How to Calculate Reading Time

Average reading speeds, the formula for estimating read time, and how it varies by content type and audience.

The formula

Reading time (minutes) = Word count ÷ Words per minute

Standard estimate (200 WPM):
1,500 words ÷ 200 = 7.5 minutes → "8 min read"

Medium's estimate (265 WPM):
1,500 words ÷ 265 = 5.7 minutes → "6 min read"

Most reading time estimators round up to the nearest minute and display the result as "X min read."

Average reading speeds

Reader type	WPM range	Notes
Child (grade school)	80–150	Still developing fluency
Average adult	200–250	General non-fiction or news
College-educated adult	250–300	Accustomed to reading regularly
Technical content	150–200	Code, documentation, math
Skimming	700–1,000	Scanning for keywords
Speed reader	400–700	With comprehension trade-offs

Reading time by content length

Word count	At 200 WPM	Content type
300 words	~2 min	Short blog post, news brief
600 words	~3 min	Standard blog post
1,000 words	~5 min	Medium article
1,500 words	~8 min	Long-form article
2,500 words	~13 min	Comprehensive guide
5,000 words	~25 min	Deep-dive, whitepaper
80,000 words	~7 hrs	Typical novel

Why "X min read" matters

Showing reading time on articles consistently increases engagement. Readers who know the time commitment are more likely to start — and finish — an article:

—Sets expectations so readers don't abandon partway through
—Articles tagged "2 min read" get more clicks for quick-browse contexts
—Longer "10–15 min read" articles signal depth and are saved for later
—Medium and Substack display reading time prominently — it's now a standard content convention

Reading Time Calculator

Paste your text to get word count and estimated read time instantly.

Open tool →

Frequently asked questions

Does reading time include images?: Some tools add time for images — a common estimate is 12 seconds per image. Medium adds 12 seconds per image, which is why their read time can be longer than a pure word count estimate. For text-heavy content, images make a negligible difference.
What WPM should I use for my reading time estimate?: 200–265 WPM is the most common range used by content platforms. Medium uses 265 WPM; most other tools default to 200–250. For technical content (code-heavy tutorials, documentation), 150–200 WPM is more realistic.
Is reading time accurate?: It's an estimate. Actual reading time varies significantly by reader, familiarity with the topic, density of content, and whether the reader is skimming or deeply reading. The value is in setting expectations, not precision.