'%3e%3cpath%20d='M38.5%2037%20H51.5%20M45%2037%20V53'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/svg%3e)
Reading Time Calculator
Paste your text to estimate how long it takes to read silently or to say out loud. Adjust the reading speed to match your audience.
Runs entirely in your browser — your text is never uploaded
- Reading time
- 0 sec
- Speaking time
- 0 sec
- Words
- 0
- Sentences
- 0
200 wpm
140 wpm
How to use Reading Time Calculator
- Paste the text you want to measure.
- Pick a reading speed, or type your own words per minute.
- Read both the silent reading estimate and the speaking estimate.
Examples
Input
1,000 words at 200 wpm
Result
5 minutes reading, about 7 minutes speaking
Input
A 3-minute talk
Result
Roughly 400–450 words
What you can type into Reading Time Calculator
- Words per minute
- Pick a preset — 150, 200 or 250 — or type your own value. The reading estimate uses whichever speed is selected.
- Speaking speed
- The speaking estimate uses a fixed 140 words per minute, a comfortable presentation pace. It does not follow the reading speed you choose.
How the results behave
- How the number is produced
- Word count divided by words per minute. 1,000 words at 200 wpm is 5 minutes; the same text at 250 wpm is 4.
- Formatting
- Under a minute is shown in seconds, longer results as minutes and seconds, so short snippets stay meaningful.
Tips
- Use 150 wpm for technical, legal or academic writing and 250 wpm for light prose written for a general audience.
- Scripting a talk? Work backwards: a 10-minute slot at 140 wpm is roughly 1,400 words.
Common mistakes
- Publishing an estimate for a page that is mostly tables, code or images — only words are measured, and those slow readers down.
- Treating the number as a measurement rather than an estimate.
About the reading time calculator
Bloggers adding a "5 min read" label, speakers scripting a talk to fit a slot, teachers estimating a task, and video makers timing a voiceover.
Typical adult silent reading of general prose runs 200 to 250 words per minute; technical material is slower and skimming is much faster. Speaking is slower still — a comfortable presentation pace is about 130 to 150 words per minute.
Use the speaking estimate when scripting talks, videos or voice notes, and the reading estimate for articles and documentation.
Accuracy and limitations
- Real reading speed varies widely with subject, familiarity, language and whether the reader is skimming, so any estimate is approximate.
- Images, code blocks, tables and formulas are not accounted for.
Frequently asked questions
Which speed should I use?
200 wpm is a safe default for general audiences. Lower it for technical or academic text.
Does it account for images or code?
No — it measures words only, so pages heavy with figures will take longer in practice.
Read more
Related tools
Word Counter
Count words, characters, sentences, paragraphs and reading time.
Open toolSentence Counter
Count sentences and see average sentence length.
Open toolCharacter Counter
Count characters with and without spaces in real time.
Open toolCase Converter
Convert text to upper, lower, title, sentence, camel, snake or kebab case.
Open tool