Reading Time Calculator

Reading time = word count divided by reading speed, rounded up to the nearest whole minute.

Formula: Reading Time = ⌈Word Count ÷ Words Per Minute⌉

Example: 900 words at 225 wpm → ⌈900 ÷ 225⌉ = 4 minutes

This is the same formula used by Medium, dev.to, WordPress Jetpack, and most major publishing platforms.

Most research places adult reading speed at 200–250 words per minute for non-fiction text. This tool defaults to 225 wpm — the standard used by Medium and dev.to.

Slow readers average around 180 wpm, while fast readers reach 275 wpm or more. Reading speed also varies significantly by content familiarity and complexity.

Yes, significantly. Use the speed selector to match your audience:

• Slow (180 wpm) — technical documentation, academic papers, dense legal text, unfamiliar subject matter
• Average (225 wpm) — general news, blog posts, mainstream articles — the standard for most online content
• Fast (275 wpm) — fiction, familiar topics, light reading, skimmable content

Displaying reading time sets reader expectations and significantly improves engagement metrics. Readers who know an article takes 3 minutes are more likely to commit vs. seeing an unknown wall of text.

Medium popularised this format, and studies show that estimated reading time increases click-through rates and scroll depth — especially on mobile where text length is harder to gauge visually.