How Long Does It Take to Read the Bible?
Updated by the SpeedReadTest team
It takes about 55 hours to read the Bible at the average adult speed of 238 words per minute (WPM). Most adults would take between 44 hours and 75 hours.
Test your reading speed →Reading Time at Your Speed
The King James Version has about 783,000 words across 66 books. Published counts differ by a few thousand, and other translations differ more. A popular way through it is a one-year plan, which takes about 9 minutes a day at the average adult speed.
Not sure of your speed? Take the 3-minute test and this page will use your result.
| Reader | Speed | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Slower reader | 175 WPM | 75 hr |
| Average adult | 238 WPM | 55 hr |
| Fast reader | 300 WPM | 44 hr |
| Very fast reader | 400 WPM | 33 hr |
Daily Reading Plan
Here is how long the Bible takes at a steady daily pace, at 238 WPM.
- 220 daysat 15 minutes a day
- 110 daysat 30 minutes a day
- 55 daysat 60 minutes a day
These are estimates for uninterrupted reading of ordinary text. Hard material, re-reading and breaks all add time. Fiction tends to go a little faster than non-fiction: adults read fiction at about 260 WPM (Brysbaert, 2019). For the data behind these numbers, see average reading speed.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Does It Take to Read the Bible?
About 55 hours at the average adult silent reading speed of 238 words per minute (Brysbaert, 2019). Most adults read between 175 and 300 WPM, which gives a range of 44 hours to 75 hours. This is reading time only, with no breaks.
How many words are in the Bible?
About 783,000 words (King James Version), which is about 2,610 pages at 300 words per page. Word counts are approximate and differ between editions.
How long does the Bible take at 30 minutes a day?
About 110 days at 238 WPM. At 15 minutes a day it takes about 220 days.
Related
Sources
- Brysbaert, M. (2019). How many words do we read per minute? A review and meta-analysis of reading rate. Journal of Memory and Language, 109, 104047. Link