Reading time calculator
How long your article takes, for four different kinds of reader.
Free, no signup, and it runs entirely in your browser.
0s
Average adult
0s
Skimming
0s
Technical reading
0s
Reading aloud
0 words — 0s at 238 words per minute. Code blocks, tables and images all slow a reader down, so treat this as a floor rather than an estimate for technical writing.
About this tool
The "5 min read" label on an article is almost always word count divided by 200, a number chosen because it is round. The measured mean for silent reading of English non-fiction is 238 words per minute, from a 2019 meta-analysis of 190 studies — so the round number overstates reading time by about a fifth on every article that uses it.
- Four speeds, because your reader is not one person. Skimming runs near 400 words per minute; reading aloud runs closer to 130, which is the number you want when timing a talk.
- Technical writing is slower than the formula suggests. Code blocks, tables and diagrams all stop a reader, so treat the estimate as a floor.
- Showing a reading time raises completion rates — it lets someone decide to read now rather than deciding not to decide. Being wrong by a factor is what makes the label untrustworthy.
- Everything runs in your browser.
Questions
- How many words per minute do people read?
- Around 238 for English non-fiction read silently, per Brysbaert’s 2019 meta-analysis. Fiction runs faster at roughly 260; reading aloud runs much slower at about 130.
- How do I time a talk?
- Use the read-aloud speed of about 130 words per minute. Presenting is slower than silent reading because of pauses, emphasis and breathing.
- Should I show reading time on my articles?
- Yes, it reliably improves completion. Just make it accurate — a "3 min read" that takes eight teaches people to ignore the label.