Word by word speed reading

You may not realize it, but we all read very often in our daily life. We always want to go through all the documents faster at work; we just want to find out the main point of all the long letters and notes from the government or any kinds of organizations quickly; even when we read for leisure, we’d probably be traveling on the bus and just want to finish the current chapter as soon as possible. Yes I get it, you want to read faster without missing the gems.

But is speeding up your word-by-word reading what you should do? The answer is definitely no.

Reading word by word slows you down from processing the idea.

When we read, our eyes normally stop on each word. We call this fixation. It is a bad idea to stop at every word in the text because it slows down the reading speed and may even affect our ability to understand the text.^[1]

Language would not have worked without a context. It is true that every word has its own literal meaning but what makes it alive is the context of the text. With the same word but in different contexts, it expresses different contextual meanings, revealing different meanings behind the word. Instead of reading every single word, understanding the context is more important. By having the context in mind, you know what kinds of words you should pay attention to more.

Try to read phrase by phrase instead.

English readers can read roughly two or three words at a time, so instead of stopping at every word, you can stop at every three words. Ideas are not made up of a single word. Being able to read a text phrase by phrase instead of word by word even helps you to understand the idea better.

Skim for the keywords only.

Words play different roles in a sentence. Some are more meaningful while some are less. When our eyes do not stop on each word anymore, we can try skimming to absorb the more meaningful words and ignore those which are less meaningful. What makes a sentence complete is a subject and a verb while all the other elements are only complementing the sentence. For most of the time, you will not have any difficulties in understanding the text despite absorbing the keywords only.

Remember, ideas are bigger than words.

Ideas are made up of words. When you stop reading word by word and focus more on the idea you’re trying to understand, you will read faster. While speeding up reading can increase your productivity at work, it allows you to enjoy reading more!

The best reading speed application Reading Speed Android and Reading Speed IOS

With our Reading Speed Calculator, you can calculate your reading speed as best as possible. Check the best speed reader applications, Speed Reading Android and Speed Reading IOS, did you ever wonder how much time you need to read a book? Yes, you can assess your reading speed quickly by setting a timer for one minute. Then hit go. And when the timer ends, count how many words you read in that minute. 

But, if you want to be more precise with speed calculating, utilize our Reading Speed Calculator. So this speed calculator will assist you to convert between words and time.

Coupled with, not only will you know how many words is a 10-minute speech. But also, you will know how long does it take to read 20 pages document. Furthermore, scroll down for more in-depth information about this Words Per Minute Speed Test.

Meanwhile, suppose you are interested in the exact number of days, hours, minutes you spent watching a show. In that case, we recommend using our TV Series Duration Calculator to get the exact calculation. On the other hand, if you need to calculate how many sheets of paper are in a ream, try our Paper Quantity Converter. Besides these, there are other handy tools, such as Aspect Ratio or GPA Value Calculator.

Speed Reading Test

Certainly, testing your speed reading is simple, and everyone can do it. So if you are studying Social Relations, this is quite needed to know. Likewise, you will be doing projects based on speeches documentaries. Because of that, your reading speed is important for the quality of your work.

However, neither you find online speed tests nor use your phone. Both are correct and will help you check your reading speed rate.

Similarly, if you use your phone, find and set your timer to sixty seconds and start reading aloud. And when the timer goes off, stop and count how many words you have read in lines.

Typical Reading Results

In this reading results, there’re measurements of reading speed and comprehension. However, it depends upon the contents and a set of questions. Therefore, these results do not correspond to a specific test. Instead, it gives a general idea of reading efficiencies.

Altogether, this research shows that reading is about 25% slower from a computer screen than from paper. So difference increases with increasing reading speed. Thus, you may improve your results to find your speed when reading from paper.

Also, check the measurements of speed and comprehension depending upon the text contents and a set of questions. Indeed, this is a general idea of reading efficiencies.

