How to Estimate Reading Time
Turn a word count into a realistic reading-time estimate and adjust it for difficult material.
Start with words per minute
Reading time is word count divided by reading speed. Multiply the result by 60 if you want seconds.
Use an appropriate speed
General prose may be read around 200–250 words per minute, but dense academic material can be much slower.
Add learning time
Reading is not the same as studying. Annotation, practice questions, note-taking and reviewing examples all add time.
Short passages need seconds
A 100-word passage may take less than 30 seconds for a fast reader, so rounding every result to one minute exaggerates short texts.
Measure yourself
If you want better planning, time yourself reading a representative page and calculate your personal words-per-minute rate.
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Reviewed for CurioLift v0.2 • October 2026