Paste your article or document to see estimated reading time at different reading speeds.
Reading time estimates have become a small but common feature on blogs, news articles, and documentation — that "6 min read" label at the top of a post. It exists because readers make quick decisions about whether to commit to a piece of content, and knowing the time investment upfront helps them decide, similarly to how a recipe listing prep time helps someone decide whether to start cooking right now or save it for later.
This tool calculates that estimate using word count divided by a reading speed, expressed in words per minute (wpm). Since reading speed varies significantly between individuals, the tool shows three reference points rather than a single number: 150 wpm for a slower or more careful reader, 200 wpm as the commonly cited average adult silent-reading speed (and the figure most publishing platforms use for their own "reading time" labels), and 250 wpm for a faster reader skimming more quickly. Showing the range makes clear that reading time is always an estimate, not a precise measurement — actual time depends heavily on the reader, the complexity of the material, and how carefully they're reading.
It's used by bloggers and content platforms adding a reading-time label to published posts, students estimating how long an assigned reading will take before starting it, and writers checking whether a draft is appropriately scoped for its intended format — a newsletter meant to be a two-minute read that comes out to fifteen minutes is a useful signal to trim it down.