Screen speed	Paper speed	Comprehension	Readers profile
100 wpm	110 wpm	50 %	Insufficient/short
200 wpm	240 wpm	60%	Average reader
300 wpm	400 wpm	80%	Good reader
700 wpm	1000 wpm	85%	Very good, accomplished reader

Here are readers by profiles:

• with 110 wpm, you are a slow reader, but you have many possibilities to improve. 
• With 240 wpm, you are an oral reader. You may rapidly and significantly progress by suppressing subvocalization. 
• With 400 wpm, you are an auditory reader, and
• with 1000 wpm, you are a visual reader. 

Now let’s see the average reading fluency rates by grade level.

The grade level	Words per minute
first grade	53 to 111
second grade	89 to 149
third grade	107 to 162
fourth grade	123 to 180
fifth grade	139 to 194
sixth- eighth grade	150 to 204
high school	200 to 300
the college	300 to 350

Words per Minute (WPM) Formula

Firstly, for calculating words per minute correctly, you need to convert your time into seconds. Then you will get a precise decimal calculation. There is our handy Time Unit Converter to help you with that.

After that, take the number of whole minutes you read, multiply it by 60, and add the extra number of seconds. Now, see the formula below:

text {Whole Minutes Read} times 60 + text {Extra Seconds Read} = text {Total Seconds Read}

Next, divide the number of words you read by the total number of seconds read. Meanwhile, see the formula below:

text {Number of Words Read} div text{ Total Seconds Read} = text {Words Per Second }.

Now you have words per second, so to sum up, multiply your answer by 60 to get your final words per minute speed. See the formula below:

text {Words Per Second} times 60 = text {Words Per Minute} .

Words per Minute (WPM) Factors

In addition, when calculating your reading speed in wpm, there are some essential things to consider for accuracy.

• The Reading Level of Material

This reading level is significant as adults will better likely score higher if they read a children’s level book rather than a news article. So, to sum up, you should read something at your level when testing your speed. Then try to keep it at that same level or even higher to challenge yourself on further tests.

• The Text Size 

This text size is also important to think about when testing your speed. Because of this, smaller text is harder for reading than bigger text. So it’s important to think about it before testing your speed.

• Familiarity with Materials

So, if you previously know a little about the material or you have studied it completely before time, it will just become easier to piece things together.
Again, if you have already read the material you are using to test your speed, it can distort your test score.

Because of that, try new materials for each test. Something that you haven’t seen before.

How to Read Faster – Tips

I’m sure that sometime in your life, no matter how fast of a reader you’re, you wished you could do it even high-speed. That’s an age-old dilemma for everyone. So many books, but so little time. But how do you get through them more quickly? How to increase reading speed? Here are some tips to speed fast reading.

• Scan the text first

Skimming and scanning are two techniques that require looking only for the most relevant bits of information first. Then, it main you for what is to come. Then you won’t be slowed down by confusing or surprising parts when you come to them in your reading. The reason is that you’re already familiar with the major parts of the words.

• End with subvocalization

The subvocalization is the most familiar element in slowing down our reading. Our eyes and brain can use procedure words much more quickly. Furthermore, when you stop the voice in your head, you can nearly double your reading rate. One simple trick always works if you don’t know how to distract yourself. So, the simple way to do that is to use your finger to follow the words, chew gum, or listen to music. And that always helps.

• Read the phrases, not the words

To summarize, look at every fifth word or so, and it will allow you to take in more at once. It will cut down on subvocalizing, too.

• Leave re-reading

You’re reading sentences or paragraphs but constantly going back to re-read the content. Either you didn’t understand or wanted to understand completely. Stop right there. Just because you didn’t understand one word or line you read doesn’t mean the entire book wouldn’t make sense.

• Read, read more

First, to make progress in reading takes time. So the more you study it, the better you will become. Therefore, it’s important to set daily or yearly goals.
Still remember that the best way to enjoy a book is to read at your speed. So, finally, don’t forget to choose books you really want to study and acquire knowledge.

How Many Words can a Slow Reader Read in 10 Minutes?

By definition, the average reading speed is around 200-300 wpm. So, try this to find the reading speed for the low reader. As we see, anything below 200 wpm is low speed.

For example, a slow reader made 110 wpm for 1 minute/60 seconds. Then, this amount multiplies by 10. And here is, roughly reading speed in 10 minutes. It’s 1100 wpm.

