Reading Time Estimator

Paste your text below to see how long it will take to read at various speeds.

The average adult reads 238 words per minute for non-fiction. Paste any article, essay, or document below to see exactly how long it will take your audience to read it — at slow, average, and fast reading speeds. No signup, no word limit.

  1. Paste your text
  2. See reading times at three speeds
  3. Copy the "X min read" label
Avg: 200–250
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How is reading time calculated?

We use a standard formula: Time = Total Words / Words Per Minute. The average adult reading speed is approximately 200–250 words per minute for non-technical English prose.

  • Slow (150 WPM): Careful reading or complex technical material.
  • Average (225 WPM): Standard blog posts, news, and fiction.
  • Fast (350 WPM): Skimming or highly proficient reading.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is average reading speed?

The average adult reads non-fiction at about 238 words per minute. Fiction reading is slightly faster at around 260 words per minute. Slow readers fall below 150 wpm while fast readers can exceed 350 wpm.

How does this reading time calculator work?

This calculator divides the total word count by your chosen words-per-minute speed. Paste or type any text, set your reading speed, and it instantly shows estimated reading time. You can compare slow (150 wpm), average (238 wpm), and fast (350 wpm) speeds side by side.

How long does it take to read 1000 words?

At the average reading speed of 238 words per minute, 1000 words takes approximately 4 minutes. At a slow reading speed of 150 wpm it takes about 7 minutes. At a fast speed of 350 wpm it takes roughly 3 minutes.

Related tools: Readability Checker · Passive Voice Detector