Reading time calculator

The calculator counts the words in your text and divides by a pace in words per minute (wpm):

time = words ÷ wpm

For example, a 1,500-word article at 200 wpm takes 7.5 minutes, shown as 7 min 30 sec. The same text read aloud at 130 wpm takes about 11 min 32 sec.

You get two results at once: reading time (silent reading) and speaking time (reading aloud or presenting). If you know your own pace, type it into the custom field to get a third line.

The text never leaves your browser.

Reading speed varies a lot between people and texts. The presets are deliberately round numbers:

Preset	Silent reading	Speaking
Slow	150 wpm	110 wpm
Average	200 wpm	130 wpm
Fast	250 wpm	160 wpm
Very fast	300 wpm	–

Use the slower settings for technical, legal or academic texts, or for audiences reading on a phone. Use the faster ones for light, familiar content.

For speeches, most speakers land somewhere between about 120 and 160 wpm. Pauses for slides, applause or questions are not included, so leave some buffer: a 10-minute slot is safer with about 1,200–1,300 words than with 1,500.

The most accurate number is your own. To measure it:

1. Pick a text you haven't read before, around 400–600 words.
2. Time yourself reading it normally, without skimming.
3. Divide the number of words by the minutes it took.

To measure speaking pace, read a page of your script out loud at presentation speed and time it the same way. Enter the result in the custom pace field and the tool will use it for the whole text.

If you need the exact word count first, the word counter shows words, characters and sentences together.

Not every text reads at the same speed, even for the same person. As a rough guide:

• Fiction and light articles read quickly, so the average or fast preset is realistic.
• News and blog posts usually match the average preset.
• Textbooks, contracts and technical documentation often call for the slow preset, because readers stop to reread or think.
• Content on a phone tends to be read in shorter bursts, so a slightly slower pace is a safer estimate.

When you publish a minutes to read label, round up rather than down. Readers who finish early are rarely annoyed; readers who find a 3-minute article takes 10 minutes may leave.

• Blog posts and newsletters. Many sites show a 5 min read label so visitors know what they are committing to.
• Speeches, toasts and talks. Check that your script fits the time slot before you rehearse.
• Podcasts and video scripts. Estimate the length of the voice-over.
• Study planning. Work out how long a reading assignment will take.
• Presentations. Divide the total speaking time by the number of slides to pace yourself.

Remember that these are estimates. Tables, code, formulas and dense paragraphs slow readers down, while short sentences and familiar topics speed them up.