Reading Speed Calculator – How to Use?

Our Reading Speed Calculator is easy to operate. You have two methods to check your reading speed. First, enter your daily reading time, choosing between hours or minutes. Next, enter the average number of pages by one book.

Next step, you have two methods to calculate. The first method is calculating by page read. The second method is by words. To calculate with the first method, choose how many pages you read per minute. To summarize, with your inputs, the results for:

• How numerous pages you read per day and
• How many books you read per year.

The second method is calculating by the words. So, to calculate this, enter your reading speed in words per minute and words per page. Then, again, it’s checking the results with your inputs, for:

• How many books you read per year.

Reading Speed Calculator – Example

To demonstrate how this calculator works, we utilize one example to make it clear and easy. So let’s go step-by-step.
As we said, firstly, you must know your wpm before you start calculating.

• Imagine your daily reading time is 60 minutes. 
• The average number of pages is 250 per book.
• In the first method, your reading speed is 0.5 pages per minute.
• Pages that you read is 30 per day,
• 43,8 books per year.

Now let’s see the second method for calculating:

• You must know your reading speed, for example it’s 200 words per minute.
• The number of words is 300 on one page.
• And last, the number of books you read is 58.4 per year.

It’s done. Simple, easy, and useful for everyone. Share our Reading Speed Calculator with other colleagues if you are a student. 

FAQ

The amount of reading you have to do on a daily basis can feel pretty daunting when you’re a student. If making it through all of the reading you need (or want!) to do is a challenge for you, learning how to speed read can help.

But speed reading doesn’t simply mean sitting down with a book or document and skimming over it as fast as you can. In fact, speed reading can be a slightly complicated process that takes some time to learn and master. But once you get the hang of it, you’ll be able to get through your stacks of reading much more quickly. 

To help you grasp the skill of speed reading, we’re going to: 

• Explain what speed reading is and how it works,
• Cover the four main steps involved in learning how to speed read, and 
• Provide a list of five resources that can help you learn to speed read. 

Now, keep reading (at a normal rate) to learn all of the essential information about how to speed read!

What Is Speed Reading? A Quick Overview

Speed reading is an umbrella term for a variety of reading techniques that enable people to read entire texts much more quickly than the average reading speed of 250 words per minute (wpm). 

The main goal of speed reading is to help people consume more reading material than they would be able to when reading at an average pace. Speed reading can help people learn more, become more productive, and manage their time better. 

The mechanics of different speed reading techniques vary, but all speed reading techniques have one thing in common: they involve breaking a text down into blocks instead of individual words and sentences. The speed reading technique then trains the reader to glance quickly at these blocks of text, get the gist of what they’re saying, and finish reading the entire text faster. (We’re going to get into how this works a little later in the article, so don’t worry.)  

At the end of the day, most speed reading resources promise to help readers double their reading speed or achieve the ability to consistently read a specific number of words per minute (say, 350 wpm or 600 wpm, for example). The wpm you’ll be able to achieve will likely depend on the type of speed reading technique you choose to implement and how much you practice that speed reading technique!

Speed reading is based on the notion that the average reader reads inefficiently in terms of time and motion. 

In other words, most readers spend too much time looking at individual words and sentences as they read, saying each word silently to themselves (called subvocalizing among speed reading experts), and constantly circling back to look at words or phrases again as they read across a page. 

To address this, speed reading techniques isolate blocks of text that the reader skims or scans the text. Briefly looking at blocks of text in rapid succession allows the reader to glean general information from a text to understand its key ideas in a shorter period of time. 

Does Speed Reading Work According to Science?  

Since the 1950s, many people have praised the effectiveness of speed reading techniques (including President John F. Kennedy’s entire administration!). But what’s the scientific support for speed reading? Does speed reading work? 

The answer is yes…and no.

Studies have shown that reading speed does increase with practice, and skimming can be a useful tool when you’re trying to glean information quickly.  But other scientific studies have even shown that, depending on your goals for speed reading, the process actually doesn’t work very well. Once you hit a certain number of words per minute while reading (probably around 600), comprehension breaks down and working memory gets overloaded. 

