Text & writing
How Is Reading Time Calculated?
A reading-time estimate — the “5 min read” at the top of an article — is a word count divided by a reading speed. The arithmetic is simple; the choice of speed is what makes estimates differ between sites. This guide explains the formula, where the Looty Tools figure of 238 words per minute comes from, and how the choice of speed changes the result.
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The formula
Reading time = number of words ÷ words per minute. The Looty Tools Word Counter and Reading Time Calculator use 238 words per minute and round to the nearest second, so 500 words is about 2 minutes 6 seconds and 1,190 words is exactly 5 minutes.
Because the estimate starts from a word count, how words are counted matters too. Numbers, contractions, and hyphenated words each count as one word; standalone symbols and emoji do not.
Where 238 words per minute comes from
A 2019 meta-analysis by Marc Brysbaert, published in the Journal of Memory and Language, combined 190 studies of adult reading speed in English. It estimated average silent reading at 238 words per minute for non-fiction and 260 for fiction, with fiction faster mainly because its words are shorter on average.
The review also noted that these averages are lower than figures often quoted in popular writing. Using the non-fiction rate gives a realistic, slightly conservative estimate for the articles, reports, and documents people most often time.
How the chosen speed changes the estimate
Round numbers such as 200 or 250 words per minute are common on publishing platforms. The difference is small for short text but adds minutes for long reads, which is why two sites can label the same article differently.
| Words | At 200 wpm | At 238 wpm | At 250 wpm |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 | 2 min 30 sec | 2 min 6 sec | 2 min |
| 1,000 | 5 min | 4 min 12 sec | 4 min |
| 2,000 | 10 min | 8 min 24 sec | 8 min |
| 5,000 | 25 min | 21 min 1 sec | 20 min |
Showing reading time well
- Round for display: “4 min read” is easier to take in than “4 min 12 sec”.
- Use one speed consistently across a site so labels are comparable.
- Treat the label as an expectation, not a promise — individual readers vary widely.
How Reading Time Is Calculated FAQ
- What is the formula for reading time?
- Divide the number of words by a reading speed in words per minute. At 238 words per minute, 2,000 words takes about 8 minutes 24 seconds.
- Why 238 words per minute instead of 200 or 250?
- It is the average adult silent reading rate for non-fiction found by a 2019 meta-analysis of 190 studies, rather than a round number chosen for convenience.
- How many words is a 5-minute read?
- About 1,190 words at 238 words per minute. At 200 words per minute it would be 1,000 words, and at 250 it would be 1,250.
- Why do different sites give different reading times?
- They divide by different speeds, and they may count words slightly differently — for example, whether numbers or code are included.
- Should I round the reading time up or down?
- For display labels, rounding to the nearest whole minute is common. The Looty Tools calculator shows minutes and seconds so you can decide.
Related guides
- What Affects Reading SpeedThe factors that make reading faster or slower — word length, vocabulary, familiarity, purpose, formatting, and device — and what writers can do to keep text quick to read.
- Reading vs. Speaking TimeWhy reading aloud (about 183 words per minute) is slower than silent reading (238), how many words fit a 1-, 5-, 10-, or 20-minute talk, and tips for writing scripts.
Open the tool
Jump into Reading Time Calculator when you are ready to process your files.
