Loading Calculator...
Please wait a moment
Please wait a moment
Paste your text or enter your word count to find out how long it will take to read. Our free words to time converter calculates reading time at slow, average, and fast speeds — with automatic word, character, and sentence counting.
These word to time reference tables show estimated reading and speaking times for common word counts. Use them to quickly answer questions like “how long will it take to read this?” or “how long would this take to read?”
| Words | Slow (150 WPM) | Average (238 WPM) | Fast (300 WPM) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 40 sec | 25 sec | 20 sec |
| 250 | 1 min 40 sec | 1 min 3 sec | 50 sec |
| 500 | 3 min 20 sec | 2 min 6 sec | 1 min 40 sec |
| 750 | 5 min | 3 min 9 sec | 2 min 30 sec |
| 1,000 | 6 min 40 sec | 4 min 12 sec | 3 min 20 sec |
| 1,500 | 10 min | 6 min 18 sec | 5 min |
| 2,000 | 13 min 20 sec | 8 min 24 sec | 6 min 40 sec |
| 3,000 | 20 min | 12 min 36 sec | 10 min |
| 5,000 | 33 min 20 sec | 21 min 1 sec | 16 min 40 sec |
| 7,500 | 50 min | 31 min 31 sec | 25 min |
| 10,000 | 66 min 40 sec | 42 min 1 sec | 33 min 20 sec |
| Words | Slow (100 WPM) | Average (150 WPM) | Fast (180 WPM) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 1 min | 40 sec | 33 sec |
| 250 | 2 min 30 sec | 1 min 40 sec | 1 min 23 sec |
| 500 | 5 min | 3 min 20 sec | 2 min 47 sec |
| 750 | 7 min 30 sec | 5 min | 4 min 10 sec |
| 1,000 | 10 min | 6 min 40 sec | 5 min 33 sec |
| 1,500 | 15 min | 10 min | 8 min 20 sec |
| 2,000 | 20 min | 13 min 20 sec | 11 min 7 sec |
| 3,000 | 30 min | 20 min | 16 min 40 sec |
| 5,000 | 50 min | 33 min 20 sec | 27 min 47 sec |
| 7,500 | 75 min | 50 min | 41 min 40 sec |
| 10,000 | 100 min | 66 min 40 sec | 55 min 33 sec |
| Words | Slow (100 WPM) | Average (130 WPM) | Fast (160 WPM) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 1 min | 46 sec | 38 sec |
| 250 | 2 min 30 sec | 1 min 55 sec | 1 min 34 sec |
| 500 | 5 min | 3 min 51 sec | 3 min 8 sec |
| 750 | 7 min 30 sec | 5 min 46 sec | 4 min 41 sec |
| 1,000 | 10 min | 7 min 42 sec | 6 min 15 sec |
| 1,500 | 15 min | 11 min 32 sec | 9 min 23 sec |
| 2,000 | 20 min | 15 min 23 sec | 12 min 30 sec |
| 3,000 | 30 min | 23 min 5 sec | 18 min 45 sec |
| 5,000 | 50 min | 38 min 28 sec | 31 min 15 sec |
| 7,500 | 75 min | 57 min 42 sec | 46 min 53 sec |
| 10,000 | 100 min | 76 min 55 sec | 62 min 30 sec |
How long does it take to read this? Below are detailed breakdowns for common word counts — covering silent reading, reading aloud, and speaking time. Use these to quickly estimate how long to read any text.
Silent reading: ~2 min 6 sec | Reading aloud: ~3 min 20 sec | Speaking: ~3 min 51 sec. 500 words is about one page single-spaced — typical for a short blog post, email, or product description. 500 words is how long? About 2 minutes of silent reading. If you are wondering “500 words how long to read,” the answer depends on whether you read silently or aloud.
Silent reading: ~4 min 12 sec | Reading aloud: ~6 min 40 sec | Speaking: ~7 min 42 sec. 1,000 words is a typical blog post or short article — about 2 pages single-spaced. How long to speak 1000 words? About 7-8 minutes at average presentation pace — try our Speaking Time Calculator for detailed speech timing. Reading 1000 words aloud takes roughly 6-7 minutes.
