How Long Does It Take to Read a Text? Reading Time Explained

The average reading speed

Researchers have measured silent reading speed in many studies. A large review by Marc Brysbaert, published in 2019, combined 190 studies with 18,573 participants and found an average of 238 words per minute for non-fiction texts read silently by adults in English. The same paper reports about 260 words per minute for fiction, based on a smaller study of readers timing their own books.

These are averages. Some people read at 150 words per minute and others at more than 400, and the range is wide even within one group of readers. The average is still a sound basis for an estimate when you do not know the audience.

How reading time is calculated

The calculation is simple: divide the number of words by the reading speed. A text of 1,000 words at 238 words per minute takes about four minutes and twelve seconds. A text of 2,500 words takes about ten and a half minutes.

This counter uses 238 words per minute for the reading-time figure, and it rounds to the nearest second. For Japanese and Chinese text it works with characters instead of words, at about 500 characters per minute, which is a commonly quoted rate rather than a measured one.

Reading aloud is slower

Reading aloud is slower than reading silently, because the speed is limited by speech. The same 2019 review reports an average of 183 words per minute for oral reading, based on 77 studies with 5,965 participants. At that speed, 1,000 words take about five and a half minutes.

For a talk or a presentation the pace is usually slower again, because of pauses and emphasis. That is why this counter shows speaking time separately, with a lower speed, in addition to the reading time.

What makes a text slower or faster

Several factors change the time a reader needs. Difficult vocabulary, long sentences and technical content slow most readers. Familiar topics and simple structure speed them up. Reading on a small screen is slower than reading on paper for many people, and reading in a second language is slower than in a first.

The purpose matters as well. Someone skimming for a fact reads far faster than someone studying a text for an exam. A reading time on a page is best understood as the time for a careful first read.

Using reading time on a page

Many websites show an estimated reading time at the top of an article, such as “5 min read”. It helps visitors decide whether to start and sets an expectation. A figure that is honest builds trust, and one that is too short disappoints readers who need longer.

Round the figure to the nearest minute for display, and if in doubt use a slightly lower speed so that the estimate is not too optimistic. Count the words of the article body only, without navigation and comments.

Reading time for images, code and tables

Word-based estimates ignore everything that is not text. An image, a chart or a table takes time to study, and code takes longer to read than prose. Some publishers add a few seconds for each image to the estimate.

If your article is mostly code or data, the plain word-count estimate will be too low. In that case, treat it as a minimum and add time by judgment.

Reading time for common text lengths

At 238 words per minute, a text of 300 words takes about 1 minute 16 seconds. A text of 500 words takes about 2 minutes 6 seconds, and 800 words about 3 minutes 22 seconds. A long article of 1,500 words takes about 6 minutes 18 seconds, and a chapter of 5,000 words about 21 minutes.

These are first-read times for an average reader. Use them to decide how to structure a text: a piece that takes more than ten minutes benefits from headings, a summary at the top and short paragraphs that let a reader find a place again.

Accuracy and its limits

A reading-time figure is always an estimate. It treats every word as equally difficult and every reader as average, and neither is true. The honest way to present it is as a rough guide, with the average speed named, as this counter does in its details.

If you need an exact figure, for example for a recording, time a real reader. For everything else, the average is close enough to be useful and simple enough to explain.

Skimming and fast reading

Skimming is a different activity from reading. Many readers on the web skim headings and the first sentence of each paragraph, which is why clear structure helps. Courses that promise much higher reading speeds usually trade understanding for speed, and studies of speed reading have not shown that people can read much faster without losing comprehension.

If you want to read faster in a lasting way, regular reading, a good vocabulary and attention to the purpose of each text help more than any trick.

A quick checklist

• Divide the word count by 238 for a non-fiction estimate.
• Use about 260 for light fiction.
• Divide by 183 for reading aloud, and by a lower number for a talk.
• Round to the nearest minute for display.
• Add time for images, tables and code.

Paste your text into the counter to see the reading time and the speaking time without doing the arithmetic yourself.