Reading Time Calculator

Calculate accurate reading time for blog posts, articles and books — with speed presets, technical penalties and copyable badges.

0 min read
0 words at 238 wpm
Badge snippet: 0 min read

🔒 Runs entirely in your browser — nothing you type is uploaded or stored on a server.

The Reading Time Calculator estimates how long it takes a typical reader to finish your article, blog post, essay or book chapter. Paste your text or enter a word count to get an immediate reading time estimate, complete with copy-ready badge text and Schema.org JSON-LD markup.

Also on Txtset: calculate spoken presentation time · convert word count to printed pages.

Unlike simple counters that assume an arbitrary 200 WPM, this calculator defaults to 238 words per minute — the empirical silent reading speed established by the comprehensive Brysbaert (2019) meta-analysis of 190 reading studies. Fiction and casual prose read faster at approximately 260 WPM, while careful academic study averages 150 WPM and skimming reaches 400 WPM.

For technical articles, code walkthroughs, and scientific papers, toggle the Technical / code-heavy option to apply an evidence-based 0.75× speed penalty. Bloggers can copy the formatted 'X min read' badge or structured JSON-LD Article snippet with one click.

Common Reading Time Estimates

250 words · 300 words · 500 words · 750 words · 1,000 words · 1,500 words · 2,000 words · 2,500 words · 3,000 words · 5,000 words

How to use

  1. Paste your article or draft into the text area.
  2. Select a reading speed preset or adjust the WPM slider to match your audience.
  3. Toggle 'Technical / code-heavy' if your content contains code snippets or dense terminology.
  4. Read the estimated completion time in minutes.
  5. Click 'Copy badge text' or 'Copy JSON-LD schema' to embed reading time in your CMS.

Examples

1500 word blog post
At the standard 238 WPM non-fiction rate, a 1,500-word blog post takes approximately 7 minutes to read.
Technical tutorial
A 2,000-word coding tutorial with the technical penalty applied requires about 12 minutes of focused reading.
Short newsletter
A 600-word weekly newsletter takes less than 3 minutes to read for average adults.
Long-form essay
A 5,000-word in-depth essay represents approximately 21 minutes of continuous reading.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average silent reading speed?
Scientific research (Brysbaert, 2019) shows English adults silently read non-fiction at an average of 238 words per minute and fiction at 260 WPM.
How is reading time calculated for blogs?
Reading time equals total word count divided by average reading speed (WPM), rounded up to the nearest whole minute for reader comfort.
Why do technical articles take longer to read?
Readers pause to inspect code syntax, evaluate diagrams, and digest unfamiliar concepts, reducing overall comprehension speed by roughly 25%.
What is the JSON-LD snippet for?
It provides Google and search engines with structured Article metadata including the timeRequired property (e.g. PT5M for 5 minutes).
Is my text uploaded anywhere?
No. The calculation runs 100% client-side in your browser; your draft remains completely private.

Related tools

Word CounterLive word count, character count, reading time and keyword density — instantly as you type.Readability CheckerScore your writing with Flesch Reading Ease, grade level and Gunning Fog — live as you type.Words to MinutesCalculate how long your speech, script or presentation will take to speak aloud — or find the word count for a time limit.Words to PagesConvert word count to pages or pages to words — customize font, font size and single, 1.5 or double line spacing.Character CounterCount characters with and without spaces, in real time, for tweets, bios and meta tags.