How to Calculate the Reading Time of a Text

Learn how to calculate how many minutes it takes to read a text based on average reading speed (words per minute).

Knowing how long it takes to read a text is useful for planning study, preparing speeches or structuring web content. We explain how it is calculated and what reading speed is considered normal.

1 The reading time formula

Divide the number of words by the reading speed in words per minute: time = words ÷ wpm.

2 What speed is used

Most adults read between 200 and 250 words per minute. This guide uses 220 as the average, which is common.

3 Practical example

A text of 1,100 words at 220 wpm: 1,100 ÷ 220 = 5 minutes of reading.

4 Use the calculator

The reading time tool calculates minutes and seconds automatically from your text.

Try it with our free tool

Reading Time

Use the tool

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to read 1,000 words?
At 220 words per minute, about four and a half minutes (1,000 ÷ 220 ≈ 4.5).
What is a normal reading speed?
Between 200 and 250 words per minute for most adults. Trained readers can exceed 300.
How do I calculate the reading time of an article?
Divide the total words of the article by your reading speed, or use our tool that calculates it automatically.

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