Here’s the bottom line about the effectiveness of speed reading: if a) you just need to have a general idea of what a text says, or b) you’re obligated to read a text but have little time to dedicate to poring over it, speed reading can work for you. If you need to really understand what a text is saying—like if you’re learning a hard concept or studying for an exam—then normal-paced reading is the way to go. 

Like with anything, speed reading is most useful if you know when and how to use it. If you’re trying to understand the gist of what you’re reading as quickly as possible, then speed reading is a good technique to use. 

5 Pros and Cons of Speed Reading

Like with any lifehack, speed reading has some advantages and disadvantages that you might want to know about before you commit to the process of learning how to speed read. 

We’ve put together a list of five pros and cons of speed reading—check them out below!

Pro: You’ll Save a Lot of Time

Perhaps the most obvious perk of speed reading is that you’ll save a lot of time. If you haven’t started reading but have a paper to write in 24 hours, an exam tomorrow morning, or a presentation to give this week, speed reading can help you get through the material quickly and move on to the task at hand. 

If you’re pushing up against a deadline, then speed reading can be a total lifesaver.

In addition to having your back when you’re really pressed for time, speed reading can help you breeze through mundane, recurring reading. If you’re greeted by an overflowing email inbox every morning or find yourself in a power struggle with a never ending pile of work-related documents, speed reading is a good tool for quickly clearing things out so you can move on to more important tasks. 

Pro: You’re More Likely to Finish Texts You’ve Started

Proponents of speed reading say using the method will allow you to finish any text in record time. If you’re one of those people who chronically starts to read something but never actually finishes it because you get bored, then speed reading can definitely help you get across the finish line. 

Since speed reading is fueled by setting a consistent pace, staying locked in on the task at hand, and finishing an entire reading task in mere minutes or hours, it’s much more likely that you’ll finish reading longer texts that you set out to read, since you can work through them in one sitting. That way, you’ll be left with the satisfaction of finishing something you started instead of a pile of half-read books!

Speed reading can be a great skill to have, but it comes with some tradeoffs, too. 

Con: You’ll Probably Sacrifice Accuracy and Understanding

While speed reading is definitely more efficient in terms of how much time you spend reader, you might be sacrificing comprehension for speed. If you’re reading something that’s really dense or complicated, speed reading can make it difficult for you to understand and retain knowledge of the finer points of the text. 

Like we said earlier, speed reading is a good technique to use if you only need a general idea of what a text is about. But if you need to be able to answer specific questions about a text, speed reading may actually make things more difficult. You’ll find yourself having to reread large portions of the text, and you may naturally have to slow down your reading speed as a result. This is especially true if you weren’t already familiar with the material covered in the text before you sat down to speed read it. 

Put another way: speed reading is better suited for reading tasks that don’t require you to recall specific details about a text later on. 

Con: It’s About Practicality, not Enjoyment

For many people looking to implement speed reading in their life, enjoying what they’re reading may not be a concern. Many speed readers are trying to consume as much information as they can in a limited amount of time.

But reading can also be a hobby. If you’re reading because you enjoy the experience and the craft of writing, then speed reading probably isn’t a good fit for you. 

Con: It’s Exhausting!

Speed reading takes a lot of mental effort. First, you have to train yourself how to speed read, which can be labor intensive. Like any new skill, it takes practice and repetition to learn the techniques well enough to use them on a regular basis. 

But speed reading itself can be pretty tiring, too. You have to focus intensely on what you’re doing if you’re going to remember anything about what you’re reading. Practice can build up your “speed reading endurance,” but you’ll probably find that speed reading isn’t an activity that you can do for hours at a time. 

Our 4-step guide will put you on the right path so you can achieve your speed reading goals!

A 4-Step Guide to Learning How to Speed Read

If you’re ready to learn to speed read, that’s great! While there are lots of methods you can use to learn to speed read, we’ve created a simple guide to get you started. 

Of course, there’s a lot more to speed reading than what we’ve put in our list, but these are the general steps you’ll need to take if you want to speed read like a champ. 

Step 1: Pick a Speed Reading Guide or Training Program 

While you could learn to speed read on your own, you’ll have a much easier time learning to speed read if you learn from a trusted resource.  

