A 1,000-word article
A 1,000-word article takes about five minutes at 200 words per minute. Reading it aloud at 130 words per minute takes around eight minutes.
ReadTime • Text length estimate
~Reading Time Calculator
Estimate reading time, speaking time and word count for any piece of text.
Using this tool
Match the speed to the audience
Paste text and choose a reading speed. ReadTime counts the words, estimates silent reading time and gives a slower speaking-time estimate for scripts or presentations.
Reading the output
Words are useful, but not the whole story
Words divided by speed
Reading time in minutes = word count divided by reading speed. Speaking time uses a separate, usually slower words-per-minute value.
Make room for pauses and complexity
- Use a slower speed for technical material or a young audience.
- Allow pauses, slides and questions when planning a spoken presentation.
- Headings and short paragraphs can make the same word count feel faster to read.
Before relying on the result
Reading and speaking estimates
Is the estimate exact?
No. Familiarity, text complexity, language and layout all change how quickly a person reads.
Why is speaking time longer?
People usually speak more slowly than they read silently, and pauses add time.