Reading Time Calculator

Reading time is calculated by dividing the total word count by your reading speed in words per minute (WPM). The default is 238 WPM, which is the average reading speed for adults reading online content. This is a bit slower than the 250-300 WPM you might see elsewhere because people tend to read more carefully on screens.

You can adjust the reading speed to match your audience. If you're writing technical documentation, your readers might go slower at around 150 WPM. If you're writing casual content for experienced readers, they might skim at 300+ WPM.

The formula is simple: Reading Time = Word Count / Words Per Minute.

Displaying reading time helps set expectations for your readers. When someone sees "5 min read" they know exactly what they're getting into before they commit. This actually increases engagement because readers are more likely to start an article when they know it won't take forever.

Medium popularized this feature and it's become a standard across most content platforms. Studies show that articles with visible reading times get more clicks and have lower bounce rates. Readers appreciate the transparency.

It also helps with content planning. If you're targeting busy professionals, keeping your posts under 5 minutes makes sense. If you're writing in-depth guides, readers expect 15-20 minute reads and that's fine too.

There's no magic number, but data from various SEO studies suggests that longer content tends to rank better. Here's what the research shows.

• Blog posts between 1,500-2,500 words tend to get the most social shares.
• The average first-page Google result is around 1,890 words.
• For "how-to" content, 1,500-2,000 words usually covers a topic thoroughly without padding.
• Listicles and quick tips can work well at 500-1,000 words.

That said, the best length is whatever it takes to fully answer the reader's question. A 500-word post that nails the topic beats a 2,000-word post that rambles. Focus on value first, then check if you need to expand or trim.

Speaking time matters for podcasts, videos, presentations, and any content that will be read aloud. The comfortable speaking pace is around 150 words per minute, which is slower than reading because you need to pause for emphasis and let ideas sink in.

Here are some rough guidelines for spoken content.

• TikTok or Instagram Reel (60 seconds) - about 150 words.
• YouTube Short (60 seconds) - about 150 words.
• 5-minute YouTube video - about 750 words.
• 10-minute podcast segment - about 1,500 words.
• 20-minute presentation - about 3,000 words.

If you're scripting content for video or audio, use the speaking time calculation to make sure you hit your target duration.

Each social platform has different character limits, and knowing them helps you craft better posts. If you're repurposing blog content for social media, you need to know what fits where.

Twitter's 280 character limit forces you to be concise. LinkedIn gives you 3,000 characters for more detailed posts. Instagram captions can go up to 2,200 characters but only the first 125 show before the "more" link.

This tool shows you at a glance whether your content fits each platform. If you're writing a caption or bio, you can paste it here and instantly see if it works for Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and others without having to check each platform manually.