Reading Time Calculator Text
Estimate how long your text takes to read at any reading speed.
Reading Time Calculator is a free online tool that estimate how long your text takes to read at any reading speed. It runs entirely in your web browser using plain JavaScript, so files are processed on your own device and never uploaded to a server. There is no sign-up, no file size limit imposed by the site, no watermark and no paid tier.
- Price
- Free — no account, no quota, no watermark
- Category
- Text
- Where it runs
- In your browser, on your device
- Files uploaded
- None
- Technology
- plain JavaScript
- Settings
- 1
- Works offline
- Yes, after the first visit
About Reading Time Calculator
Reading speed for adults reading English prose for comprehension centers on roughly 238 words per minute, from a 2019 meta-analysis by Brysbaert covering nearly 200 studies. Silent reading of non-fiction runs slower than fiction; reading aloud is around 183. The estimate here uses those figures rather than the round 200 that most tools assume without citing anything.
How to use it
- Paste the text you want to run through reading time calculator.
- Set reading speed.
The one setting
| Setting | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Reading speed | Range 80–500 wpm. | 238 wpm |
Under the hood
| Runs on | plain JavaScript — runs the whole thing |
| Controls | Reading speed |
Questions
Why do estimates differ so much between sites?
Because they pick different words-per-minute constants, usually 200 or 250, and rarely say which. A 1,000-word article is 4 minutes at 250 and 5 at 200 — same text, different answer.
Does it account for images and code?
No. Both change reading time substantially — a code block is read far more slowly than prose. Treat the figure as a floor for technical writing.
What are the limits on reading speed?
It accepts 80 to 500 wpm, starting at 238 wpm.