Average Reading Speed: 230 Words Per Minute (and What It Means)
Adults read silently at ~230 words per minute according to a 2019 meta-analysis of 190 studies. Speaking aloud drops to ~130 wpm. Speed-reading claims past 700 wpm are mostly scanning.
The number
The best-supported figure for adult silent reading is 238 words per minute for non-fiction and 260 wpm for fiction, with an average around 230 wpm across both genres. That comes from a 2019 meta-analysis by Marc Brysbaert that pooled 190 studies. Earlier folklore figures of "300 wpm" and "average reading speed is 250 wpm" overstated it.
For comparison:
- Silent reading (adult): ~230 wpm
- Reading aloud (adult): ~183 wpm
- Speech (conversational): ~130 wpm
- Audiobooks / podcasts (1× speed): 150 to 160 wpm
- Scanning (skimming for a fact): 400 to 700 wpm
- Speed reading (with comprehension): ~350 wpm
Why most reading-time estimates use 230 or 250
WordPress's reading-time plugin uses 200. Medium uses 265. Most content sites land between 230 and 250. Pick one and stick to it; the difference between 230 and 250 wpm on a 1,000-word article is 18 seconds, which doesn't matter to readers but matters to the credibility of your "5-minute read" badge.
We use 230 wpm on this site (Brysbaert 2019 silent-reading average) and 130 wpm for any "speaking time" estimate, which matches broadcast-TV pacing and TED-talk averages.
What slows reading down
- Density: technical writing slows readers to 150 wpm or below.
- Comprehension target: if a reader needs 100% recall, they re-read sentences and effective speed halves.
- Tiny screens / poor typography: small font, low contrast, narrow line-height. All measurable drags.
- Distraction: background sound, notifications, fatigue.
Speed reading: most of the claims don't hold up
Programs that promise 700+ wpm with full comprehension don't survive controlled testing. What they're teaching is scanning: useful for finding a name in a directory, useless for understanding an argument.
Calculate your own reading time
Type or paste any text into our word counter and it estimates both silent and out-loud reading time using the same constants as this article.
Takeaway
Use 230 wpm for silent reading and 130 wpm for speech. Don't promise readers comprehension at 500 wpm; the research doesn't support it. The best speed gains come from improving your text (shorter sentences, simpler words), not your reader.
WordCounters Editorial Team
Linguists, editors & engineersA small team of writers, editors, and engineers maintaining WordCounters.app. We test every claim against current platform documentation and update posts when the underlying rules change.