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Your text and a reading or speaking pace.
Writing table
Reading time calculator
Plan articles, presentations, scripts, and voiceovers more realistically.
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Reading time
7 sec
Word count
26
Speaking time
12 sec
Approx. pages
1
Reading time uses your selected speed. Speaking time uses a conversational 130 words per minute; pages assume roughly 500 words each.
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What does reading time calculator do?
The reading-time calculator estimates a text's duration at a selectable 100–500 words per minute. It also shows a separate speaking estimate at 130 words per minute and an approximate page count at 500 words per page.
- Input
- Your text and a reading or speaking pace.
- Result
- Word count and estimated duration.
- Price
- Free
- Account
- Not required
How to use reading time calculator
Choose your settings
Plan articles, presentations, scripts, and voiceovers more realistically.
Save or copy
Word count and estimated duration.
A practical tip
A comfortable presentation pace is usually slower than silent reading.
When to use reading time calculator
Set an expected read time for a 1,200-word knowledge-base article.
Estimate whether a prepared script fits a ten-minute spoken presentation.
Compare a dense technical audience's pace with a faster general-reading pace.
Worked example
A concrete reading time calculator example
- Input
- A document containing 1,190 recognized words
- Settings
- Reading speed: 238 words per minute
- Result
- Estimated reading time: 5 min; speaking time: 9 min 9 sec; approximate length: 3 pages.
What to expect
How it works
The tool counts Unicode letter-and-number word sequences, divides that count by the selected reading speed, and rounds the result to the nearest second. Speaking time uses a fixed 130 words per minute, while pages are rounded up from 500 words each.
Know before using
Limits and edge cases
- Reading and speaking pace varies with language, complexity, pauses, diagrams, and audience; the results are planning estimates, not measured completion times.
- Changing the reading-speed slider does not change the fixed 130-WPM speaking estimate or the fixed 500-words-per-page estimate.
Common questions
Reading time calculator FAQ
Is reading time calculator free to use?
Yes. Reading time calculator is free to use.
Does reading time calculator keep my work private?
Yes. Your work stays private while you use the tool — nothing you enter is uploaded.
What reading speed should I choose?
Use your own measured pace when available. Lower the rate for technical or unfamiliar material and raise it for short, familiar prose.
Why is speaking time longer than reading time?
The speaking estimate uses 130 words per minute, which allows more time than the default 238-WPM reading rate for delivering words aloud.