Reading Time Calculator
Paste your text to see how long it takes to read. Pick a slow, average, or fast reading speed, or set your own, and the calculator divides your word count by that speed to give the time in minutes and seconds. It also counts your words and characters. Everything runs in your browser; your text is never sent anywhere.
Your reading time appears here once you paste some text.
How reading time is calculated
The formula: reading time equals the word count divided by a reading speed in words per minute. A 1,200-word article at 238 words per minute takes about five minutes.
Reading speed varies with the reader and the material. Silent reading in English averages roughly 238 words per minute for adults. Careful reading of dense material runs slower, near 180, and skimming runs faster, near 300. Reading aloud is slower again, around 150. Pick the speed that matches your audience, or set your own.
Word count uses letters and numbers, so contractions and hyphenated words count as one word. The character counts show your text length with and without spaces, which helps when a limit counts characters rather than words.
Reading time, answered
What is the average reading speed?
Silent reading in English averages about 238 words per minute for adults. Careful reading runs slower, around 180, and skimming runs faster, around 300. Reading aloud is slower still, near 150 words per minute.
How is reading time calculated?
Reading time is the word count divided by a reading speed in words per minute. At 238 words per minute, a 1,200-word article takes about five minutes. This calculator counts your words and divides by the speed you choose.
Is this calculator private?
Yes. The word count and the math run in your browser. Your text is never sent to a server, stored, or logged. Once the page has loaded, it works offline.