Reading Time Calculator
See how long a text takes to read silently or to say aloud, for a speech, presentation or article, from a word count or the text itself.
A number on its own is treated as a word count.
238 is the average for adults reading silently. Speaking is slower: about 130 to 150.
Reading time
10 min 30 s
- Speaking time
- 17 min 51 s
- Words
- 2,500
2,500 words take about 10 min 30 s to read and 17 min 51 s to say aloud.
How it's worked out
- Reading
2,500 ÷ 238 words a minute10 min 30 s - Speaking
2,500 ÷ 140 words a minute17 min 51 s
The formula
Time = words ÷ words per minute
Worked example
A 2,500-word article takes about 10 minutes 30 seconds to read at 238 words a minute, and 17 minutes 51 seconds to read aloud at 140.
Questions people ask
How long does it take to read 2,500 words?
About 10 and a half minutes at the average adult silent reading speed of 238 words a minute.
How many words is a 5-minute speech?
About 650 to 750 words at a speaking pace of 130 to 150 words a minute.
What is the average reading speed?
About 238 words a minute for adults reading non-fiction silently, according to a large 2019 review of studies.
About this calculator
Formula and rules last checked 25 October 2026Written and tested by the CalculatorDex teamReport a problem