Silent reading: ~6 min 18 sec | Reading aloud: ~10 min | Speaking: ~11 min 32 sec. 1,500 words is a detailed blog post or short essay — about 3 pages. This is a common length for in-depth articles that still maintain reader attention. Many “5-minute read” articles are approximately this length.
Silent reading: ~8 min 24 sec | Reading aloud: ~13 min 20 sec | Speaking: ~15 min 23 sec. 2,000 words is a comprehensive article or long-form content piece — about 4 pages single-spaced. This length is ideal for detailed guides, case studies, and feature articles in magazines.
Silent reading: ~12 min 36 sec | Reading aloud: ~20 min | Speaking: ~23 min 5 sec. 3,000 words is a long-form article or short report — about 6 pages. Content at this length is common for SEO pillar pages, whitepapers, and in-depth industry analyses.
Silent reading: ~21 min 1 sec | Reading aloud: ~33 min 20 sec | Speaking: ~38 min 28 sec. 5,000 words is a substantial document — about 10 pages single-spaced. This length is typical for academic papers, detailed guides, or a chapter in a book.
Silent reading: ~29 min 25 sec | Reading aloud: ~46 min 40 sec | Speaking: ~53 min 51 sec. 7,000 words is a long report or short story — about 14 pages. At this length, readers typically need breaks. As a speech, it would take nearly an hour to deliver.
Silent reading: ~42 min 1 sec | Reading aloud: ~66 min 40 sec | Speaking: ~76 min 55 sec. 10,000 words is a novella-length piece — about 20 pages single-spaced. This length is common for extensive whitepapers, thesis chapters, or long-form investigative journalism. As a speech, 10,000 words would fill over an hour.
Our words to time calculator automates the conversion, but the underlying formula is simple. Whether you need a text to time calculator for reading or a speech length calculator for presentations (see our Speaking Time Calculator), the same word count to time formula applies:
Formula: Time (minutes) = Word Count ÷ Words Per Minute (WPM)
Reverse: Word Count = Time (minutes) × WPM
Use the appropriate WPM for each mode: Silent Reading uses 238 WPM average, Reading Aloud uses 150 WPM, and Speaking/Presentation uses 130 WPM. This word count to minutes conversion gives you accurate estimates for planning.
2,000 ÷ 238 = 8.4 minutes ≈ 8 min 24 sec. Perfect for estimating blog post read time. This is how most “X min read” estimates on blogs are calculated. Convert words to time using this simple division.
1,500 ÷ 150 = 10 minutes. Useful for podcast scripts, voiceover work, or narration timing. This word to time conversion accounts for the slower pace of vocal delivery.
1,000 ÷ 130 = 7.69 minutes ≈ 7 min 41 sec. For presentations, add 10-20% for slides and pauses. Our text to time calculator handles all the math for you.
Understanding average reading and speaking speeds is essential for accurate time to read calculations. Here is a comprehensive breakdown used by our reading speed calculator:
Several factors affect these speeds. Text complexity plays the biggest role — technical or academic content slows reading by 20-30% compared to casual prose. Reader familiarity with the topic, native language proficiency, and purpose (skimming vs. deep reading) all influence the time to read text.
Children read significantly slower than adults: elementary students average 100-150 WPM, while high school students reach 200-250 WPM. Non-native speakers also read 20-30% slower in their second language.
Why is reading faster than speaking? Silent reading bypasses vocal production entirely. Your brain processes written words faster than your mouth can articulate them. This is why text to speech time is always longer than silent reading time — and why our words to time converter offers separate modes for each scenario.
When asking “how long does it take to read this?” or “calculate how long to read this,” the answer depends on more than just word count. Here are the key factors that affect reading time calculation:
For the most accurate results, enable the “comprehension buffer” in our calculator when reading complex or unfamiliar material. This adds 10% extra time to account for slower processing speed. How long to read this text accurately requires considering all of these factors.
