Reading Time Calculator: Estimate How Long Text Takes to Read
A reading-time estimate can help set expectations for an article, report or lesson. The result depends on the selected reading pace and is only a rough guide for the audience.
Estimate time from text length
- Paste the text you want to estimate.
- Review the detected word count.
- Read the estimated time shown by the tool.
- Consider whether the audience may read more slowly because of technical terms, tables or a second language.
- Round the estimate appropriately before displaying it to readers.
Words per minute is an assumption
Reading speed varies by language, familiarity, accessibility needs and content difficulty. A short estimate cannot account for pauses, diagrams, code or rereading.
Use estimates as reader guidance
A displayed reading time should help a visitor plan. It is not a measurement of every person’s reading speed, and changing the assumed rate changes the result.
How the estimate is made
The tool counts the words in your text and divides them by a reading speed, then rounds up to the next whole minute, with a minimum of one minute. The speed starts at 200 words per minute and you can change it to any value from 50 to 1,000. So 1,000 words at 200 words per minute is 5 minutes, and 1,500 words at 250 words per minute is 6 minutes.
Choosing a realistic speed
Adults often read silent English prose at roughly 200 to 250 words per minute, but speed drops for technical text, tables, a second language or small screens. For a spoken talk use a slower pace, around 130 to 150 words per minute, to estimate how long a speech or a video script will take. Try two speeds and show readers a range if the text is difficult.
Using the number
A reading time such as 5 min read helps visitors decide whether to start an article. It does not include time for looking at images, copying code or following links, so add a little for pages with many of them. Paste only the text you want to measure, because headings and menus copied from a page add extra words.
Frequently asked questions
Is the reading time exact?
No. It estimates duration from text length and an assumed pace.
Do images and tables affect the estimate?
They can add time that a text-only word count does not measure.
Which reading speed should I use?
Start with 200 words per minute. Use a lower number for difficult or technical text and a higher one for light reading.
How do I estimate the length of a speech?
Set a slower pace, around 130 to 150 words per minute, and paste the script.
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