But how do you choose the speed reading program that’s right for you? The first step involves thinking about what you want to use speed reading for. Do you plan to use speed reading for reading printed texts or eBooks and online articles? Do you learn best through apps, guided courses, or workbooks? And how quickly do you need to develop your speed reading skills?  

Luckily, there are a wide variety of speed reading resources available that will fit your specific needs. There are apps, websites, online programs, workbooks, and even in-person classes you can take to develop your speed reading chops. 

Regardless of what type of program you choose, completing a course or training guide will introduce you to the specific techniques that are involved in speed reading. Becoming familiar with the speed reading techniques involved in the approach you choose is the first step to learning how to speed read!

Step 2: Select Some Practice Texts

Many speed reading programs courses or guides are going to provide you with texts to use as you learn how to speed read, but it’s a good idea to choose some practice texts as well. Choosing the right type of practice texts can help you develop your speed reading skills even more quickly. 

Here’s what we mean: if you’re learning to speed read so that you can get through a specific kind of written text more quickly, then it makes sense to use that kind of text as practice. For example, if you’re planning on using speed reading as a tool to sift through a ton of news articles in mere minutes, it makes sense to use news articles when you practice speed reading. Alternatively, if you want to speed read novels for school, then pick out some novels to use instead!

Step 3: Unlearn Counterproductive Reading Habits

If learning to speed read is your goal, there are some habits that speed reading experts consider to be counterproductive to successfully speed reading. These habits aren’t really “bad,” per se…but they do make learning to speed read a little harder. 

In order to achieve maximum reading speed, experts suggest unlearning the following habits: 

• Reading word by word. Instead, practice focusing your vision on blocks of words at one time.

• Saying the words internally as you read them. We already mentioned how subvocalization can slow down your reading. Willing yourself to turn off that internal voice that “says” each word will help you start focusing on reading blocks of text at a time.

• Reading linearly. This is a big one if you’re reading a text where you actually turn or flip pages. Train your eye to look for visual cues in the text that indicate important info, like headings, bolded text, or even the first sentence of each paragraph, where the main idea is often stated.

You’re probably thinking that these reading skills aren’t exactly what you were taught in elementary school. And you’re right! Unlearning these reading habits will probably feel pretty hard at first, but training yourself to look at texts differently is a key step in learning how to speed read.

Step 4: Practice, Practice, Practice

The next step to learning how to speed read is to practice…then practice some more…then keep practicing! Since earning how to speed read involves training your eyes and brain to process written texts in new ways, the best way to become comfortable with these new habits is by practicing them. 

In fact, if you want speed reading to become a tool you use regularly, you’ll need to carve out time to practice speed reading every day. Since different speed reading techniques are taught in different ways depending on the resource you’re using, the amount of time you might need to spend on learning to speed read daily will probably vary. 

The big thing to remember with speed reading is that it really is a new skill. And like any new skill, practice makes perfect.  

Now that you know all about speed reading, it’s time to start practicing! Our resource guide can help you choose a learning method that fits your needs and your budget. 

5 Resources for Learning How to Speed Read

 Like we mentioned earlier, picking the right speed reading program is the first step on your journey to speed reading success. 

 Since there is a wide range of speed reading resources available, we’ve evaluated the options and selected five well-reviewed speed reading resources. We selected different types of resources (like apps, courses, and workbooks), so you should be able to find a speed reading program that works for you. 

Check out our top picks in the list below!

Evelyn Wood Speed Reading Dynamics Master 

• Where to buy: Pryor Learning Solutions or Amazon

If you’re interested in learning how to speed read using OG speed reading techniques, check out the Evelyn Wood Speed Reading Dynamics courses provided by Pryor Learning. The course overview guarantees that your reading speed will double by the time you finish the course!

In addition to doubling your reading speed, the Evelyn Wood Speed Reading Dynamics course claims that those who complete the course will be able to master some of the more elusive aspects of speed reading. These include remembering ideas and information for extended periods of time, as well as understanding what you read with depth and clarity. 

