Reading Time Calculator
Estimate how long it takes to read or speak a piece of text. Adjustable words-per-minute for fiction, non-fiction, or speech.
Reading Time Calculator — Average silent reading speed for adults is around 238 words per minute for non-fiction English prose (per the most-cited meta-analysis). For fiction, 250-300 wpm is more typical. Speaking rate is usually slower — around 130 wpm for clear presentation.
Word counts run in your browser. No text leaves your device.
What is reading time calculator?
Average silent reading speed for adults is around 238 words per minute for non-fiction English prose (per the most-cited meta-analysis). For fiction, 250-300 wpm is more typical. Speaking rate is usually slower — around 130 wpm for clear presentation.
Paste any text and instantly see how long it would take to read or speak. Adjust the WPM to fit your content type and audience.
How to use it
-
Paste text
A paragraph, a chapter, or a whole article.
-
Adjust WPM
Default 238 is good for non-fiction; 130 is good for speech.
-
Read the time
Format is "2 min 14 sec" or just seconds when short.
Examples
1,000-word article
At 238 wpm, that is about 4.2 minutes of reading.
Result: ~4 min 12 sec
30-minute talk
At 130 wpm, you need roughly 3,900 words.
Result: ~3,900 words for a 30-min speech
Frequently asked questions
Related tools
Word Counter
Count words, characters, sentences, and paragraphs in your text instantly.
Character Counter
Count characters, words, lines, and UTF-8 bytes as you type.
Character Frequency Counter
Count how often each character appears in your text. Useful for cryptanalysis, language detection, and stats.