Reading time calculator
Paste your word count and reading speed to find out how long your article, essay, or book chapter takes to read.
Estimated reading time
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Formula
Reading time (seconds) = round(word count / WPM × 60)
At 238 WPM, a 500-word article takes about 2 minutes 6 seconds.
Common benchmarks
| Content type | Typical words | Time at 238 WPM |
|---|---|---|
| Tweet / post | 30 | 8 sec |
| Blog post | 1,000 | 4 min |
| Long-form article | 2,500 | 10 min |
| Short story | 10,000 | 42 min |
| Novel | 80,000 | 5.6 hr |
Frequently asked
What is the average reading speed?
Research by Brysbaert (2019) measured average adult silent reading at 238 words per minute. Children and ESL readers typically read slower; speed readers can exceed 400 WPM.
How is reading time calculated?
Reading time = word count ÷ words per minute. The result is rounded to the nearest second.
How long does it take to read a novel?
A typical 80,000-word novel takes about 336 minutes (roughly 5.6 hours) at 238 WPM.
How long does it take to read a blog post?
A 1,000-word blog post takes about 4 minutes at average reading speed.
How do I share this calculation?
Click "Share with my numbers" to copy a URL that restores your word count and WPM.