Estimate how long it takes to read or speak a piece of text out loud, based on its word count.
This calculator estimates how long it takes to read or speak a piece of writing out loud, based on its word count and a chosen reading speed.
Reading Time (minutes) = Word Count ÷ Words Per Minute (WPM). Speaking time uses an average speaking rate of about 130 words per minute.
A 1,200-word blog post takes about 6 minutes to read at an average pace of 200 WPM, and about 9 minutes and 14 seconds to read aloud at 130 WPM.
Technical or dense material is usually read more slowly than casual writing — choose “Slow” for anything heavy on jargon or data.
Total word count divided by average reading speed (commonly 200-250 words per minute).
Topic familiarity, text complexity, and individual skill all affect actual speed.
No — it estimates time for standard reading; skimming would be faster.