Reading Time Calculator
Paste your text to see how long it takes to read silently and to say out loud. Adjust the words-per-minute setting to match your audience — the default of 238 wpm is the average adult silent reading speed for non-fiction.
Reading speeds worth using
- 238 words per minute — average adult silent reading of non-fiction. This is the figure most "5 min read" labels are based on.
- 260–300 wpm — light fiction or familiar material.
- 180–200 wpm — technical, academic, or legal text where readers slow down.
- 130 wpm — comfortable speaking pace for a presentation or podcast. Rushed speakers hit 160; deliberate ones drop to 110.
- 150 wpm — typical audiobook and narration pace.
Planning a speech or presentation
Speaking time is the number most people get wrong, because we read far faster than we talk. A 2,000-word article takes about 8 minutes to read but over 15 minutes to deliver aloud. Working backwards is more reliable: a 5-minute talk needs roughly 650 words, a 10-minute talk about 1,300, and a 20-minute conference session about 2,600. Always budget below your limit — nervous speakers speed up, but questions, pauses, and slide transitions eat time faster than you expect.
Should you show a read time on your articles?
Read-time labels genuinely help readers decide whether to commit, and they set expectations that reduce bounces. They are worth adding. Two caveats: they only count words, so an article heavy with code blocks, tables, or images will take longer than the label suggests; and a very high number can deter readers who would otherwise have skimmed. Round to the nearest minute and never show seconds.