Afrikaans Typing Test · Afrikaans
Die klein dorpie lê tussen twee heuwels, met 'n rivier wat stadig deur die middel vloei. Op 'n Saterdagoggend besluit Pieter om die trein te neem en die dorpie vir die eerste keer te besoek. Die stasie is oud maar netjies, met houtbanke waar reisigers wag. Sodra hy uitstap, hoor hy die klank van 'n kerkklok in die verte en ruik hy vars gebakte brood van 'n bakkery naby die plein. Hy stap deur nou straatjies waar winkels handgemaakte goedere verkoop, van kombuisware tot kunswerke. 'n Ou man op 'n bankie vertel hom van die geskiedenis van die dorp en hoe dit oor die jare verander het. Teen die middag vind Pieter 'n kafee met uitsig oor die rivier, waar hy stilsit en net die oomblik geniet voordat hy weer huis toe reis.
Click the box and start typing to begin.
Afrikaans developed from 17th-century Dutch and kept the same doubled-vowel spelling logic for showing sound length, while simplifying much of Dutch's grammar. It also uses a small set of circumflex letters — â, ê, î, ô, û — that don't appear the same way in modern Dutch, making Afrikaans spelling genuinely its own system rather than a simplified Dutch clone.
This test measures how quickly and accurately you can type real Afrikaans sentences, including its vowel-length spelling and circumflex letters.
Doubled Vowels Mark Long Sounds
Like its Dutch ancestor, Afrikaans doubles vowels — aa, ee, oo, uu — to mark a long sound in a closed syllable, with a single vowel marking the short version: raam (window) versus ram, or boom (tree) versus bom (bomb). This is a real, meaning-changing spelling rule, and it commonly shifts between singular and plural forms of the same word, so it's worth practicing rather than treating as a typo risk to shrug off.
Circumflex Letters Show Vowel Contraction
Afrikaans uses â, ê, î, ô, and û, typically where Dutch would use a different vowel combination, marking a contracted or altered vowel sound in words such as wêreld (world) and môre (tomorrow/morning). These are standard Afrikaans letters that regularly appear in everyday vocabulary, not rare or archaic spellings, and dropping the circumflex is a genuine spelling error.
Diaeresis Marks a Separate Syllable
As in Dutch, Afrikaans uses a diaeresis to show that a vowel begins a new syllable rather than merging with the one before it, as in reën (rain) or beëindig (end/terminate). This mark is required by standard spelling and appears in common, everyday words, so it isn't an optional flourish to skip when typing quickly.
No Special Keyboard Layout Is Strictly Required
Afrikaans's accented and circumflex characters can be typed on a standard South African or international keyboard layout using dead-key combinations, or on a Dutch-style layout with similar diacritic support. What matters more than a specific hardware layout is having a reliable, consistent method for entering â, ê, î, ô, û, and diaeresis-marked vowels without breaking your typing rhythm.
What Is a Good Afrikaans Typing Speed?
There is no published, verifiable universal benchmark for Afrikaans typing speed. Use your own first clean result as a baseline, and for a specific exam or employer's requirement, rely on that source's actual published rule rather than a generic number.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Afrikaans double so many vowels?
Like Dutch, Afrikaans doubles vowels (aa, ee, oo, uu) to mark a long sound in a closed syllable. This is a real spelling rule that often shifts between singular and plural word forms.
What do â, ê, î, ô, and û represent?
Circumflex-marked vowels showing a contracted or altered sound in words such as wêreld and môre. They are standard, common Afrikaans letters, not rare exceptions.
Is Afrikaans typing the same as Dutch?
Similar in principle (both use doubled vowels for length and a diaeresis for syllable breaks), but Afrikaans developed its own vocabulary, simplified grammar, and specific circumflex letters, so it isn't identical.
What is a good Afrikaans typing speed?
There is no verified universal benchmark. Track your own progress over time and use a specific employer or exam's published requirement when one actually exists.
Kies jou tyd, begin tik en sien dadelik jou spoed en akkuraatheid.