Reading Time Calculator
Related external sites
Some links are affiliate links.
Related tools
Estimate how long a piece of text takes to read silently or to read aloud. It counts words for Western text and characters for Chinese, Japanese and Korean, then applies a reading speed. Pick slow, average or fast and see word and character counts too. Everything runs in your browser.
How to use
- Paste your text into the box.
- Choose a reading speed: slow, average or fast.
- Read the estimated reading and speaking times.
How it works
Reading time is the number of words divided by a words-per-minute rate. For Chinese, Japanese and Korean, which are not space-separated, characters are counted and divided by a characters-per-minute rate instead. Speaking time uses a slower rate, since people read aloud more slowly than they read silently.
Features
Read & speak times
See both silent reading time and read-aloud (speaking) time.
Speed presets
Switch between slow, average and fast reading speeds.
CJK aware
Counts characters for Chinese, Japanese and Korean text.
Word & character counts
Shows words, CJK characters and total characters.
When to use it
Blog read time
Add an accurate "X min read" label to an article.
Speeches
Check how long a script will take to deliver aloud.
Study planning
Estimate how long reading material will take to get through.
Subtitles & video
Gauge narration timing for videos and captions.
Notes
- Average speeds are guides; real reading speed varies by person.
- CJK text is estimated by character count, not words.
- Speaking time assumes a typical narration pace.
- Everything runs on your device; nothing is uploaded.
FAQ
- What is WPM?
- Words per minute — the rate used to estimate reading time. Average adult silent reading is around 230 WPM.
- How is Japanese or Chinese handled?
- Since these are not space-separated, the tool counts characters and uses a characters-per-minute rate instead of words.
- What is speaking time?
- An estimate of how long it takes to read the text aloud, using a slower pace than silent reading.
- Is it accurate?
- It is a solid estimate based on average speeds, but individual reading and speaking speeds vary, so treat it as a guide.
- Is my text sent to a server?
- No. All counting and estimating happen locally in your browser.