How Long Does It Take to Read?
Divide the number of words by your reading speed in words per minute. At the average adult silent reading speed of about 238 words per minute, a 1,000-word article takes about 4 minutes, and an 80,000-word novel takes about 5 hours 36 minutes. Enter a word count, a page count or paste the text itself above, and choose a speed that matches how you read.
Average Reading Speeds
A large 2019 review of reading research by psychologist Marc Brysbaert found that adults read English silently at about 238 words per minute for nonfiction and about 260 for fiction, and read aloud at about 183 words per minute. Speeds vary widely between people and with the difficulty of the text: technical material, a new language or careful study can halve your speed, while skimming can double it at the cost of understanding.
How Long to Read Common Lengths
| Length | Words | Time at 238 wpm |
|---|---|---|
| News article | 800 | 3 min |
| Long-form article | 4,000 | 17 min |
| Short story | 7,500 | 32 min |
| Novella | 30,000 | 2 h 6 min |
| Typical novel | 80,000 | 5 h 36 min |
| Long novel | 150,000 | 10 h 30 min |
Words Per Page
A printed novel page usually holds 250 to 300 words, so the calculator uses 275 words per page when you enter pages. A double-spaced manuscript page in 12-point type holds about 250 to 300 words, and a single-spaced page about 500. Planning a talk instead? The speech time calculator estimates speaking time, and the audiobook speed calculator shows listening time at faster playback speeds.
