Reading time is estimated by dividing word count by reading speed. The best-supported median reading speed for adult English readers is 238 words per minute (wpm), derived from Brysbaert's 2019 meta-analysis of 190 reading-rate studies across 17,887 participants. Technical content, unfamiliar vocabulary, and dense data tables all reduce reading speed significantly below this baseline.
The formula
reading_time_minutes = word_count / wpm
reading_time_hours = reading_time_minutes / 60
At default 238 wpm:
500 words → 500 / 238 ≈ 2.1 minutes
1,000 words → 4.2 minutes
5,000 words → 21 minutes
80,000 words (novel) → 336 minutes ≈ 5.6 hours
Source: Brysbaert M. (2019). How many words do we read per minute? Journal of Memory and Language, 109, 104047. doi:10.1016/j.jml.2019.104047
Practical examples
Example 1 — Blog post display time. A 1,400-word article: 1,400 / 238 = 5.9 minutes → displays as "6 min read". Medium.com uses approximately 265 wpm for its reading time estimates; adjust the WPM input if you prefer to match a specific platform.
Example 2 — Technical documentation. A 3,000-word API reference guide. Prose speed: 238 wpm → 12.6 min. Technical reading (code-heavy): 150 wpm → 20 minutes. Use a lower WPM for content with code blocks or tables.
Example 3 — Academic paper abstract. A 250-word abstract: 250 / 238 = 1.05 minutes. Reading an entire 8,000-word research paper with complex statistics: 8,000 / 120 ≈ 67 minutes at a realistic academic reading pace.
Common mistakes
- Using 200 wpm or 250 wpm without a citation. The commonly cited "200–250 wpm" range is a rounded approximation that predates Brysbaert's more rigorous 2019 meta-analysis. For cited content, 238 wpm is better supported.
- Applying the same rate to all content types. Reading speed varies substantially: fiction prose (~250 wpm), academic text (~170–200 wpm), technical documentation (~120–150 wpm). Adjust the WPM input in this tool to reflect your content type.
- Counting only body words. Headlines, figure captions, sidebars, call-out boxes, and navigation elements all add reading time in practice. Digital reading is also interrupted by links, images, and embedded media. Add 15–30% for interactive content.
International and regional variations
| Reader type / context | Approximate WPM | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Adult English (fiction, prose) | 238 | Brysbaert 2019 median — peer-reviewed across 190 studies |
| Adult English (academic text) | 170–200 | Dense vocabulary and unfamiliar subject matter slow reading |
| Technical documentation / code | 120–150 | Code requires interpretation, not just word recognition |
| Non-native English speakers | 150–200 | Varies widely by proficiency level |
| Speed readers (trained) | 300–500+ | Comprehension typically decreases above ~350 wpm |
| Audiobook narration | 150–175 | Standard professional narration pace |