How to use the reading time calculator
- 1 Paste your text into the box.
- 2 Choose a reading speed, or keep the average of 238 words a minute.
- 3 Read the reading time, speaking time and word count.
- 4 Check the reading level and average sentence length.
Reading speed, speaking speed and readability
- Silent reading: adults average about 238 words a minute for non-fiction, according to a 2019 review of 190 studies. Technical text is slower.
- Speaking: presentations and speeches run at about 130 words a minute; a 5-minute talk needs roughly 650 words.
- Flesch reading ease: 60 to 70 is plain English that most adults read easily; below 30 is very hard. Short sentences and short words raise the score.
To trim a speech, find repeated words with the Keyword Density Checker. For a full count of characters and paragraphs, use the Word Counter.
Features
Reading and speaking time
Silent reading at your chosen speed and speaking at 130 words a minute.
Readability score
Flesch reading ease, from very easy to very hard.
Text statistics
Words, characters, sentences and paragraphs.
Live results
Updates as you type.
When to use it
Bloggers
Show a reading time under each post. See characters and paragraphs in the Word Counter.
Speeches and presentations
Plan a talk to fit the time slot. Find words to cut with the Keyword Density Checker.
Video scripts
Estimate voice-over length. Clean pasted text with the Text Cleaner first.
Students
Check essays and presentations. Fill a draft layout with the Lorem Ipsum Generator.
Related Text tasks
Frequently asked questions
How is reading time calculated?
Words divided by reading speed. The default 238 words a minute is the average silent reading speed for adults reading non-fiction, found in a large 2019 review of studies.
How long is a 1,000 word article?
About 4 minutes to read at 238 words a minute, and around 8 minutes to read aloud.
How many words is a five minute speech?
About 650 words at a comfortable 130 words a minute.
What is the Flesch reading ease score?
A score from about 0 to 100 based on sentence length and syllables per word. 60 to 70 is plain English that most adults read easily; higher is easier.
How can I make my text easier to read?
Use shorter sentences, everyday words and short paragraphs.
How fast do people read on screens?
Many people read a little slower on screens than on paper, and skim more. The 238 words a minute average is a good middle estimate.
How long is a 2,000 word blog post?
About 8 to 9 minutes at average reading speed.
Do headings and lists count?
Yes. Every word in the text is counted, including headings, captions and list items.
Why does readability need 30 words?
Readability scores are based on averages, so very short texts give unreliable results.
How long does a 500 word text take to read?
About 2 minutes at the average adult reading speed of 238 words a minute, and almost 4 minutes to read aloud.
Why show reading time on a blog post?
Readers are more likely to start an article when they know how long it takes, and it sets the right expectation for long guides.
How this tool works. These text tools run entirely in your browser with plain JavaScript, so the text you paste never leaves your device and results update as you type. Each tool is tested with real text such as copied PDFs, emails, code, lists, emojis and non-English scripts before it goes live.
Built and reviewed by Hamza Farooq, founder and lead developer
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