How reading time is estimated
Reading time is a simple division: the number of words divided by the number of words a person reads per minute. This calculator lets you paste text, so the words are counted for you, or type in a word count you already know. The default speed of 238 words per minute comes from a 2019 review of reading research, which put the average adult silent-reading speed for non-fiction at about that figure. People read fiction a little faster and technical or unfamiliar material much slower, so the speed menu lets you pick a more realistic pace.
Why add time for images?
Readers stop to look at pictures, charts and screenshots. A widely used approach adds 12 seconds for the first image, 11 for the second, and so on down to a minimum of 3 seconds for each later image. The idea is that people spend longer on the first few images and then skim the rest. This calculator uses that rule when you enter a number of images. It is an estimate, not a measurement, and detailed diagrams may deserve more time.
Using reading time on your site or blog
- Set expectations: a label such as "5 min read" helps people decide whether to read now or save the article for later.
- Plan your content length: if you want readers to finish in about five minutes, aim for roughly 1,200 words at an average speed.
- Prepare talks and videos: choose the 150 words per minute option to estimate how long a script takes to read aloud. Add pauses for slides, demonstrations and questions.
- Study planning: divide a chapter's word count by your own pace to schedule reading sessions realistically. Slow down the speed for dense material.
Finding your personal reading speed
To measure your own speed, set a timer for one minute, read a passage at your normal comfortable pace and count the words you covered. Do this with two or three different texts and average the results. Comprehension matters as much as speed. Skimming at 400 words per minute or more is useful for finding information but not for understanding a detailed argument, which is why the skimming option is labelled separately.
Other things that change reading time
Reading on a small screen, reading in a second language, reading dense paragraphs without headings and reading text with many numbers or code samples all slow people down. Clear headings, short paragraphs and lists make text easier to scan, which can reduce the effective time. The figures from this tool are best used as a guide for planning rather than a precise promise. The calculation happens in your browser and your text is not uploaded or stored.