Utilix

Reading Time Calculator

Paste any text to get instant reading time, speaking time and page count — with slow, average and fast reader presets.

Mode
Reader pace

What is a reading time calculator?

A reading time calculator turns a chunk of text into a human-friendly estimate of how long it takes to consume — silently, aloud, or printed. Utilix runs entirely in your browser, so even unpublished drafts stay on your device.

How reading time is calculated

We count every run of letters or digits as one word (Unicode-aware) and divide by your chosen reading pace. The default — 238 words per minute — is the average adult silent reading speed for non-fiction prose, per Brysbaert (2019). The slow preset (180 wpm) suits technical content and careful readers; the fast preset (400 wpm) covers practised readers skimming familiar material.

Speaking time for presentations

People speak far slower than they read. A natural keynote pace is around 130 words per minute — slower than a podcast (≈150 wpm) and much slower than silent reading. Use speaking mode to time a TED-style talk, plan a YouTube voice-over or pace an audiobook chapter.

How page count works

The page estimate assumes a standard manuscript page — 12 pt, double-spaced, 1-inch margins — which comes to roughly 250 words per page. For single-spaced essays or 11 pt body text, double the figure (≈500 words per page).

How to use the calculator

  1. 1
    Paste your draft
    Drop in a blog post, newsletter, script or essay. The text stays in your browser — nothing is uploaded.
  2. 2
    Pick your audience pace
    Toggle between slow (180 wpm), average (238 wpm) and fast (400 wpm) readers. The estimate updates instantly.
  3. 3
    Switch to speaking mode for talks
    Presenters speak around 130 wpm. Use speaking mode to plan keynote length, podcast scripts or YouTube voice-overs.
  4. 4
    Check the page count
    See how many standard pages (~250 words / page, double-spaced) your text fills — handy for essays, briefs and submissions.

Frequently asked questions

  • The average adult reads 238 words per minute for non-fiction prose (Brysbaert, 2019). The slow preset uses 180 wpm (skimming a technical text) and the fast preset uses 400 wpm (very practised readers).

  • People speak much slower than they read. A natural conference-talk pace is around 130 words per minute — slower than a podcast (150 wpm) and much slower than a silent read. Switch to speaking mode when timing a talk, video voice-over or audiobook chapter.

  • One standard page is ~250 words (12 pt, double-spaced, 1-inch margins). For single-spaced or 11 pt formatting, divide the word count by 500 instead.

  • For typical Medium / Substack prose at 238 wpm, the estimate is within ±15% of what most readers experience. Dense technical writing reads slower; light listicles read faster.

  • Yes — any run of letters or digits counts as a word, so inline code tokens and URL slugs are included. Strip them out before pasting if you want a prose-only estimate.

  • No. The calculator runs entirely on your device. Your draft is kept in this browser's localStorage so you can come back to it; clearing the editor (or your browser data) removes it.

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