Reading speed
Is 20 pages per hour slow?
Reading speed is context-dependent. The 1-page-per-minute rule only describes light fiction at a standard page density. Once you change the book, the answer changes.
Quick answer
The short answer
Twenty pages per hour is on the slow side for light fiction, where the average adult reads about 40–60 pages per hour. It is completely normal — and often appropriate — for non-fiction, textbooks, and dense classics, where re-reading and note-taking pull the rate down to 15–25 pages per hour.
| Material | Typical pages/hour | Where 20 pph falls |
|---|---|---|
| Romance, YA, light fiction | 50–70 | Slow |
| Literary fiction, thriller | 40–55 | Slow |
| Memoir, popular non-fiction | 30–40 | Slightly slow |
| Self-help, business | 25–35 | Normal |
| Textbook, technical, legal | 15–25 | Normal / good |
| Dense classics (e.g. Dostoevsky) | 20–30 | Normal |
If you are reading a 400-page novel and clocking 20 pages per hour, you are reading about half as fast as a typical adult. Three factors usually explain it: sub-vocalising every word, frequent re-reading because attention drifts, or a phone within reach.
If you are reading a 400-page textbook at 20 pages per hour, you are pacing exactly right. Comprehension on technical material drops sharply above 25 pages per hour for most readers.
Speed is not the goal — finishing the book is. A consistent 20 pages a day will get you through 30+ books a year. That is more than 95% of adults read.
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 pages-per-hour for an adult?
- About 40–60 pages per hour for light fiction at ~250 words per page, assuming uninterrupted reading. Non-fiction averages closer to 25–35.
- How can I read faster than 20 pages per hour?
- Put the phone in another room, read in 25-minute focused blocks, and stop re-reading sentences. Trying to speed-read past your comprehension limit usually backfires — you re-read more and end up slower.
- Does 20 pages per hour mean I have a reading problem?
- No. Slow reading is only a problem if comprehension is also low or if you find yourself re-reading the same paragraph repeatedly. Many strong readers prefer 20–30 pages per hour to savour prose.
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