Reading Time Calculator
Paste text or enter a word count, then set a reading speed. Useful for blog posts, speeches, presentations and voice-over scripts.
Runs entirely in your browser. Your text is not uploaded.
0 words
0 sec
silent reading
0 sec
speaking or presenting
How to use the reading time
- Paste your text, or type a word count instead.
- Pick a speed preset or drag the words-per-minute slider.
- Read the time for silent reading and for reading aloud.
Why 238 words per minute?
Many sites still use 200 or 300 words per minute. In 2019 the psychologist Marc Brysbaert pooled 190 studies with about 18,000 readers and found averages of 238 wpm for silent reading of non-fiction, 260 wpm for fiction and 183 wpm for reading aloud. Technical or unfamiliar material is slower. Speakers giving a talk usually land nearer 130 to 160 wpm once pauses and slide changes are included.
Writing for the ear rather than the page? Hear how a finished narration sounds in ahaboo's explainer on why the Moon has phases, then time your own draft with the speaking-speed slider above.
Questions
How many words per minute does an average adult read?
Marc Brysbaert's 2019 review of 190 studies put average silent reading of English non-fiction at 238 words per minute and fiction at about 260. The popular figure of 300 wpm is higher than most studies found.
How long is a 1,000 word speech?
At a typical reading-aloud pace of about 183 words per minute, 1,000 words takes around five and a half minutes. Presenters who pause for slides or questions often land nearer 130 to 150 words per minute.
How many words is a 5 minute speech?
Roughly 650 to 900 words, depending on your pace. Use the speaking speed slider to match your own delivery.