How Reading Time Is Calculated

Many articles show an estimate such as “5 min read” near the title. These estimates come from a simple calculation: the number of words divided by an average reading speed.

The reading time formula

Choosing a reading speed

Adults typically read everyday non-fiction silently at roughly 200 to 250 words per minute, though speeds vary widely between people and types of text. QuickUtila uses 200 wpm by default because it gives a comfortable, slightly conservative estimate for reading on screen.

• Technical or dense material — 100 to 150 wpm, because readers slow down to understand details.
• General articles and blog posts — around 200 to 250 wpm.
• Skimming — 400 wpm or more, with lower comprehension.

Speaking time is slower

People speak more slowly than they read. A relaxed presentation pace is roughly 120 to 150 words per minute, so QuickUtila uses 130 wpm for speaking time. A 1,000-word speech therefore lasts about 7 to 8 minutes.

What the estimate leaves out

• Images, charts and videos that readers stop to look at.
• Code samples, tables and formulas, which take longer to read than prose.
• The reader’s familiarity with the subject and the language.

Some publishers add a few seconds per image to account for this. For most text, the simple words-per-minute estimate is close enough to set expectations.