The Formula
Reading time is calculated with one equation:
totalSeconds = round((wordCount / wpm) × 60)Where:
wordCount= number of words in the textwpm= your reading speed in words per minute- The result is rounded to the nearest second
To display the result in hours, minutes, and seconds:
hours = floor(totalSeconds / 3600)
minutes = floor((totalSeconds mod 3600) / 60)
seconds = totalSeconds mod 60The 238 WPM Default
The calculator defaults to 238 words per minute, which is the median adult silent reading speed identified in a 2016 meta-analysis by Rayner et al. (Psychological Science in the Public Interest, “So Much to Read, So Little Time”). That study analyzed 190 studies across more than 18,000 participants.
Common reference points:
| Reader type | Typical WPM |
|---|---|
| Slow / careful reader | 150–180 |
| Average adult | 200–250 |
| College-educated adult | 250–300 |
| Speed reader | 400+ |
Reading speed depends heavily on material difficulty, familiarity with the subject, and whether you’re reading for comprehension versus skimming.
Worked Example
A 2,000-word article read at 238 WPM:
totalSeconds = round((2000 / 238) × 60)
= round(8.403 × 60)
= round(504.2)
= 504 secondsConverting: 504 ÷ 60 = 8 minutes, 24 seconds → 8 min 24 sec
Reading Time by Content Type
Typical word counts and estimated reading times at 238 WPM:
| Content type | Typical word count | Reading time |
|---|---|---|
| Short blog post | 300–600 | 1–3 min |
| Medium article | 1,000–1,500 | 4–6 min |
| Long-form piece | 2,500–4,000 | 10–17 min |
| Short story | 5,000–10,000 | 21–42 min |
| Novel chapter | 4,000–8,000 | 17–34 min |
Why Reading Time Estimates Matter
Content creators use reading-time labels to set expectations (“5-min read”). Research consistently shows that providing reading time increases click-through and completion rates for medium-length content. Readers use the estimate to decide whether they have time to engage with an article now or save it for later.
For study and exam preparation, reading time estimates help with planning. If you need to read 200 pages of a textbook (roughly 50,000 words) before an exam, at 200 WPM that is approximately 250 minutes — just over four hours — which affects how far in advance you need to start.