Reading time: how estimates work and why 238 words per minute
A reading-time estimate is word count divided by an average reading speed. The useful part is knowing which average to use and when it stops applying.
“5 min read” at the top of an article is a small promise. It tells a reader whether to start now or save it for later. The number comes from one division: words in the text, divided by an average reading speed. The interesting question is which average.
Where 238 words per minute comes from
For years, articles and tools quoted reading speeds anywhere from 200 to 300 words per minute, often with no source. In 2019, the psychologist Marc Brysbaert published a review and meta-analysis that pulled together decades of studies on reading rate.
His estimate for adults silently reading non-fiction in English is about 238 words per minute. For fiction, the estimate was higher, about 260 words per minute.
We use 238 because most of what people paste into Op-Ed Insight is non-fiction: essays, reports, articles, and emails. It is also the more conservative number, so our estimates lean slightly long rather than short.
The arithmetic
Reading time in minutes = words ÷ 238.
A 1,000-word article works out to 1,000 ÷ 238 ≈ 4.2 minutes. Most sites round to the nearest whole minute, so that becomes “4 min read”.
Here is the same calculation for common lengths, alongside speaking time for comparison:
| Words | Reading (238 wpm) | Speaking (130 wpm) |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 25 sec | 46 sec |
| 250 | 1 min 3 sec | 1 min 55 sec |
| 500 | 2 min 6 sec | 3 min 51 sec |
| 750 | 3 min 9 sec | 5 min 46 sec |
| 1,000 | 4 min 12 sec | 7 min 42 sec |
| 1,500 | 6 min 18 sec | 11 min 32 sec |
| 2,000 | 8 min 24 sec | 15 min 23 sec |
| 2,500 | 10 min 30 sec | 19 min 14 sec |
| 3,000 | 12 min 36 sec | 23 min 5 sec |
| 5,000 | 21 min 1 sec | 38 min 28 sec |
| 10,000 | 42 min 1 sec | 1 hr 16 min |
Reading: average silent reading of English non-fiction by adults (Brysbaert, 2019). Speaking: a measured presentation pace. Change both in the reading-time calculator.
Why real readers differ
An average is a middle, not a rule. Several things push individual readers well away from it.
Skimming. A reader scanning for one fact can move several times faster than 238 words per minute. They are not reading every word, so their comprehension of the full text drops. Reading-time labels assume real reading.
Technical or dense text. Legal contracts, scientific papers, and code documentation slow readers down. Unfamiliar terms, long sentences, and numbers all take longer to process, and readers reread. A label based on 238 words per minute will understate the time for this kind of text.
Reading in a second language. Readers working outside their first language usually read more slowly, and the gap is larger for harder text.
Purpose. Reading to study or to review a contract is slower than reading for pleasure, even for the same person and the same text.
Format. Tables, charts, and images add time that a word count does not capture. Some publishers add a few seconds per image to their estimate; we don’t, because we only see your text.
Using reading time in your own writing
A reading-time label is most useful when it is honest. A few practical points:
- Count only the body. Leave out navigation, captions, and comments, or the estimate drifts up.
- Round sensibly. “4 min read” is more believable than “4.2 min read”. Under one minute, say “1 min read” or drop the label.
- Adjust for hard text. If your audience is reading a technical manual, the honest estimate is longer. Consider stating it in a way that sets expectations, such as “about 15 minutes”.
- Use it as an editing signal. If a how-to article shows “12 min read” and the task takes two minutes, the article is probably too long. Our guide on paragraph length and the readability checker can help you tighten it.
Tip: Reading time and speaking time are different numbers. Most people speak more slowly than they read silently. If you are preparing a talk, see how long a speech is instead.
The reading-time calculator shows both figures for any text you paste, and it never sends your text anywhere.