Reading Time Calculator
Calculate how long it takes to read any text or article. Paste your text for auto word count, or enter a word count directly. Choose your reading speed to get a personalised estimate including speaking and audio podcast time.
Average Reading Speed: What the Research Says
Reading speed varies dramatically by individual, text complexity, and purpose. Research published in Reading Research Quarterly found that the average adult silent reading speed for comprehension is 200 to 250 words per minute. However, this figure changes significantly depending on context: academic reading for understanding tends to be slower (100 to 150 wpm), while skimming for key points can reach 700 to 1,000 wpm.
Here is how reading speed varies by age and level:
| Reader Type | Average Speed (wpm) | Comprehension Level |
|---|---|---|
| Age 7–8 (Year 3) | 80–100 wpm | Familiar texts |
| Age 9–10 (Year 5) | 120–150 wpm | Age-appropriate texts |
| Age 11–13 (Secondary school) | 150–180 wpm | General texts |
| GCSE student | 180–220 wpm | Standard comprehension |
| A-Level / University student | 250–350 wpm | Academic texts |
| Average UK adult | 200–250 wpm | General comprehension |
| Proficient speed reader | 400–700 wpm | Reduced comprehension |
Reading Time for Popular Types of Content
Different types of content have different optimal reading times. Understanding these helps you set realistic expectations for your content production and consumption:
| Content Type | Typical Word Count | Reading Time (200wpm) |
|---|---|---|
| Tweet / social post | 20–50 words | 6–15 seconds |
| Short news article | 300–500 words | 1.5–2.5 minutes |
| Blog post (short) | 500–800 words | 2.5–4 minutes |
| Blog post (optimal) | 1,500–2,000 words | 7.5–10 minutes |
| Long-form article / guide | 3,000–5,000 words | 15–25 minutes |
| Academic journal paper | 5,000–10,000 words | 25–50 minutes |
| Business book chapter | 4,000–8,000 words | 20–40 minutes |
| Average novel | 70,000–100,000 words | 6–8 hours |
| Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone | 77,325 words | 6 hr 26 min |
| Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | 257,154 words | 21 hr 26 min |
| Pride and Prejudice (Austen) | 122,189 words | 10 hr 11 min |
| A Brief History of Time (Hawking) | ~57,000 words | 4 hr 45 min |
The Optimal Blog Post Length for SEO and Readership
Medium famously analysed reading time data from millions of posts and concluded that the optimal length for maximum engagement is 7 minutes, corresponding to about 1,600 words at average reading speed. However, SEO research from various agencies points to longer content performing better in search rankings:
- 500–800 words: Suitable for news, quick tips, social content. Ranks for low-competition keywords.
- 1,200–2,000 words: The sweet spot for most blog posts. Good balance of depth and reader attention.
- 2,500–4,000 words: Pillar content and comprehensive guides. Higher rankings for competitive terms.
- Over 5,000 words: Ultimate guides and in-depth resources. Can rank for multiple keywords simultaneously.
The lesson: longer content often ranks better, but only if it maintains quality throughout. Padding artificially increases word count but damages dwell time and user experience.
Speaking Time vs Reading Time
Speaking aloud is significantly slower than silent reading. The average speaking pace in the UK is 130 to 150 words per minute for clear, natural speech. Formal presentations and broadcast reading run slightly slower at 120 to 130 wpm. Podcasts and audiobooks are typically recorded at 130 to 160 wpm to balance clarity and pace.
This has practical implications:
- A 5-minute speech requires approximately 650 to 750 words of written content.
- A 10-minute presentation needs roughly 1,300 to 1,500 words.
- A 1-hour lecture corresponds to about 7,800 to 9,000 words.
- An audiobook of 80,000 words runs approximately 8 to 10 hours.
Speed Reading Techniques That Actually Work
Genuine speed reading improves your reading rate while maintaining acceptable comprehension. Here are the techniques supported by cognitive science research:
- Reduce subvocalisation: Most people silently “say” each word in their head as they read. This caps reading speed at speaking speed (around 130 wpm). Training yourself to suppress this habit is the single biggest lever for improvement.
