Reading Time Estimator
Estimate how long it takes to read any text at slow, average, and fast reading speeds, plus speaking time.
What is a Reading Time Estimator?
A reading time estimator calculates how long it will take an average reader to read a piece of text, based on the word count and typical reading speeds.
Knowing reading time helps writers plan content length and helps readers decide whether to read now or save for later. Platforms like Medium and Substack show estimated reading time because it reduces bounce rate, since readers who know what they are committing to are more likely to finish. This tool gives estimates for slow, average, and fast readers, plus speaking time for presentations and podcasts.
How to Use Reading Time Estimator
- 1Paste or type your text into the text area.
- 2Reading time estimates update instantly.
- 3See estimates for slow (150 wpm), average (238 wpm), and fast readers (350 wpm).
- 4Speaking time (130 wpm) is useful for presentations and podcasts.
- 5The content-type hint gives context for what the length means.
Features
- ✓Three reading speed estimates: slow (150 wpm), average (238 wpm), fast (350 wpm)
- ✓Speaking time estimate at 130 words per minute
- ✓Word and character count included
- ✓Content-type hint (short article, blog post, essay, etc.)
- ✓Based on research-backed reading speed averages
Common Use Cases
Blog post length optimisation
A blogger targeting a '5-minute read' label on Medium pastes their draft and sees 9 minutes, so they trim the post from 2,140 words to 1,190 to hit the target.
Presentation scripting
A speaker preparing a 15-minute keynote pastes their script and uses the 130 wpm speaking estimate to confirm 1,950 words fills exactly 15 minutes without rushing.
Email newsletter planning
A newsletter editor sees their 1,400-word issue takes 6 minutes to read at average speed, above their 3-minute target, and cuts two sections totalling 580 words.