The formula
Reading time in minutes equals the word count divided by words per minute. For 1,500 words at 238 wpm, that is 6.3 minutes, usually shown as “6 min read”. Many publishers round to the nearest minute and set a minimum of one. WordCounter.pk shows minutes and seconds.
Where 238 comes from
The figure comes from a 2019 meta-analysis that combined data from many studies of silent reading by adults in English. It found an average of 238 words per minute for non-fiction and 260 for fiction. Earlier tools used 200 or 250; those are rounded figures without a single source. Which you choose changes the result by 10 to 20 percent, so be consistent.
Adjusting for your content
- Images and charts: some publishers add about 12 seconds per image.
- Code blocks and tables: read more slowly; add time.
- Technical or unfamiliar subject matter: use a slower pace of 150 to 200.
- Second-language readers: slower again.
- Skimmable content with many headings: readers skim, so actual time is shorter.
Limits of reading-time labels
A label cannot know whether the reader is skimming, studying or interrupted. Treat it as an expectation-setting tool. If your audience reads Urdu, the 238 figure is not validated for the script, so the Urdu Reading Time Calculator uses an adjustable pace. See Average Reading Speed for the range of speeds. Calculate your own with the Reading Time Calculator or Words to Minutes Converter.
Try it yourself
Put the numbers above to work with these free tools:
Frequently asked questions
How do I add reading time to my blog?
Divide the word count by 238 and round; many CMS plugins do this automatically.
Should I use 200 or 238?
Use one consistently. 238 is backed by recent research.
Do images add time?
Some publishers add a few seconds per image.