That familiar “8 min read” badge at the top of a blog post is just words divided by a reading-speed constant — this tool lets you calculate it for any text, with separate rates for silent reading and reading aloud.
What Is the Reading Time Estimator?
A text-analysis tool that counts words, characters, sentences, and paragraphs in pasted text, then estimates both silent reading time and speaking time using independently configurable words-per-minute rates (238 WPM reading, 130 WPM speaking by default).
How to Use It
- Open the tool at /tools/reading-time-estimator.
- Paste your text.
- Adjust the reading and speaking speed if needed, and read off both time estimates instantly.
Key Features
- Two independent estimates — reading time and speaking time — using separately adjustable WPM rates.
- Live word, character, sentence, and paragraph counts alongside the time estimates.
- Seconds display for short text, avoiding an unhelpful “0 min” for quick reads.
- Fully client-side, nothing ever leaves your browser.
When to Use This Tool
- Blog and article publishing, showing readers an accurate “X min read” badge.
- Scripting presentations or voiceovers, estimating how long a script will take to deliver aloud.
- Editing for pacing, checking whether a section is too long relative to your target reading time.
Try It Now
Open Reading Time Estimator directly, or press ⌘K and type the tool name from anywhere on the site.
Part of the Text Tools collection on WebdevToolbox — free, browser-based developer tools with no login required.