Reading time calculator
Paste your text to see how long it takes to read and to say aloud. Reading time uses 238 words a minute, the average silent reading speed for adults reading English non-fiction.
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At a glance
- Silent reading, non-fiction
- 238 words a minute on average for adults reading English (190 studies, 18,573 readers)
- Source: doi.org, checked 2026-11
- Typical range
- Most adults read English non-fiction at 175–300 words a minute
- Source: doi.org, checked 2026-11
- Speaking time in this tool
- 150 words a minute, slower than reading aloud, to leave room for pauses
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Reading time calculator: what to know
This page starts the word counter for this case. For every option and how to use it, see the word counter.
Where 238 words a minute comes from
Marc Brysbaert's 2019 review pooled 190 studies of adults reading English. Silent reading averaged 238 words a minute for non-fiction and 260 for fiction, because fiction tends to use shorter words. Many websites still quote 300 words a minute or more; the review found those figures are too high for most readers.
Children, older adults and people reading in a second language read more slowly, so give them more time than the estimate shows.
Timing a speech or video script
Reading aloud averaged 183 words a minute in the same review. A talk is usually slower than that, because you pause for slides, laughter and breath. The counter uses 150 words a minute for speaking time. At that pace a 5-minute talk is about 750 words and a 10-minute talk about 1,500.
Your pace may differ. Read the script aloud once with a timer, divide the words by the minutes and you have your own figure.
Questions
How long does it take to read 1,000 words?
About 4 minutes at 238 words a minute, the average for adults reading English non-fiction. Fiction is a little faster, at about 260 words a minute.
How many words is a 5-minute speech?
About 750 words at 150 words a minute. If you speak quickly, you might fit 900.
How is reading time worked out?
Your word count is divided by 238 words a minute for reading and 150 for speaking, then rounded to the nearest minute.