# How Reading Time Is Calculated > Reading time is the word count divided by an average reading speed. With the standard figure of 238 words per minute for adult non-fiction, a 1,190-word article takes five minutes. The estimate is a planning aid, not a measurement of any one reader. - URL: https://wordcounter.pk/guides/how-reading-time-is-calculated/ - Type: Guide - Updated: 2026-10-15 **Short answer:** Reading time = words ÷ 238, rounded to the nearest minute. Adjust the speed for your audience, and add time for images and tables. ## 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](https://wordcounter.pk/urdu-reading-time-calculator/) uses an adjustable pace. See [Average Reading Speed](https://wordcounter.pk/guides/average-reading-speed/) for the range of speeds. Calculate your own with the [Reading Time Calculator](https://wordcounter.pk/reading-time-calculator/) or [Words to Minutes Converter](https://wordcounter.pk/words-to-minutes/). ## 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. ## Related - [Average Reading Speed](https://wordcounter.pk/guides/average-reading-speed/index.md): Average silent, aloud and skimming reading speeds in words per minute. - [How Many Words in a Blog Post?](https://wordcounter.pk/guides/how-many-words-in-a-blog-post/index.md): Blog post length by type and search intent. - [Reading Time Calculator](https://wordcounter.pk/reading-time-calculator/index.md): Estimate how many minutes your text takes to read at a chosen pace. - [Words to Minutes Converter](https://wordcounter.pk/words-to-minutes/index.md): Convert a word count to silent-reading time at a chosen pace. - [Blog Word Counter](https://wordcounter.pk/blog-word-counter/index.md): Count blog post words and get the reading-time label. - [What Is a Word Counter?](https://wordcounter.pk/guides/what-is-a-word-counter/index.md): Definition, how a word counter works and the units it measures. - [How Word Count Is Calculated](https://wordcounter.pk/guides/how-word-count-is-calculated/index.md): The step-by-step logic behind word counts, with edge-case examples. - [What Counts as One Word](https://wordcounter.pk/guides/what-counts-as-one-word/index.md): Quick-reference rules for contractions, hyphens, numbers, URLs and symbols. ## Images - ![How Reading Time Is Calculated: The formula and research behind “X min read” labels. (WordCounter.pk cover graphic)](https://wordcounter.pk/img/how-reading-time-is-calculated/how-reading-time-is-calculated-cover-1200.webp) - ![What this guide covers: The formula; Where 238 comes from; Adjusting for your content](https://wordcounter.pk/img/how-reading-time-is-calculated/how-reading-time-is-calculated-how-it-works-1200.webp) - ![Quick facts: How Reading Time Is Calculated: How do I add reading time to my blog?; Should I use 200 or 238?; Do images add time?](https://wordcounter.pk/img/how-reading-time-is-calculated/how-reading-time-is-calculated-reference-1200.webp) - ![Map showing how How Reading Time Is Calculated connects to Writing Guides, Average Reading Speed, How Many Words in a Blog Post?, Reading Time Calculator and more on WordCounter.pk](https://wordcounter.pk/img/how-reading-time-is-calculated/how-reading-time-is-calculated-related-tools-map-1200.webp) - ![Quick answer card: How do I add reading time to my blog? Divide the word count by 238 and round; many CMS plugins do this automatically.](https://wordcounter.pk/img/how-reading-time-is-calculated/how-reading-time-is-calculated-quick-answer-1200.webp)