How long will it take to read or speak your text?
Estimate reading and speaking time for your text. Perfect for blog posts, presentations, and speeches. Free writing tool. This tool runs entirely in your browser — no data is sent to any server. It's fast, free, and works on any device.
Reading time estimates help content creators set reader expectations and optimize article length. The average adult reads about 200-250 words per minute for general content, though this varies with complexity — technical writing might be 150 wpm while light fiction reaches 300 wpm. Major platforms like Medium display reading time prominently because readers are more likely to engage with content when they know the time commitment upfront. This tool calculates reading time along with detailed word and character statistics. It's invaluable for bloggers, copywriters, UX writers, and anyone who publishes written content. Studies show that the ideal blog post length for engagement is 7-10 minutes (1,600-2,400 words).
The default is 238 words per minute, which is the widely-cited average for adult English readers based on research. You can adjust this to match your audience — academic content might use 200 wpm, casual content 250-300 wpm.
Yes significantly. Dense technical writing, legal text, or academic papers slow reading to 150-200 wpm. Conversational blog posts can be read at 250-300 wpm. This tool uses an average — adjust speed for your content type.
Medium popularized it and found it increased engagement. Readers are more likely to start an article when they know it'll take '5 min' versus facing an unknown-length wall of text. It sets expectations and respects readers' time.
It depends on the goal. SEO-focused content: 1,500-2,500 words (7-10 min). News articles: 500-800 words (2-3 min). Social media posts: under 300 words. Long-form guides: 3,000+ words. Match length to intent.
Some platforms add 12 seconds per image for the first few, decreasing for subsequent ones. This tool focuses on text reading time. For media-heavy content, add roughly 10-15 seconds per image manually.