Our word time calculator serves anyone who needs to convert word count to reading time estimates. For speech and presentation timing, see our Speaking Time Calculator. Here are the most common use cases for this reading time estimator:
Reading 1,000 words takes about 4 minutes 12 seconds silently at the average reading speed of 238 WPM. Reading aloud, it takes roughly 6 minutes 40 seconds at 150 WPM. Our words to time calculator shows both reading modes instantly.
To calculate how long to read this text, paste it into our words to time calculator or divide the word count by your reading speed. The formula is: Reading Time (minutes) = Word Count ÷ WPM. For silent reading, use 238 WPM; for reading aloud, use 150 WPM. This reading time calculation method works for any text length.
The average adult reads silently at approximately 238 words per minute (WPM). However, this varies widely — slow readers may read at 150 WPM while fast readers reach 300+ WPM. Our reading time calculator uses these benchmarks to give you slow, average, and fast estimates.
The average person can read 200-300 words per minute silently and 100-180 words per minute aloud. Silent reading is faster because it does not require vocal production, enunciation, or breathing pauses. A word timer helps you estimate time for any word count.
Reading 500 words takes about 2 minutes 6 seconds silently at average speed (238 WPM). Reading aloud, it takes about 3 minutes 20 seconds. 500 words is approximately one single-spaced page — typical for a short blog post, email, or article summary.
Silent reading speed (200-300 WPM) is significantly faster than reading aloud (100-180 WPM). Reading aloud requires vocal production, breathing, and deliberate enunciation, making it 40-60% slower. Our text to time calculator accounts for this difference with separate modes for each.
To estimate reading aloud time, use our Reading Aloud mode at 150 WPM average. Paste your text or enter the word count and view the results. For complex text, enable the comprehension buffer for a more realistic estimate. For speech and presentation timing, use our dedicated Speaking Time Calculator instead.
Reading 2,000 words takes about 8 minutes 24 seconds silently at average speed (238 WPM). Reading aloud, it takes approximately 13 minutes 20 seconds at 150 WPM. 2,000 words is about the length of a detailed blog post or short article — roughly 4 pages single-spaced.
Text to time refers to how long it takes to read written content — either silently or aloud. Silent reading averages 238 WPM while reading aloud averages 150 WPM. Our text to time calculator helps content creators, bloggers, students, and editors estimate how long any text takes to read.
A standard page contains about 250-300 words. Reading one page takes approximately 1 minute silently or about 1 minute 40 seconds aloud. The time to read varies based on text complexity, formatting, font size, and your personal reading speed.
To use our word timer, paste your text into the calculator — it automatically counts words, characters, and sentences, then displays estimated reading time at multiple speeds. You can also enter a word count directly. The word count timer updates results instantly as you type.
For good comprehension and retention, 200-250 WPM is considered the sweet spot for silent reading. Reading faster than 300 WPM often reduces comprehension, while reading below 150 WPM may cause the mind to wander. Our reading time estimator uses 238 WPM as the default average.
Reading 5,000 words takes about 21 minutes silently at 238 WPM. Reading aloud, it takes approximately 33 minutes 20 seconds at 150 WPM. 5,000 words is roughly a 20-page report or a medium-length article — about 10 pages single-spaced.
To calculate reading time for a blog post, use our read time calculator. An average blog post (1,500 words) takes about 6 minutes 18 seconds to read silently. Many blogs show "X min read" estimates — this is calculated by dividing word count by 238 WPM. Our reading time calculation tool does this automatically.
Reading aloud is 40-60% slower than silent reading because of vocal production, breathing, and enunciation requirements. Silent reading averages 238 WPM while reading aloud averages 150 WPM. Reading aloud also engages different cognitive processes, as you must pronounce each word and maintain rhythm.
This words to time calculator provides estimates based on average reading and speaking speeds. Actual times may vary based on text complexity, individual pace, and reading purpose. Use it as a time to read calculator alongside your own timing for the most accurate results.