How is reading time calculated?
Word count is divided by 230 words per minute (the average adult silent reading speed used by Medium and dev.to). The result is rounded to the nearest minute.
Reading Time Calculator estimates the number of minutes it takes an average reader to read your text, based on a standard 200–250 words-per-minute reading speed. Blog platforms like Medium and dev.to display reading time to help users decide whether to read an article — this tool helps you calculate that estimate before publishing. Paste any blog post, essay, or document and get an instant reading time estimate in your browser.
Reading time is calculated by dividing the total word count by the average adult silent reading speed of 230 words per minute — the value used by Medium, dev.to, and most major blogging platforms. The result is rounded to the nearest minute, with sub-1-minute articles showing as "< 1 min read".
Word count is divided by 230 words per minute (the average adult silent reading speed used by Medium and dev.to). The result is rounded to the nearest minute.
At 230 WPM, a 1,000-word article takes approximately 4–5 minutes to read.
About 2 minutes at average reading speed.
Medium uses 265 WPM. This tool uses 230 WPM which provides a slightly more conservative estimate suitable for general audiences.
No. All processing happens in your browser. Your text is never uploaded to any server.
Yes, completely free. No sign-up or account required.
Tool workspace
Free reading time calculator — instantly estimate how long it takes to read any article, blog post, or document. Shows minutes to read and word count. No login required.
Input
A 500-word article
Output
Approx. 2 min read · 500 words