Reading Time Calculator
Paste any text to estimate reading and speaking time — runs in your browser.
Start typing or paste some text to see reading and speaking time.
Estimate reading and speaking time
Paste or type any text and this tool counts the words, then estimates how long it takes to read silently and to read aloud. Pick a reading speed — slow, average, or fast — and the reading estimate updates instantly. The speaking estimate uses a comfortable spoken pace of about 130 words per minute, which is typical for clear narration, presentations, and audiobooks.
Reading speed varies with the reader and the material. A common silent-reading average is around 238 words per minute for adults reading general prose, while skimming can be much faster and dense or technical text much slower. Use the speed presets to bracket your audience: 150 wpm for careful or non-native readers, 238 wpm for a typical reader, and 320 wpm for fast readers. Everything is calculated in your browser, so your text is never uploaded.
FAQ
How is reading time calculated? It divides the word count by your chosen reading speed in words per minute, then formats the result as minutes and seconds.
What reading speed should I use? About 238 words per minute is a good default for adult silent reading. Use 150 wpm for careful reading and 320 wpm for fast readers.
Why is speaking time longer than reading time? People speak more slowly than they read silently. This tool uses roughly 130 words per minute for speaking, a natural pace for presentations and voice-overs.
How do you count words? Any run of non-whitespace characters counts as one word, so numbers and hyphenated terms count as single words.