online. Sentences and paragraphs written by the TypingSpot team.
Short lines with full harakat, taken from Riyad as-Salihin by Imam al-Nawawi.
Use the text menu under the test. Switching starts a fresh passage.
How does the tashkeel test work?
- Pick With tashkeel in the text menu. A new passage appears.
- Type each letter, then its mark. The marks use Shift keys.
- Shadda and a vowel can go in either order.
- Marks count as characters, so expect a lower WPM than on plain text.
Press New text for a different passage. To learn the marks one by one first, use Bonus 3: Harakat.
Which mistakes do Arabic typists make most?
Mixing ة and ه
Why: They look close, but they are two letters.
Fix: ة is the M key. ه is the I key.
Mixing ى and ي
Why: Alif maqsura and ya differ only in the dots.
Fix: ي is the D key. ى is the N key.
Skipping the hamza letters
Why: أ إ آ need Shift, so it is easy to type a plain ا by mistake.
Fix: Hold Shift and press H for أ, Y for إ or N for آ. Practice in Lesson 2, Lesson 4 and Lesson 6.
English punctuation instead of Arabic
Why: The Arabic comma ، and question mark ؟ are different signs.
Fix: Shift+K types ، and Shift+/ types ؟. Practice in Bonus 2: Punctuation.
The B key types two letters
Why: On Arabic (101) the B key types the pair لا in one press.
Fix: This is normal. Pressing the L key then the H key counts the same.
Extra spaces
Why: A space between letters of one word counts as a mistake.
Fix: Press Space only after a whole word.
Your computer is on an Arabic keyboard
Why: The page converts your keys, and your computer converts them again.
Fix: Switch to English (Windows key + Space) and click the text again.
How can I improve my Arabic typing speed?
- Learn the home row first. Rest your fingers on the middle row and grow from there.
- Look at the screen, not the keys. Use the on-screen keyboard at first, then hide it.
- Put accuracy first. Aim for 95% before you push speed.
- Practice about 15 minutes a day. Short, regular sessions beat one long one.
- Learn the Shift letters. Hamza and the Arabic punctuation need Shift.
- Test once a week. Take the 1 minute test and note your WPM and accuracy.
- Move to sentences once single words feel easy.
Which lessons teach this in order?
There are also three bonus lessons: numbers, punctuation and harakat. See all Arabic typing lessons.
How should I sit while typing?
- Feet flat, back supported.
- Wrists straight, screen at eye level.
- Rest your eyes and stretch every 20 to 30 minutes.
These are general habits, not medical advice. If pain does not go away, see a doctor.
Can I take the Arabic typing test on my phone?
We built and tested this test for a computer keyboard. Phone typing may not be scored correctly, so use a computer for a real result.
Only have a phone? Use our Arabic keyboard online to type Arabic and copy it into WhatsApp or Word.
Is this good practice for a job typing test?
It helps you practice speed and accuracy. It is not an official exam and gives no certificate.
Read the job notice and check three things
Arabic (101) is what you practice here. If the test names another one, practice on it too.
Find the speed and accuracy the notice asks for.
Find out how errors are counted, including punctuation.
What do the key terms mean?
- WPM
- Words per minute. Every 5 correct letters count as one word.
- CPM
- Characters per minute. It is WPM times 5.
- Accuracy
- The share of letters you typed right, out of all letters you tried.
- Tashkeel
- The small marks like fatha and kasra, also called harakat. Pick With tashkeel to type them. Bonus 3 of the tutor teaches them.
- Hamza
- The glottal stop sign, as in ء أ إ ؤ ئ. Some of these need Shift.
- Lam-alif
- The joined pair لا. The B key types it in one press.
- Right to left
- Arabic starts on the right and moves left. This is normal.
- Arabic (101)
- The Windows keyboard layout this test uses.
About this test
- Made by
- The TypingSpot team. TypingSpot is a free typing practice site for English, Arabic and Urdu.
- How scoring works
- The rules are explained above, and the same rules run every time.
- Test text
- Plain text: sentences and paragraphs written by our team. Tashkeel text: lines from Riyad as-Salihin by Imam al-Nawawi.
- Limits
- One layout, Standard Arabic (101). Works best on a computer keyboard. No certificate.
- Tashkeel source
- Riyad as-Salihin by Imam al-Nawawi, in the edition checked by Shu'ayb al-Arna'ut (Mu'assasat al-Risalah). The test uses short lines only. We kept the wording and marks as printed there, so a few marks may differ from other editions.
- Review
- A native Arabic reader should check the test text and the tashkeel before you rely on them. Tell us if you spot a mistake.
- Found a mistake?
- Email typingspotweb@gmail.com and we will fix it.
- Privacy
- What you type stays in your browser. We use Google Analytics to count visits to the site.
