Writing Length and Speech Planners
Typing and speaking speed.
Time yourself typing, speaking or writing, then enter the words (or characters) and the time. You get your words per minute, plus characters per minute when you enter characters. Runs in your browser; nothing is sent or stored.
Your timed run
Result
Fill the form and press Calculate.
Worked example
825 words spoken in 6 minutes is 825 / 6 = 137.5 words per minute. Typing 1,250 characters in 5 minutes is 1,250 / 5 = 250 words, so 250 / 5 = 50 words per minute and 250 characters per minute.
How it works
Words per minute = words / minutes. If you enter characters, they are divided by 5 first, the standard word length used for typing speed (spaces and punctuation included, per Wikipedia). Seconds are added to minutes before dividing. This is gross speed and does not subtract mistakes.
Your result applies to the run you timed. Pace changes with the text, topic, familiarity and nerves, so time a few runs. The reference rows are research averages for adult reading, not targets for typing or speaking.
Sources and basis (opened 2026-10-08): Brysbaert (2019), “How many words do we read per minute? A review and meta-analysis of reading rate”, Journal of Memory and Language; Wikipedia, “Words per minute”. Brysbaert (2019) abstract: average adult silent reading rate in English 238 wpm for non-fiction and 260 wpm for fiction, oral reading 183 wpm (77 studies). Five characters per word: Wikipedia.
FAQ
How do I calculate words per minute?
Divide the number of words by the minutes taken. For 825 words in 6 minutes that is 137.5 words per minute.
How are characters turned into words?
Typing speed is usually measured with a standard word of five characters, including spaces and punctuation, so characters are divided by 5.
What is the average reading speed?
A 2019 meta-analysis of 190 studies by Brysbaert found an average adult silent reading rate of 238 wpm for English non-fiction and 260 wpm for fiction, and 183 wpm for oral reading.
Does this subtract typing errors?
No. It reports gross words per minute from the amount and time you enter. Subtract mistakes yourself first if you want a net figure.