The downside of the Evelyn Wood Speed Reading Dynamics course? It’s expensive. You can purchase courses that include downloadable video and audio for about $200 through Pryor Learning or on Amazon. Luckily, you can buy just the eBook for the course for much less (about $15!). But be forewarned: that price is for the book only. You won’t get any of the additional audio or video resources that come with the full class. 

100 One-Minute Speed Reading Drills by David Butler

• Where to buy: Amazon

If you don’t have a lot of spare time to devote to learning to speed read, David Butler’s book, 100 One-Minute Speed Reading Drills, can help. Unlike our first pick, which is a complete speed reading course, Butler’s guide provides 100 speed reading exercises that you can complete in one minute, once a day. 

The idea behind Butler’s approach to learning how to speed read is daily practice. Ideally, you’d complete one speed reading drill once a day for 100 days. That’s basically three straight months of practice! According to Butler, that’s plenty of time to become an effective speed reader. 

So how do Butler’s one-minute speed reading drills work? Each one-minute drill consists of 600 words that are parsed out into individual, meaningful phrases. This “phrase-highlighted” speed reading format teaches you to treat phrases like you would individual words as you read, which will naturally increase your reading speed. 

And the best part? Butler’s book is available in Kindle or paperback, so you can choose the reading format that’s best for you. 

Focus App

• Where to buy: Apple store

Maybe you want the option to learn how to speed read on the go, like during your commute or while you’re waiting in a checkout line. Enter Focus, an app that lets even untrained speed readers sail through books and articles that have piled up. Focus claims to help its users double or triple the average adult reading speed of 250 words per minute by autoscrolling text across your phone screen. 

Here’s how it works: the Focus app takes a digital text and converts into one long sentence instead of individual paragraphs. Then the sentence scrolls across your screen at a set pace. That way, the sentence moves for you, rather than requiring you to move your eyes. The theory is that by allowing you to focus on the center of your screen, you’ll be able to read faster. You can even adjust the scroll speed to fit your 

A minor complaint about Focus: it only goes up to 700 words per minute. So if you’re an experienced speed reader, you may find that Focus actually slows you down! The good news is that most novice speed readers read more slowly, so it’s a great app to help you build your speed reading skills. 

Udemy Speed Reading Course

• Where to buy: Udemy

If you’re still asking yourself, “How does speed reading work?”, take a look at the Udemy Speed Reading Course. This course teaches about several different approaches to speed reading by providing two hours of on-demand video, seven articles, lifetime access upon purchase, and access on mobile and TV (plus a 30-day money back guarantee). If you’re a person who learns best in a more structured format, then this Udemy course may be a good fit for you. 

The Udemy Speed Reading Course creators claim the course showcases the classic speed reading techniques, then “supercharges” them by pairing them with the latest speed reading technology. The course is specifically geared toward people who want to learn to speed read like an academic who quickly works through “huge mounds” of information. 

The one downside to the Udemy Speed Reading Course is that it’s on the expensive side of things. The course will set you back about $90, though Udemy generally offers discounts on their classes every few months. So if you’re patient, you can snag this speed reading course at a discounted rate. 

Become A SuperLearner: Learn Speed Reading and Advanced Memorization by Anna Goldentouch, Jonathan Levi, and Lev Goldentouch

• Where to buy: Amazon

Some people jive more with good old fashioned book learning. If this sounds like you, the book Become A SuperLearner: Learn Speed Reading and Advanced Memorization might be worth checking out. Become A SuperLearner teaches readers techniques that will help readers “learn everything faster and more effectively.” 

While the book is geared toward the more general concept of “superlearning,” which is more about cramming tons of information into your brain, speed reading is one of the three main skills the book teaches. The authors focus on teaching speed reading techniques that help you retain information more effectively. If you want to learn how to speed read in a way that allows you to save time and store and recall high volumes of information, this book might be your best bet. 

What’s Next? 

Developing good time management skills can also help boost your productivity. Here are our top 12 tips for managing your time so that you can conquer every day.

For some students, studying can be a huge time suck…especially if you’ve never learned how to study effectively. But don’t worry: we’ve got you covered. Check out our expert guide to studying, and you’ll be rocking the books in no time.

