Reading Time Estimator

Paste your text and instantly see how long it takes to read at different speeds. Set a custom words-per-minute rate for your specific audience.

0 Minutes to read
Paste text to get started
Reading speed
Custom: wpm
0Words
0Characters
0Sentences
0Paragraphs
All reading speeds
Slow (150 wpm)
Average (200 wpm)
Fast (300 wpm)
Speed reader (400 wpm)

How to use the Reading Time Estimator

Paste or type your text in the left panel. The reading time updates instantly as you type. Select a reading speed preset on the right — or enter a custom words-per-minute value — to see the adjusted estimate. The table at the bottom shows reading time across all speeds at once.

What is an average reading speed?

The average adult reads at around 200–250 words per minute for non-fiction and general prose. Children typically read at 100–150 wpm. Skimming and speed reading can reach 400–700 wpm, but comprehension decreases at higher speeds. For technical or complex content, use the Slow preset (150 wpm) to get a more realistic estimate.

Blog posts typically aim for a 3–7 minute read time. Medium and similar platforms display reading time on every article — this tool lets you check yours before publishing.

Frequently asked questions

Reading time is calculated by dividing the total word count by the selected reading speed in words per minute (wpm). For example, a 1,000-word article at 200 wpm takes 5 minutes. The result is rounded to the nearest minute, with a minimum of 1 minute for any non-empty text.
Use 200 wpm for general audiences and blog posts. Use 150 wpm for technical documentation, academic papers, or content aimed at children. Use 300–400 wpm for audiences of experienced or fast readers. For email newsletters, 200 wpm is the standard.
No — this tool estimates reading time for text only. A common rule of thumb is to add 12 seconds per image and the full duration of any embedded videos to get a total content consumption time.
No. All processing runs locally in your browser. Your text is never sent to any server.

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