How to Estimate Reading Time and Speech Length From a Word Count

To estimate reading time, divide the number of words by a reading speed in words per minute. Most adults read everyday non-fiction at about 238 words per minute, so a 1,000-word article takes roughly 4 minutes 12 seconds. Speaking is slower, around 150 words per minute, so the same text read aloud takes closer to 7 minutes. The Reading Time Calculator does both sums as you type and lets you change the speed.

Where does 238 words per minute come from?

The figure comes from a 2019 meta-analysis by Marc Brysbaert, who pooled results from 190 reading studies. Adults reading English non-fiction silently averaged about 238 words per minute, and fiction was a little faster at about 260. Older rules of thumb like 200 or 300 wpm are round numbers, not measured averages.

Speaking is slower and varies more: a relaxed presentation usually sits between 140 and 160 words per minute. That's why the calculator keeps the two speeds separate.

Which speed preset should you choose?

The calculator offers three reading presets and three speaking presets, plus a Custom option for each:

Setting	Words per minute	Good for
Slow / careful reading	150	Technical docs, contracts, second-language readers
Average adult, non-fiction	238	Blog posts, newsletters, reports
Fast / skimming	300	Familiar topics, scanning for key points
Slow presentation	120	Talks with slides, live demos, translated events
Normal speech	150	Most speeches, toasts and voice-overs
Fast / podcast	180	Conversational podcasts, energetic video scripts

Custom speeds accept 20 to 2,000 words per minute. If you've timed yourself reading a script aloud, your own pace will beat any average.

Worked examples

Here are a few real calculations, rounded the way the tool shows them:

• An 1,800-word blog post at 238 wpm: 1,800 ÷ 238 ≈ 7.56 minutes, shown as 7 min 34 sec. Skimmed at 300 wpm it drops to exactly 6 min.
• The same post as a talk at 150 wpm: 1,800 ÷ 150 = 12 min. At the slow presentation pace of 120 wpm it stretches to 15 min.
• A 2,600-word long read at 238 wpm comes to 10 min 55 sec, which you'd label an 11-minute read.
• A 60-second video script at 150 wpm needs about 150 words. At a brisk 180 wpm you can fit 180.

To work backwards from a time slot, multiply the minutes by the speaking speed. A 5-minute slot at 150 wpm is 750 words; a 20-minute conference talk at 140 wpm is 2,800 words. Aim a little under that to leave room for pauses and questions.

How to use the calculator

1. Paste or type your text into the box. Everything updates instantly.
2. Read the two highlighted tiles: Reading time and Speaking time. Next to them you'll see the word count and the character count, with characters excluding spaces in brackets.
3. Pick a reading speed and a speaking speed from the drop-downs, or choose Custom to type your own words per minute.
4. Edit your draft and watch the times change. Press Clear to start again.

The counting happens in your browser and nothing is uploaded or saved.

How are words counted?

A word is a run of letters or digits, with inner apostrophes and hyphens keeping it whole, so "don't", "well-known" and 3.50 each count once. In Chinese and Japanese, each character counts as one word, as in reading-speed research; typical speeds there are quoted in characters per minute, so use a Custom speed rather than the English presets.

Making your estimate more realistic

An average is a starting point. A few things push real reading time up or down:

• Difficulty. Dense, technical or unfamiliar material slows everyone down. Choosing the 150 wpm preset is a safer bet for documentation.
• Screens. Reading on a phone tends to be a little slower than on paper or a large monitor.
• Images, code and tables. The calculator counts words only. If a post has many screenshots or charts, readers will spend extra time on them. Medium, for example, uses about 265 wpm and adds time for images; enter 265 as a Custom speed to match its word-based part.
• Nerves. Speakers often rush on the day, so rehearse once with a timer.

If a text reads slowly because the sentences are long and tangled, the fix is in the writing, not the speed setting. The Readability Score tool rates how hard the text is, and the Sentence Length Checker points to the exact sentences that need splitting.

Other tools that help

If you only need a quick total plus sentence and paragraph counts, the Word Counter shows those with reading time included. To hear how a script actually sounds before you record it, paste it into Text to Speech and listen at different rates.

FAQ

How long does it take to read 1,500 words?

At 238 words per minute, about 6 minutes 18 seconds. At a careful 150 wpm it takes 10 minutes, and skimming at 300 wpm takes 5.

How many words should a 3-minute speech have?

At 150 words per minute, about 450 words. If you plan to pause for laughs or let a point sink in, 400 is a more comfortable target.

Paste your next draft into the Reading Time Calculator to see both times side by side.