Speed reading, time management skills, and even study habits can make a huge difference in your GPA. But what is a good GPA, exactly? Here’s everything you need to know about how your GPA affects college admission.

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article!

Have you ever wondered how fast you read compared to others? It is easy to calculate your word per minute reading speed and can be beneficial to do so.

The easiest way to get a quick assessment of your reading speed is by setting a timer for one minute, hit go, and start reading. Once the timer ends, count how many words you read in that minute. The basic formula is the number of words read divided by the minutes it took to read.

This is the most straightforward way to calculate your reading speed, but you may want to be more precise.

To calculate words per minute more accurately, you can first convert your time into seconds to get a precise decimal calculation.

To do this, you take the number of whole minutes you read, multiply it by 60, then add the extra number of seconds.

(Whole Minutes Read x 60 + Extra Seconds Read = Total Seconds Read)

Then you simply divide the number of words you read by the total number of seconds read.

(Number of Words Read / Total Seconds Read = Words Per Second.)

You now have words per second, so you multiply your answer by 60 to get your final words per minute speed.

(Words Per Second x 60 = Words Per Minute)

EXAMPLE:

You read a 550-word article in 2 minutes, (Whole Minutes) and 29 seconds, (Leftover Seconds.)

2 x 60 + 29 = 149  Total Seconds Read

550 / 149 = 3.69 Words Per Second

3.69 x 60 = 221.47 Words Per Minute

221.47 is an average (wpm) reading speed.

If you don’t want to take the time to calculate your speed by hand, you can find a speed reading test online. These make the process very easy and automated.

Quick Navigation

• What is the Average Reading Speed?
• Words Per Minute Factors
• Reading Speed Charts
  1. Average Reading Speed For Adults
  2. Reading Words Per Minute By Grade Level

What is the Average Reading Speed?

The average reading speed is 200 to 250 words a minute for adults reading non-technical material.

If you calculate your speed, you can see where you stand and learn what you may be able to do to speed up your reading a bit.

Learning to increase your reading speed and comprehension can make reading for school, work, or even fun, a lot easier.

Check out some easy ways to calculate your reading speed and see if you are a speed reading champion, or if you need a little improvement.

Words Per Minute Factors

When calculating your reading speed in (wpm), there are some essential things to consider for accuracy.

Reading Level of Material

The reading level is crucial as an adult will more likely score higher if they are reading a children’s level book instead of something like a news article.

You should read something at your level when testing your speed, and try to keep it at that same level, or higher, to challenge yourself on further tests.

Text Size

It’s also important to consider text size when testing your speed because smaller text is naturally harder to read than bigger text.

This may not be a huge deal, but it is something to think about for reliable testing.

Familiarity With Material

If you have already read the material you are using to test your speed, it can skew your test score. It just becomes easier to piece things together if you already know a little about it or have read it completely.

For each test, try to use some new material that you haven’t read before.

A reliable way to test your reading speed on unfamiliar material is by using reading speed tests online. These are very useful as they allow you to set the reading difficulty and time for your reading. They also test you for comprehension.

Reading Speed Charts

Once you have figured out your words per minute speed, now you can see where you stack up.

You can use this chart to better understand how much work is needed for you to become a speed reading champion.

Average Reading Speed For Adults

The average reading speed for an adult is around 200-300 (wpm).

An average adult will normally read around 200-250 (wpm), while an adult college student will more likely read closer to 300 (wpm).

The fastest readers in the world claim to read more than 25,000 words per minute!

However, the current speed reading champions are tested and proven to be able to read in the 1000-2000(wpm) range.

Reading Words Per Minute By Grade Level

Here are the average reading speeds for schools grades level 1-12.

The below stats are the words per minute for youth without any vision issues.

1st Grade – Less than 81

2nd Grade – 82 – 108

3rd Grade – 109 – 130

4th Grade – 131 – 147

5th Grade – 148 – 161

6th Grade – 162 – 174

7th Grade – 175 – 185

8th Grade – 186 – 197

9th Grade – 198 – 209

10th Grade – 210 – 224

11th Grade – 225 – 240

12th Grade – 241 – 255

HAPPY READING!