Reading Time Estimator

The average adult reads approximately 200-250 words per minute (wpm) for non-fiction and 200-300 wpm for fiction. Skilled readers can achieve 300-500 wpm, and speed readers claim 1,000+ wpm. Academic and technical content is typically read more slowly (150-200 wpm). Children read at 100-200 wpm depending on age.

Reading time = word count / reading speed. For example, a 1,500 word article at 238 wpm (the scientific average for adults per Brysbaert et al. 2019) takes approximately 6.3 minutes, displayed as 6 minutes 18 seconds.

Platforms use different assumed reading speeds. Medium uses 275 wpm, giving slightly shorter estimates than tools using the 238 wpm scientific average. This tool lets you use any reading speed so you can match your platform's convention or your own measured reading pace.

Time yourself reading a passage of known word count using a stopwatch. Divide the word count by the time in minutes. For example, reading 500 words in 2 minutes = 250 wpm. Do this with several passages and average the results for a reliable baseline.

According to HubSpot and SEMrush research, articles of 1,500-2,500 words tend to perform best for SEO and engagement, representing about 6-10 minutes of reading time at average speed. Long-form content (3,000+ words) can rank well for competitive topics but requires strong depth and structure to hold readers.