How to use the Reading Time Calculator
- Paste your text, or enter a word count.
- Adjust the reading and speaking speeds if you like.
- Read the reading time, speaking time and skimming time.
What does this tool do?
Adults read silently at about 238 words per minute on average for non-fiction, according to a large review of reading-speed studies. Speaking is slower — presentations and narration usually run at 130–150 words per minute.
Why use it?
- Show “5 min read” labels on articles.
- Time speeches, presentations and video scripts.
- Plan podcast and voice-over length.
Example
A 1,500-word article takes about 6 minutes 18 seconds to read at 238 wpm, and about 10 minutes 43 seconds to read aloud at 140 wpm.
The formula
Privacy
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Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to read 1,000 words?
About 4 minutes at an average silent reading speed of 238 words per minute, and about 7 minutes when read aloud at a typical 140 words per minute.
How many words are in a 5-minute speech?
Roughly 650–750 words at a comfortable speaking pace of 130–150 words per minute. Leave room for pauses, slides and audience reactions — they add more time than people expect.
Last reviewed by the M2Toolkit team.