How long will this chapter, article or speech take? This reading time calculator divides the word count by a realistic reading speed. Rather than the 300 words per minute often quoted online, it uses the averages from the largest review of reading-rate research to date: psychologist Marc Brysbaert's 2019 meta-analysis of 190 studies with 18,573 participants, published in the Journal of Memory and Language. It found that adults reading English silently average 238 words per minute for non-fiction and 260 for fiction, and read aloud at about 183 words per minute.
Use it to plan homework, set a reading schedule for a book, estimate how long a speech or presentation will run, or add "X min read" labels to articles. Students planning study time may also find the final grade calculator useful.
How to use the reading time calculator
- Choose whether you know the word count or the number of pages.
- Enter the word count (most word processors show it) or the pages and words per page.
- Choose the reading type: silent non-fiction, silent fiction, reading aloud, or your own measured speed.
- Read the estimated time, the range for faster and slower readers, and how many days it takes at 20 minutes or an hour a day.
Formula
Default speeds come from Brysbaert (2019): 238 wpm (silent non-fiction), 260 wpm (silent fiction), 183 wpm (oral reading). The range uses the paper's typical spread for adults: about 175–300 wpm for non-fiction and 200–320 wpm for fiction.
Worked example
An article: a 4,500-word non-fiction article read silently.
- 4,500 ÷ 238 = 18.9 minutes, or about 18 min 54 s.
- A fast reader at 300 wpm needs 15 minutes; a slower reader at 175 wpm about 25 min 43 s.
A novel: 300 pages at about 275 words per page is 82,500 words. At 260 wpm that is 317 minutes, about 5 h 17 min, or 16 days at 20 minutes a day.
A speech: a 1,500-word speech read aloud at 183 wpm runs about 8 min 12 s.
What affects reading speed
Brysbaert's review found that the gap between fiction and non-fiction is largely explained by word length: non-fiction uses longer words. The paper offers an adjustment for a specific text, roughly 238 × 4.6 ÷ average word length (in letters). Reading rates are also lower for children, older adults and people reading in a second language, and there are stable differences between individuals. Technical material, study reading and note-taking are much slower than reading for pleasure.
Measure your own speed
Read a page of typical material for exactly one minute at a comfortable pace with full comprehension, then count the words. Repeat two or three times and average it, then choose "My own speed".
Words per page
Words per page depend on trim size, font and spacing. In the dataset Brysbaert analyzed, novels averaged 385 pages and about 107,000 words, roughly 278 words per page, which is why the default here is 275. Large-print, illustrated and children's books have far fewer words per page; dense academic texts can have more. If you can, look up the book's word count.
Caveats and assumptions
- Averages describe adults reading in English with good comprehension. Skimming is faster; studying is slower.
- Speeches usually run slower than plain reading aloud because of pauses and emphasis; add time for slides and audience reaction.
- Words per page varies widely between editions and formats.
- Reading speed is not a measure of intelligence or comprehension.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average reading speed?
About 238 words per minute for silent reading of non-fiction and 260 for fiction, according to a 2019 meta-analysis of 190 studies. Reading aloud averages about 183 wpm.
How long does it take to read 1,000 words?
About 4 min 12 s at 238 wpm silently, or about 5 min 28 s aloud at 183 wpm.
How long does it take to read a 300-page book?
At about 275 words per page and 260 wpm, roughly 5 hours 17 minutes. Denser or slower reading can easily double that.
How many words is a 5-minute speech?
At 183 words per minute, about 900 words. Many speakers go slower, so 650–800 words is a safer target.
Is 300 words per minute fast?
It is at the upper end of the typical adult range for silent non-fiction reading (about 175–300 wpm).
Sources
- Brysbaert, M. (2019). How many words do we read per minute? A review and meta-analysis of reading rate. Journal of Memory and Language, 109, 104047 — 238 / 260 / 183 wpm averages and ranges
- Ghent University repository — open-access record of the same paper — abstract and full text
This calculator gives estimates for planning and education. Check measurements, local codes, supplier specs and your school's official policy before relying on a result. See our disclaimer and how we build and check calculators.