Reading Time Calculator
Paste your text to instantly estimate reading and speaking time.
How to Use
- Paste or type your text into the box — stats update instantly.
- Select a reading speed: Slow (150 wpm), Average (200 wpm), Fast (250 wpm), or enter a custom speed.
- Reading time and speaking time update automatically as you change the speed or the text.
Speaking time is calculated at 125 words per minute — the typical pace for a comfortable presentation or speech. Use it to plan talks, podcasts, or voiceovers.
Average adult reading speed is 200–250 wpm for non-fiction and 150–200 wpm for technical content.
About this Reading Time Calculator
"5 min read" labels on blog posts and articles are calculated from average reading speed, not a subjective guess — a simple word-count-divided-by-speed formula.
The formula
Reading time (minutes) = Word count ÷ Average words per minute
Standard reading and speaking speeds
- Average adult silent reading: roughly 200–250 words per minute
- Average speaking pace: roughly 130–150 words per minute, useful for estimating presentation or video script length
- Speed reading: 400–700+ words per minute, though comprehension often drops at the higher end
- Technical or dense material: readers typically slow down well below 200 wpm for content requiring careful comprehension
Worked example
A 1,200-word blog post at 238 words per minute (a common default used by publishing platforms) takes about 5 minutes to read. The same 1,200 words read aloud at 130 words per minute would take about 9 minutes — useful when estimating how long a script will take to present or record.