Words Per Minute (WPM): Reading, Speaking and Typing Chart
What WPM means, how to work it out, and what counts as good for reading, speaking and typing.
Updated by the SpeedReadTest team
Words per minute (WPM) measures how many words you read, say or type in a minute. The average adult reads silently at about 238 WPM, reads aloud at about 183 WPM, and types at about 52 WPM.
Test your reading speed →WPM Chart: Average Speeds Compared
| Activity | Average WPM | Typical range | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silent reading, non-fiction | 238 | 175–300 | Brysbaert, 2019 |
| Silent reading, fiction | 260 | 200–320 | Brysbaert, 2019 |
| Reading aloud | 183 | — | Brysbaert, 2019 |
| Prepared speech | 130 | 110–170 | Practical guide value |
| Conversational speech | 150 | — | Practical guide value |
| Typing on a keyboard | 52 | 26–78 | Dhakal et al., 2018 |
The typing figures come from an online study of 168,960 volunteers, with an average of 51.56 WPM. The range shown marks the slowest 10% (under about 26 WPM) and the fastest 10% (over about 78 WPM). Volunteers for a typing test may be faster than the general population. Speech figures are practical guides, because speaking rates differ widely from person to person and with the occasion.
What Is a Good Reading Speed?
For an adult reading non-fiction in their first language:
| Reading speed | What it means |
|---|---|
| Under 175 WPM | Below the typical adult range. This is normal for hard text, a second language or careful study. |
| 175–300 WPM | The typical range for adults reading non-fiction. |
| 300–400 WPM | Faster than most adults, if your comprehension is still good. |
| 400–600 WPM | Very fast. At this speed most people are starting to skim. |
| Over 600 WPM | Skimming or scanning. You are no longer reading every word. |
A speed means little on its own, because you can always go faster by understanding less. That's why our reading speed test also checks comprehension. For age, grade and language figures, see the full average reading speed data.
How To Calculate Words Per Minute
WPM = number of words ÷ time in minutes. To measure your own reading speed by hand:
- Pick a text you haven't read before, and count or look up its words.
- Read it at your normal pace and time yourself.
- Divide the words by the minutes. For 600 words in 2.5 minutes: 600 ÷ 2.5 = 240 WPM.
Why Reading Is Faster Than Speaking and Typing
Reading has no physical step: your eyes can move on as soon as you have taken in a word. Speaking takes time to form each sound, and typing is limited by your fingers. This is why reading aloud, at about 183 WPM, is so much slower than silent reading, even though you are seeing the same words.
To turn these speeds into time, use the reading time calculator or the speech time calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good words per minute?
It depends on the activity. For silent reading, 175 to 300 WPM is the typical adult range, with an average of 238. For typing, the average is about 52 WPM. For a prepared speech, 130 to 150 WPM is a comfortable pace.
What is the average words per minute?
Adults read silently at about 238 WPM, read aloud at about 183 WPM and type at about 52 WPM. A prepared speech usually runs at around 130 to 150 WPM.
How many words per minute do people speak?
About 150 words per minute in conversation and about 130 in a prepared speech. These are practical guide values rather than research averages, because speaking rates vary a lot between people and occasions. Reading a text aloud averages about 183 WPM (Brysbaert, 2019), so time yourself if a talk has a strict limit.
Is 200 WPM good for reading?
Yes. 200 WPM is within the normal adult range of 175 to 300 WPM, although a little below the average of 238. It is a healthy speed for hard material or study.
Is 300 WPM a good reading speed?
Yes. 300 WPM is at the top of the typical adult range for non-fiction, so with good comprehension it is faster than most people.
Is 400 WPM reading good?
It is very fast for reading with full understanding. Skilled readers typically read at 200 to 400 WPM (Rayner et al., 2016), so check your comprehension as well as your speed.
How do you calculate words per minute?
Divide the number of words by the time in minutes. If you read 600 words in 2 minutes 30 seconds, that is 600 ÷ 2.5 = 240 WPM.
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
- Dhakal, V., Feit, A. M., Kristensson, P. O., & Oulasvirta, A. (2018). Observations on typing from 136 million keystrokes. Proceedings of CHI 2018. Link