Reading Time Calculator
How long a text takes to read from its word count and your reading speed.
How it works
minutes = word count ÷ words per minute · pages = word count ÷ 275
Reading time is simply words divided by pace. Research on adult silent reading puts the average near 240 words per minute for nonfiction, slower for dense or technical material and faster for light fiction. The page figure uses 275 words per page, a typical paperback density.
Worked example
A 5,000-word report at the average 240 wpm takes 5,000 ÷ 240 ≈ 21 minutes — about 18 pages. A slow, careful read at 150 wpm takes 33 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
What’s a normal reading speed?
Large reviews of adult reading place silent nonfiction reading around 230–250 wpm, fiction a bit higher. College-level technical material with note-taking can drop under 150 wpm.
Do speed-reading techniques really work?
Claims of 1,000+ wpm with full comprehension don’t survive testing — past roughly 400–500 wpm, comprehension falls off steeply. Skimming has its place, but it’s a different activity than reading.
How many words are in a typical book?
Novels commonly run 70,000–100,000 words — at 240 wpm that’s roughly 5–7 hours of reading. Nonfiction trade books average a bit shorter.
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This calculator is for educational purposes. Double-check important results before acting on them.