About the Reading Time Calculator
Readers like to know how long an article will take, and speakers need to know whether a talk will fit its time slot. This calculator counts the words in your text and divides by a reading speed to give the reading time, and also shows how long it takes to speak at a steady 130 words a minute. Choose a slow, easy, average or fast reading speed, or enter your own. You also get the word, character, sentence and paragraph counts, which is handy for essays, speeches, scripts, newsletters and blog posts.
Updated October 2026
How to use the Reading Time Calculator
- 1Paste or type your text in the box.
- 2Choose a reading speed, or enter your own words per minute.
- 3Read the reading time in the large result.
- 4Check the speaking time for a speech or video script.
- 5Use the counts to see how long the text is.
Setting the right reading speed
The average speed suits general articles for adults. Choose the slow setting for technical, legal or educational text, for readers using a second language, or for children. The fast setting is for light content or readers who skim. If you track your own speed with a typing or reading test, enter it as a custom value to get a personal estimate.
Reading time estimates are only averages, and real readers vary a lot. People read faster when the topic is familiar and slower when sentences are long, the vocabulary is technical or the screen is small. Short paragraphs, clear headings and plain words speed readers up. If your page is aimed at a specific group, such as students or professionals, test with a few real readers and adjust the speed you choose here to match what you see.
Using the numbers
- Add a reading time label at the top of articles to set expectations.
- Check that a speech or video script matches its time limit.
- Trim texts that run long by cutting 10 percent at a time.
- Set word-count goals for newsletters and emails.
- Use paragraph counts to spot walls of text.
Related tools
The Word Counter and Character Counter give more detail on length, the Typing Speed Test measures how fast you type, the Text to Speech tool reads text aloud and the Readability Score Checker shows how easy a text is to understand. The Keyword Density Checker is useful for SEO writing.
Features
- Reading time at four speeds or your own
- Speaking time at 130 words a minute
- Words, characters, sentences and paragraphs
- Updates as you type
- Good for speeches, essays and blog posts
- Text stays on your device
Frequently asked questions
How is reading time calculated?
The number of words is divided by the reading speed in words per minute. A 1,190 word article at the adult average of 238 words a minute takes 5 minutes. Medium and many blogs show reading time using this kind of formula, often with a speed of around 200 to 265.
What is the average reading speed?
Studies of adult silent reading of non-fiction find about 238 words a minute. Fiction is a little faster, at around 260. Reading on screens, difficult material and a second language are all slower, while skimming can reach 400 or more.
How long does it take to speak 1,000 words?
At a comfortable pace of 130 words a minute, about 7 minutes 40 seconds. Public speakers often aim for 110 to 150 words a minute, and audiobooks run near 150. Leave extra time for pauses, slides and questions.
How long should a speech be for a time slot?
Multiply the minutes by 130 to get the target word count. A 5 minute speech is about 650 words, a 10 minute talk about 1,300 words. Rehearse aloud once and adjust, since your real pace may differ.
Do images and code blocks count?
This tool only counts words in the text you paste. Many sites add 10 to 12 seconds per image. For code or tables, readers slow down, so choose a slower speed.
Why do sentence counts differ from other tools?
Sentences are found by looking for full stops, question marks and exclamation marks followed by a space or the end of the text. Abbreviations like Dr. or numbers like 3.5 can affect the count slightly, so treat it as an estimate.