Find out how fast you read in words per minute. Read a passage at your natural pace, then see your score and how you compare.
The Reading Speed Test measures your natural reading pace using scientifically timed passages. Start when you're ready, read normally, and click Done when you finish. That's all — your WPM appears instantly.
Easy passages use common vocabulary and simple sentence structures. Medium passages reflect typical non-fiction reading (articles, reports). Hard passages use complex vocabulary and dense academic or technical prose.
The biggest mistake in a reading speed test is rushing. Read at the speed you'd actually read this type of content — the goal is to measure your natural speed, not your maximum sprint pace.
The timer starts automatically when you press Start and stops the moment you click Done. WPM is calculated as (words in passage / seconds elapsed) × 60.
Your WPM is shown alongside five benchmark categories — from Struggling Reader (~120 WPM) to Elite Speed Reader (1000+ WPM). The average adult reads at approximately 238 WPM.
To increase your reading speed: minimize subvocalization (saying words in your head), use your finger as a visual guide, expand your eye span to take in multiple words at once, and practice with progressively harder texts.
The most-cited figure is 238 WPM for average adult silent reading with comprehension, based on a 2019 meta-analysis of reading speed research. Speed readers who sacrifice comprehension can reach 700+ WPM.
Yes — above a certain threshold, faster reading comes at the cost of comprehension. The goal should be the fastest speed at which you retain the meaning of what you read, not pure word-per-minute maximization.
Word length, sentence complexity, and subject familiarity all affect reading speed. Technical content with unfamiliar vocabulary is read more slowly than simple narrative prose — that's normal and expected.
Most speed reading programs overstate their results. Legitimate gains of 20–50% are achievable with consistent practice. Claims of 1000+ WPM with full comprehension are not supported by research.