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Reading time calculator.
Paste an article, script, or post to see its word count and estimated reading time immediately. Choose the reading speed that fits your audience; your text never leaves this tab.
Reading time is the Unicode-aware word count divided by your selected words per minute. This calculator updates on every edit and reports minutes and seconds, rounded up to the next whole second.
words ÷ words per minute × 60 = estimated secondsPaste your text
Estimated read time
What the reading-time result means
The displayed duration is exact for the word count and WPM you selected, rounded up to the next whole second. It is still an estimate of a person's reading time: familiarity, text difficulty, language, layout, and pauses all change the real result.
Why the default is 238 wpm
A review and meta-analysis of 190 studies estimated average adult silent reading of English non-fiction at 238 words per minute and fiction at 260 wpm. See Brysbaert, 2019, Journal of Memory and Language. The study also cautions that reading rates vary by language and material, so adjust the field rather than treating the default as universal.
Choose a useful rate
- Dense or technical writing: try 150–180 wpm.
- General English non-fiction: start at 238 wpm.
- Fiction or familiar, easy material: try 250–300 wpm.
- Read-aloud or voiceover scripts: try 130–160 wpm.
Use the right companion tool
Need characters, keyword frequency, or platform length limits? Use the Word Count Checker. For document length, use Words to Pages; for sentence difficulty, use the Readability Checker.
Reading time calculator FAQ
How is reading time calculated?
The tool counts words, divides that count by your selected words-per-minute rate, multiplies by 60, and rounds up to the next whole second. The result is exact for those inputs, but your real reading time can vary.
What reading speed should I use?
Use 238 words per minute for a general English non-fiction estimate. Try 150 to 180 for dense or technical material, 200 to 300 for typical silent reading, and 130 to 160 for a read-aloud script.
How does the calculator count words in different languages?
When supported, it uses the browser's Intl.Segmenter API for Unicode-aware word boundaries. Older browsers use a Unicode regex fallback, which can count languages written without spaces differently; the active method is shown beside the result.
Is my text uploaded or saved?
No. This tool calculates in your browser, does not submit the text, and does not save it. Closing or refreshing the tab clears what you pasted.
Why can this word count differ from another counter?
Word-boundary rules differ for hyphens, apostrophes, numbers, emoji, and languages without spaces. This calculator uses Unicode word segmentation when available and names its fallback so you can interpret small differences honestly.