Reading Time Estimator
Paste or type your text below to instantly calculate reading time, word count, and more.
Reading Time
< 1 sec
Speaking Time
< 1 sec
Words
0
Characters
0
No spaces
0
Sentences
0
Paragraphs
0
How to Use
Paste your text
Copy and paste any article, blog post, essay, or document into the text box above.
Set your speed
Adjust the reading speed slider to match your personal pace. The default is 238 WPM — the average adult reading speed.
Read the results
Instantly see reading time, speaking time, word count, character count, sentence count, and paragraph count.
Common Use Cases
Blog & Articles
Add "X min read" to your blog posts to set reader expectations and boost engagement.
Presentations & Speeches
Use the speaking time estimate to make sure your talk fits within the allotted time slot.
Study Planning
Estimate how long it will take to read a textbook chapter or study material so you can plan your sessions.
Content Editing
Check word count and character count while editing to meet target length requirements.
Video Scripts
Estimate video length from your script using the speaking time calculator before recording.
Reading Challenges
Track how long books or articles actually take you to read and improve your reading habits over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about estimating reading time
How is reading time calculated?
Reading time is calculated by dividing the total word count by your reading speed in words per minute (WPM). The default speed is 238 WPM, which is the commonly cited average for adult silent reading.
What is the average reading speed?
Most adults read between 200 and 300 words per minute for non-technical text. Slow readers average around 100–150 WPM, while fast readers may reach 400+ WPM. Speed readers can exceed 1,000 WPM, often with reduced comprehension.
How is speaking time different from reading time?
Speaking time is calculated at 130 WPM — the average conversational speaking pace. It is typically slower than reading time and is useful for estimating speech, podcast, or video script duration.
Is my text stored or sent anywhere?
No. All processing happens entirely in your browser. Your text is never sent to any server and remains completely private.
Can I change the reading speed?
Yes! Use the slider to set your reading speed between 100 and 600 WPM. The estimate updates instantly as you adjust it, so you can tailor it to your personal reading pace.
How is word count calculated?
Words are counted by splitting the text on whitespace and filtering out empty tokens. This matches the standard word counting method used by most writing applications.