What this calculator does
The Reading Time Calculator estimates how many minutes it will take an average reader to get through a piece of text, based on its word count and a chosen reading speed.
How it works
Enter the total word count and a reading speed in words per minute (238 words per minute is a commonly cited average for adult silent reading of nonfiction text). If your content includes images, the calculator adds a small fixed amount of extra time per image, similar to how many publishing platforms estimate reading time.
Reading speed varies widely by person, content difficulty, and familiarity with the topic, so treat the result as a helpful estimate rather than an exact prediction.
Last reviewed August 2026