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About the Reading Time Calculator
The reading time calculator estimates how long a piece of text takes to read and how long it takes to say out loud. It works as a speech time calculator too.
You can paste text into the box, or type a word count if you already know it. Choose a reading speed (150, 238 or 300 words per minute) and a speaking pace (120, 150 or 170 words per minute). The result shows the word count, the character count without spaces, the reading time and the speaking time. Text you paste is counted in your browser and is never uploaded.
How to Use the Reading Time Calculator
- Paste your text, or enter a word count.
- Choose a reading speed. The default is the adult average of 238 words per minute.
- Choose a speaking pace. The default is 150 words per minute.
- Read the reading time and speaking time in the result panel.
How Reading Time Is Calculated
1,500 words ÷ 238 wpm = 6.3 minutes = about 6 min 18 s
Speaking time uses the same formula with a speaking pace instead of a reading speed.
Average Reading Speed
A 2019 review by Marc Brysbaert in the Journal of Memory and Language combined 190 studies with 17,887 participants. It found that adults read English silently at about 238 words per minute for nonfiction and about 260 words per minute for fiction. This is the source of the calculator’s default speed.
Use the careful setting of 150 words per minute for technical or legal text, and the fast setting of 300 for light reading or skimming.
Average Speaking Speed
Conversational English is about 150 words per minute, a figure used by the National Center for Voice and Speech. Presentations are often slower because of pauses.
- 120 words per minute: slow and clear, good for complex topics or large rooms.
- 150 words per minute: a normal conversational pace.
- 170 words per minute: a brisk, fast pace.
Reading and Speaking Time Chart
| Words | Reading time (238 wpm) | Speaking time (150 wpm) | Speaking time (130 wpm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 25 s | 40 s | 46 s |
| 250 | 1 min 3 s | 1 min 40 s | 1 min 55 s |
| 500 | 2 min 6 s | 3 min 20 s | 3 min 51 s |
| 750 | 3 min 9 s | 5 min | 5 min 46 s |
| 1,000 | 4 min 12 s | 6 min 40 s | 7 min 42 s |
| 1,500 | 6 min 18 s | 10 min | 11 min 32 s |
| 2,000 | 8 min 24 s | 13 min 20 s | 15 min 23 s |
| 2,500 | 10 min 30 s | 16 min 40 s | 19 min 14 s |
| 3,000 | 12 min 36 s | 20 min | 23 min 5 s |
| 5,000 | 21 min 1 s | 33 min 20 s | 38 min 28 s |
| 7,500 | 31 min 31 s | 50 min | 57 min 42 s |
| 10,000 | 42 min 1 s | 1 h 6 min 40 s | 1 h 16 min 55 s |
| 50,000 | 3 h 30 min 5 s | 5 h 33 min 20 s | 6 h 24 min 37 s |
| 90,000 | 6 h 18 min 9 s | 10 h | 11 h 32 min 18 s |
Speech Length by Word Count
At 130 to 150 words per minute:
- 1 minute speech: 130 to 150 words
- 3 minute speech: 400 to 450 words
- 5 minute speech: 650 to 750 words
- 10 minute speech: 1,300 to 1,500 words
- 18 minute talk: 2,300 to 2,700 words
Rehearse aloud with a stopwatch to find your own pace, and plan to finish about 10 percent under your time slot. The countdown timer page includes a stopwatch.
What Affects Reading Speed
- Difficulty: technical and academic text is read more slowly.
- Familiarity: people read faster in subjects they know well.
- Purpose: skimming is faster than reading to remember.
- Language: reading in a second language is usually slower.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a reading time calculator?
A reading time calculator is a tool that estimates how long a text takes to read by dividing the word count by an average reading speed in words per minute.
What is a speech time calculator?
A speech time calculator estimates how long it takes to say a text out loud. It divides the word count by a speaking pace, usually 120 to 170 words per minute.
What is the average reading speed for adults?
A 2019 review of 190 studies found adults read English silently at about 238 words per minute for nonfiction and 260 words per minute for fiction.
How long does it take to read 1,000 words?
At 238 words per minute, 1,000 words takes about 4 minutes 12 seconds to read. Speaking it at 150 words per minute takes about 6 minutes 40 seconds.
How many words is a 5 minute speech?
A 5 minute speech is about 650 to 750 words at a typical pace of 130 to 150 words per minute.
How many words is a 10 minute speech?
A 10 minute speech is about 1,300 to 1,500 words at 130 to 150 words per minute.
Is the text I paste saved or uploaded?
No. The word count is calculated in your browser and the text is never sent to a server or stored.