- Use a pointer: Running a finger or pen under the text forces your eyes to move steadily forward rather than jumping back. This simple technique can increase speed by 20–30%.
- Expand your fixation span: Trained readers take in 3 to 5 words per eye fixation rather than 1 to 2. Practising with wider columns of text helps train peripheral reading.
- Previewing: Reading headings, subheadings, first sentences, and captions before reading the full text gives your brain a schema that speeds comprehension during the full read.
- Chunking: Group words into meaningful phrases rather than reading word by word. “the quick brown fox” should be processed as a single unit of meaning.
Reading Time for UK Exams
In UK GCSE and A-Level exams, candidates often have reading materials to process under time pressure. Understanding your reading speed helps you allocate exam time effectively:
- A typical GCSE English Language paper may include 1,500 to 2,500 words of source text. At 200 wpm, this takes 7 to 12 minutes — leaving time for annotation before answering.
- A-Level History source questions may include 800 to 1,200 words of primary sources. Allow 4 to 6 minutes for careful reading and annotation.
- In reading comprehension assessments, allow 1 minute per question for re-reading relevant sections.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average reading speed?
The average UK adult reads at approximately 200 to 250 words per minute (wpm) when reading for general comprehension. University students typically read faster — around 250 to 350 wpm for familiar academic material. Reading technical, unfamiliar, or complex text slows most readers to 100 to 150 wpm. Children in Key Stage 2 (ages 7–11) read at roughly 100 to 150 wpm. Professional speed readers can achieve 400 to 700 wpm with practise, though research suggests comprehension decreases at very high speeds.
How long does it take to read 1,000 words?
At 200 wpm (average adult speed), 1,000 words takes exactly 5 minutes. At slow reading speed (130 wpm), it takes 7 minutes 42 seconds. At fast pace (300 wpm), it takes 3 minutes 20 seconds. Reading aloud at a natural speaking pace of 130 wpm takes 7 minutes 42 seconds — the same as slow silent reading. For audio recording or podcasting, expect the same 7 to 8 minute duration for 1,000 words of content.
How do I speed read?
The most effective speed reading techniques are: (1) Suppress subvocalisation — stop internally pronouncing each word; (2) Use a pointer to guide your eyes and prevent regression; (3) Expand your reading span to take in multiple words per fixation; (4) Preview the text by reading headings and topic sentences first; and (5) Chunk words into phrases rather than reading one word at a time. With regular practice, most people can improve from 200 wpm to 300–400 wpm within a few weeks while maintaining good comprehension.
What is the optimal blog post length for reading time?
Research by Medium found the optimal engagement occurs at 7 minutes of reading time, which equals approximately 1,600 words at average reading speed. SEO data consistently shows that articles of 2,000 to 3,000 words rank higher in Google for competitive keywords. For quick news or social posts, 300 to 500 words (1.5 to 2.5 minutes) is standard. For pillar content and comprehensive guides, 3,000 to 5,000+ words (15 to 25 minutes) is appropriate when the depth is genuinely needed.
How is reading time calculated?
Reading time is calculated with a simple formula: Reading Time (minutes) = Word Count ÷ Reading Speed (wpm). For example, a 1,500-word article read at 200 wpm takes 7.5 minutes, or 7 minutes 30 seconds. Our calculator counts words automatically from pasted text, then divides by your chosen speed (130, 200, 300, or 700 wpm). Speaking time uses 130 wpm as the standard spoken English pace. Podcast/audio time uses 150 wpm, reflecting the slightly faster pace typical of professional voice recording.
How long does it take to read a book?
The average novel contains 70,000 to 100,000 words. At 200 wpm, an 80,000-word novel takes approximately 400 minutes (6 hours 40 minutes) of total reading time. Reading 30 minutes a day, you would finish the average novel in about 13 to 14 days. Non-fiction business books average 60,000 words (≈5 hours). Academic textbooks average 100,000 to 200,000 words (8 to 17 hours). Audiobooks run at approximately 9,300 words per hour of audio, so the same 80,000-word novel would be about an 8 to 9 hour audiobook.