Estimate how long it takes readers to finish your book based on word count or page count. Get instant results for slow, average, and fast reading speeds plus audiobook duration.
Approximately 200 pages
How we calculate
We assume ~250 words per page (standard paperback). Reading speeds vary: slow (150 wpm), average (250 wpm), and fast (400 wpm).
Based on 50,000 words (200 pages)
Careful, thorough reading
Standard reading pace
Quick, experienced reader
At standard narration speed (150 wpm)
Everything you need to know about reading time and reading speeds
Reading time is calculated by dividing the total word count by your reading speed in words per minute (WPM). For example, a 50,000-word book read at 250 WPM takes 200 minutes, or about 3 hours and 20 minutes. Our calculator uses industry-standard speeds: slow (150 WPM), average (250 WPM), and fast (400 WPM).
The average adult reading speed is 200-250 words per minute for non-technical content. College students typically read at 250-300 WPM, while speed readers can achieve 400-700 WPM. For technical or complex material, speeds drop to 100-150 WPM. Our calculator uses 250 WPM as the average baseline.
At average reading speed (250 WPM), 1,000 words takes about 4 minutes to read. Slow readers (150 WPM) need approximately 7 minutes, while fast readers (400 WPM) can finish in 2.5 minutes. This is roughly equivalent to a 4-page document or a short blog post.
A 300-page book contains approximately 75,000 words (at 250 words per page). At average reading speed (250 WPM), this takes about 5 hours to read. Slow readers might need 8+ hours, while fast readers could finish in 3 hours. Most people read in sessions, so expect 3-7 days to finish.
Reading speed is affected by several factors: text complexity (technical vs fiction), familiarity with the subject, font size and formatting, reading environment and distractions, fatigue level, and whether you're reading for comprehension or skimming. Native language readers are typically faster than those reading in a second language.
Audiobook length is calculated using narration speed, typically 150 words per minute for professional narrators. Divide your word count by 150 to get minutes, then convert to hours. A 60,000-word book becomes a 6.7-hour audiobook. Some narrators read at 130-170 WPM depending on the genre and pacing.
Reading is typically faster than listening. Average reading speed is 250 WPM, while comfortable listening speed is 150-160 WPM (1x audiobook speed). However, many audiobook listeners play at 1.5x-2x speed (225-300 WPM). Reading allows variable speeds for different sections, while audio maintains consistent pacing.
Fast reading is generally considered 400+ words per minute with good comprehension. Speed readers can achieve 700-1,000 WPM using techniques like chunking and minimizing subvocalization. However, comprehension often decreases above 500 WPM. For most readers, 300-400 WPM represents efficient, comfortable fast reading.
Improve reading speed by: 1) Reducing subvocalization (inner speech), 2) Using a pointer or finger to guide your eyes, 3) Expanding peripheral vision to read word groups, 4) Practicing with progressively faster timers, 5) Reading more frequently, and 6) Previewing headings before detailed reading. Most people can increase speed 25-50% with practice.
Research suggests optimal blog post reading time is 7 minutes (about 1,750 words). Posts under 3 minutes may feel too brief, while posts over 10 minutes see significant drop-off. For technical tutorials, 10-15 minutes is acceptable. Always match length to content depth and reader expectations.
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