PixelBench

Reading time estimator

Two numbers from one passage: how long it takes to read silently, and how long it takes to say out loud at a chosen pace.

To read silently
0 min

To read aloud at the selected speaking pace: 0 min

0words
0sentences
0paragraphs
0words per sentence

The arithmetic behind the figure

Word count divided by the pace you selected. That is the whole calculation. Choosing 200 words per minute and pasting 900 words gives you about four and a half minutes.

The two paces are separate on purpose. Reading silently and speaking aloud are different activities, and a script timed at reading speed will usually run long in the room.

What the figure cannot know

Technical material, unfamiliar names, tables, figures and quoted passages all slow a reader down. So does the reader's reason for reading: a person checking one fact does not read the page the way a person studying it does.

A spoken estimate ignores pauses, questions from the room and the space you leave for emphasis. Rehearse a presentation with a timer if the length actually matters — the rehearsal is more reliable than any formula.