Reading time calculator
Find out how long a chapter, article or speech will take, either reading silently or speaking aloud.
Calculator
Results
- Words
- 0
- Reading time
- 0 sec
- Speaking time
- 0 sec
How to use the reading time calculator
- Paste your text. The calculator counts the words for you.
- Leave the default speeds, or enter your own. Any whole number from 50 to 1,000 words per minute works.
- Read the reading and speaking times. Times are rounded up to the next second.
- Use Copy results to paste a one-line summary into a lesson plan or presentation notes.
How the estimate works
Time = number of words ÷ words per minute. A large 2019 review of reading research by Marc Brysbaert put average adult silent reading at about 238 words per minute for non-fiction and about 260 for fiction. Your own speed may be quite different. Reading in a second language, reading technical material, and taking notes all slow you down.
To find your own speed, read a passage for exactly one minute, paste what you read into the box, and use the word count as your reading speed.
Worked examples
A 1,500-word essay
At 238 words per minute it takes about 6 min 19 sec to read. Read aloud at 140 words per minute it takes about 10 min 43 sec.
A five-minute class presentation
If you speak at 130 words per minute, a five-minute talk needs about 650 words. Paste your script and set the speaking speed to 130 to check: 650 words gives 5 min.
Questions and answers
- What speed should I use for students?
- Reading speed grows with age and practice, and it varies a lot from person to person. For a class, time a few students on a sample passage instead of relying on an adult average.
- Why does the speaking time seem long?
- People speak much more slowly than they read silently. Speeches also have pauses, so add a little extra time for questions or slides.
- Does the calculator count pictures or tables?
- No. It only counts the words in the text you paste. Allow extra time for diagrams, equations and tables.