Reading speed
What is the average reading speed?
Reading speed varies more by material than by reader. The same person reads light fiction at 300 wpm and a legal contract at 100 wpm. The numbers below are population averages, not personal targets.
Quick answer
The short answer
The average adult reading speed is about 238 words per minute on non-fiction and 260 wpm on fiction (Brysbaert, 2019 meta-analysis of 190 studies). At a standard ≈ 250 words per page, that works out to roughly one page per minute, or 50–60 pages per hour.
| Material | Words per minute | Pages per hour |
|---|---|---|
| Fiction (light) | 260–300 | 60–72 |
| Non-fiction | 238 | ≈ 57 |
| Academic / textbook | 100–150 | 24–36 |
| Legal / technical | 75–125 | 18–30 |
| Audiobook (1× speed) | 150–160 | — |
The most-cited modern figure — 238 wpm for non-fiction — comes from Marc Brysbaert's 2019 meta-analysis of 190 studies covering 18,000+ participants. It replaced the older 200–250 wpm folk number that floats around the internet.
Reading speed peaks in the 20s and declines gradually. Adults over 65 typically read 10–20% slower than they did at 30, though comprehension often improves.
Speed-reading courses promise 1,000+ wpm. Decades of research find that any sustained rate above ≈ 400 wpm sacrifices comprehension. The honest gains are 10–20%, not 4×.
Find out your actual reading speed in 60 seconds.
Page Pace's reading-speed test measures words-per-minute and turns it into a personal pages-per-day plan for any book.
Frequently asked
- What is the average reading speed in words per minute?
- 238 wpm for non-fiction and ~260 wpm for fiction, per Brysbaert's 2019 meta-analysis of 190 studies.
- How many pages per hour is the average reading speed?
- Roughly 50–60 pages per hour on standard fiction pages (~250 words per page). Textbooks and technical material drop to 20–35 pages per hour.
- What is a fast reading speed?
- 350–400 words per minute is fast and still comprehensible. Anything above 500 wpm typically involves skimming rather than reading.
- Do children read slower than adults?
- Yes. Sixth graders read about 185 wpm, twelfth graders about 250 wpm. Most adults plateau between 240 and 300 wpm in their 20s.
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