Text Tools
How long does this take to read?
Paste your text for a reading time based on a figure with actual research behind it — and a speaking time alongside it, which is the number you need for a script or a talk.
0 sec
Reading time
at 238 wpm
0 sec
Read aloud
at 150 wpm
0
Words
0
Sentences
238 wpm is the average for silent reading of English prose, from a 2019 meta-analysis of 190 studies. Technical material runs slower; practised readers of familiar material run faster.
- Runs in your browser
- No account required
- Free to use
How it works
238 words per minute, not 200
The 200 wpm nearly every tool uses traces back to nothing in particular and reliably over-estimates. 238 wpm is the mean for silent reading of English prose across the 190 studies in Brysbaert’s 2019 meta-analysis. On a 2,000-word article that is the difference between promising a ten-minute read and an eight-and-a-half-minute one.
Reading aloud is much slower
About 150 wpm for unhurried speech — roughly 60% of silent reading. People writing a script from an article are routinely caught out by this, which is why both numbers are shown rather than just the one.
The speed is adjustable, because readers differ
Technical material runs slower and familiar material runs faster. The slider lets you set the pace for your actual audience instead of accepting an average that may not describe them.
What it does
Reading and speaking time together
Both update as you type, so you can trim to a target rather than guessing and re-checking.
Adjustable pace
From 100 to 400 wpm, for anything from dense technical writing to a skim-read.
Word and sentence counts alongside
The inputs to the estimate, shown so you can see where the number came from.
Practical advice
Getting a better result
- For a “X min read” label on a blog post, round up. Under-promising on length is better received than over-promising.
- For a talk, use the speaking figure and then subtract — people speak faster under pressure, and there is almost always less time than the agenda says.
- Reading time is an average across readers, not a promise about one. Treat it as a planning figure.
Questions
Things people ask
Why 238 words per minute?
It is the mean for silent reading of English prose in a 2019 meta-analysis by Marc Brysbaert covering 190 studies and more than 18,000 participants. The 200 wpm figure most calculators use has no comparable source behind it.
Does it account for images and code?
No — it counts words. A page heavy with diagrams or code samples takes longer than the estimate suggests, because both are read far more slowly than prose.
Related tools
Word Counter
Count words, characters and sentences, with reading and speaking time.
Runs entirely in your browser
Open toolCharacter Counter
Count characters and see how the text fits common platform limits.
Runs entirely in your browser
Open toolCase Converter
Switch text between twelve cases, from Title Case to snake_case.
Runs entirely in your browser
Open toolRemove Duplicate Lines
Strip repeated lines from a list and see how many went.
Runs entirely in your browser
Open toolWho builds these
Free tools by day. Websites that earn their keep by trade.
KuConvert is built by KUDUY, a web design and development agency. From custom WordPress builds to SEO and e-commerce, everything they do is engineered to bring you more qualified traffic and turn it into revenue.
Web Design
Custom, conversion-focused web design that captivates visitors and turns them into paying customers. Mobile-first, fast, and built to rank.
Web Development
Custom WordPress websites built with clean code, blazing-fast performance (Core Web Vitals optimised), and enterprise-grade security.
E-Commerce
Online stores that convert visitors to customers with seamless shopping experiences.
SEO
Technical SEO, keyword research, on-page optimisation and local SEO strategies that drive qualified organic traffic.
Digital Marketing
Data-driven campaigns that deliver measurable ROI across every channel.
Branding
Memorable brand identities that stand out in any market and build lasting trust.
Website Help
One-on-one expert support for bug fixes, updates and ongoing maintenance — without a long-term retainer.
Fixed scope, no surprise invoices
Most sites ship in four to eight weeks with the scope and the price agreed up front.
SEO from day one
Search is designed into the build — structure, schema and Core Web Vitals — not retrofitted.
A team, not a ticket queue
A project manager, a designer and a developer you can actually reach.
Need your whole site to load this fast?
Images are usually the heaviest thing on a page and the easiest win. KUDUY works on site speed, image delivery and Core Web Vitals for teams who would rather not do it by hand.
This tool runs entirely in your browser. Your files are never uploaded.