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How to estimate reading time for a text

You have an article to label, a post to size or a speech to time. You will paste the text and read how long it takes to read silently at three speeds and to read aloud. A 1200-word article is about five minutes; a 650-word speech is about five minutes aloud. Nothing leaves this tab.

6-minute read

Today's result Reading time and speaking time, plus words (or CJK characters), characters, and characters without spaces.

Open the reading time calculator with the final draft. Use Average for articles, Slow for technical text, and the speaking row for talks and videos. Nothing is uploaded.

Open Reading time calculator
Contents

  1. Know the speeds

    Adults read non-fiction silently at about 238 words a minute (Brysbaert, 2019); 150 is slow or technical, 300 is fast. Speaking runs near 130 words a minute. Chinese, Japanese and Korean are counted in characters at 300 a minute.

    Reading minutes = words ÷ 238; speaking minutes = words ÷ 130; CJK uses characters ÷ 300.
    Reading minutes = words ÷ 238; speaking minutes = words ÷ 130; CJK uses characters ÷ 300.

  2. Open Reading time calculator on cv.cm

    A sample paragraph is filled at average speed. The times and counts sit on the right. Nothing is uploaded.

    Open Reading time calculator

  3. Paste your text

    Press Clear and paste the article, essay or script. 1200 words reads as 5 min 3 s at average speed and 9 min 14 s aloud.

  4. Pick a speed

    Choose Slow for manuals and legal text, Fast for light reading. Speaking time does not change with the speed setting.

  5. Size a speech or video

    For a five-minute talk aim for about 650 words; for a 60-second video about 130. Presenters vary from 110 to 150 words a minute, so allow a minute for pauses.

    1200 words: about 5 minutes to read, 9 minutes aloud. 650 words: a five-minute talk.
    1200 words: about 5 minutes to read, 9 minutes aloud. 650 words: a five-minute talk.

  6. Copy the numbers

    Copy puts the times and counts on the clipboard for a byline such as "5 min read". Word count and character count are also on the right.

Use with these tools

FAQ

Can I estimate reading time free online?

Yes. cv.cm counts it in this tab. Nothing is uploaded.

How many words is a five-minute read?

About 1200 at the average 238 words a minute. Many sites use 200–250 wpm, so 1000–1250.

How many words is a five-minute speech?

About 650 at 130 words a minute. Slow, clear speakers use 550–600.

How is Chinese counted?

In characters: 300 a minute for reading and 180 for speaking. Mixed text counts Latin words and CJK characters together.

Does it count characters?

Yes, with and without spaces, for post and ad limits.