Pro Calculators and Guides
How to Estimate Reading Time and Speaking Time for Any Text
Paste an article, speech or essay and see how long it takes to read silently or say out loud, with an adjustable speed.
Saizul Amin15 Oct 2026 · Updated 17 Oct 2026 · 1 min read
"5 min read" labels help readers decide whether to start. Speech writers and presenters need the spoken length, which is slower than reading.
Quick answer
Paste your text and set your reading speed. The tool counts the words and shows the reading time and the speaking time. The average adult reads 200 to 250 words a minute and speaks about 130.
Typical rates
| Activity | Words per minute |
|---|---|
| Silent reading, average | 200 to 250 |
| Slow or technical reading | 100 to 150 |
| Speaking at a normal pace | 120 to 150 |
| Presentation with pauses | 100 to 130 |
| Audiobook narration | 150 to 160 |
Steps
- Paste your text.
- Adjust the speed if you know your own pace.
- Read the times.
Examples
- A 1,000-word article is about 4 to 5 minutes to read.
- A 5-minute speech is roughly 650 words at 130 wpm.
- A 10-minute talk with slides is about 1,000 to 1,200 words.
Tips
- Add time for images, tables and code; people look at them longer.
- For presentations, rehearse once with a timer and compare.
- Use short sentences for spoken text; long sentences are hard to follow when heard.
- For other languages, speeds differ; Bangla is often read a little slower per word.
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