How Long Does It Take to Read or Say a Text?
Updated 2026-10-20
Preparing a speech, a video script or an essay? This table turns a word count into minutes.
Reading and speaking time chart
| Words | Reading time | Speaking time |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 25 s | 46 s |
| 150 | 38 s | 1 min 9 s |
| 200 | 50 s | 1 min 32 s |
| 250 | 1 min 3 s | 1 min 55 s |
| 300 | 1 min 16 s | 2 min 18 s |
| 400 | 1 min 41 s | 3 min 5 s |
| 500 | 2 min 6 s | 3 min 51 s |
| 600 | 2 min 31 s | 4 min 37 s |
| 750 | 3 min 9 s | 5 min 46 s |
| 800 | 3 min 22 s | 6 min 9 s |
| 1,000 | 4 min 12 s | 7 min 42 s |
| 1,200 | 5 min 3 s | 9 min 14 s |
| 1,500 | 6 min 18 s | 11 min 32 s |
| 2,000 | 8 min 24 s | 15 min 23 s |
| 2,500 | 10 min 30 s | 19 min 14 s |
| 3,000 | 12 min 36 s | 23 min 5 s |
| 4,000 | 16 min 48 s | 30 min 46 s |
| 5,000 | 21 min 1 s | 38 min 28 s |
| 10,000 | 42 min 1 s | 1 h 16 min |
Speeds used
Silent reading averages about 238 words per minute for adults. A calm presentation runs at about 130 words per minute; fast talkers reach 160.
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