What we checked, and what we did not
We typed full passages in a browser. Speed, accuracy and mistakes were counted as described above.
All 51 plain and 31 tashkeel passages can be typed on the Arabic (101) layout.
Every Arabic layout on every device. A native reader should also review the plain text and the tashkeel.
Sources used on this page
- Riyad as-Salihin, Imam Abu Zakariya Yahya al-Nawawi, edition by Shu'ayb al-Arna'ut, Mu'assasat al-Risalah, BeirutUsed for the tashkeel lines. Hadith numbers in that edition: 21, 39, 86, 116, 136, 137, 152, 166, 180, 206, 315, 339, 342, 369, 373, 445, 464, 521, 739, 804, 859, 927, 1008, 1309, 1367, 1400, 1477, 1575, 1579.
- Windows keyboard layouts (Microsoft Learn)Used for the names of the Windows Arabic layouts: Arabic (101), (102) and (102) AZERTY.
- Unicode Arabic block, U+0600 to U+06FF (Unicode Consortium)Used for letter and mark names.
More typing practice
Frequently asked questions about the Arabic typing test
Is there a free Arabic typing test online?
Yes. This one is free and runs in your browser. Pick 1, 3 or 5 minutes, click the Arabic text and start typing. There is no sign-up and nothing to download.
Do I need an Arabic keyboard to take the test?
No. You press keys on your normal English keyboard and each key types an Arabic letter. If your computer already has an Arabic keyboard turned on, switch back to English for this test.
Which keyboard layout does the Arabic typing test use?
Standard Arabic (101). Each letter has a fixed key, so the key does not match the sound. For example, the A key types ش and the H key types ا. Windows lists this layout as Arabic (101).
How is typing speed measured in this test?
Every 5 letters count as one word. Only letters in correctly typed words count toward your speed. WPM is the correct letters divided by 5, then divided by the minutes. Characters per minute is WPM times 5.
What is a good Arabic typing speed?
There is no official number that we could find. As a rough guide, 20 to 29 WPM feels steady, and 30 WPM or more is good. These bands are our own, so for a job test use the speed in the notice.
Does the test include harakat (tashkeel)?
Yes, if you want it. Use the text menu under the test to pick Plain text or With tashkeel. Plain text has no harakat, like most Arabic you read online. The tashkeel lines come from Riyad as-Salihin by Imam al-Nawawi.
How do I type tashkeel on this test?
Type the letter first, then its mark. The marks use Shift keys: Shift+Q for fatha, Shift+E for damma, Shift+A for kasra, Shift+W, R and S for the tanween marks, Shift+~ for shadda and Shift+X for sukun. If a letter has a shadda and a vowel, you can type them in either order.
Do tashkeel marks count in my score?
Yes. Every mark is one more character to type, so a tashkeel test usually gives a lower WPM than a plain one. Compare tashkeel scores only with other tashkeel scores.
How do I type hamza and the letter ة?
Hold Shift and press H for أ, Y for إ or N for آ. ء is the X key, ؤ is C and ئ is Z. The letter ة is the M key and ه is the I key.
Can I take the Arabic typing test on my phone?
The test is made for a computer keyboard, and phone typing may not be scored correctly. On a phone, use our online Arabic keyboard to type and copy text.
Is this good practice for a job typing test?
It helps you practice speed and accuracy. It is not an official exam. Check which layout the job test uses, the speed and accuracy it asks for, and how mistakes are counted.
Do I get a certificate?
No. The test shows your result on the screen. It does not give a certificate, and it does not replace an official exam.
Is my typing saved or sent anywhere?
No. What you type stays in your browser. We do not ask you to sign up, and we do not send or save your text.
What does WPM mean in an Arabic typing test?
WPM means words per minute. Because Arabic words are different lengths, typing tests count every 5 letters as one word. That keeps scores fair and easy to compare.
Is Arabic typing slower than English typing?
There is no clear rule. Shift letters like hamza and the Arabic punctuation can slow beginners down, and the layout you use matters too. The best way to judge is to compare yourself with your own past scores.
What counts as a mistake?
Any wrong letter you type counts, even if you fix it with Backspace. An extra space inside a word counts too. Fixed mistakes lower your accuracy but not your speed.
Can I use this test for school or class?
Yes. Teachers can ask students to take the 3 minute test and write down their WPM and accuracy. Nothing is saved, so students should note the result before they close the page.
Why does my Arabic text start on the right?
Arabic is written from right to left. Your first letter lands on the right and the next letters follow toward the left. That is normal.
How do I get faster at Arabic typing?
Learn the keys first, look at the screen and keep accuracy above 95% before you push speed. About 15 minutes a day works well. Our free Arabic typing tutor has 12 lessons that teach the keys row by row.