How long does it take to read or say 1,000 words?
An average adult reads 1,000 words of non-fiction in about 4 minutes. Saying the same 1,000 words aloud takes 7 to 8 minutes at a steady speaking pace. The table below covers everything from 100 to 10,000 words.
Reading and speaking times by word count
| Words | Reading | Speaking, steady | Speaking, brisk |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 25s | 46s | 38s |
| 250 | 1m 3s | 1m 55s | 1m 34s |
| 500 | 2m 6s | 3m 51s | 3m 8s |
| 750 | 3m 9s | 5m 46s | 4m 41s |
| 1,000 | 4m 12s | 7m 42s | 6m 15s |
| 1,500 | 6m 18s | 11m 32s | 9m 22s |
| 2,000 | 8m 24s | 15m 23s | 12m 30s |
| 2,500 | 10m 30s | 19m 14s | 15m 38s |
| 3,000 | 12m 36s | 23m 5s | 18m 45s |
| 4,000 | 16m 48s | 30m 46s | 25m |
| 5,000 | 21m 1s | 38m 28s | 31m 15s |
| 7,500 | 31m 31s | 57m 42s | 46m 52s |
| 10,000 | 42m 1s | 1h 17m | 1h 2m |
Where the averages come from
The reading figure comes from the largest review of reading speed so far: Marc Brysbaert's 2019 analysis of 190 studies and 18,573 readers. It found that adults read English silently at about 238 words a minute for non-fiction and 260 for fiction. Fiction reads faster because its words are shorter on average.
Speaking speed varies more. A comfortable pace for a talk or presentation is 100 to 150 words a minute, and many speakers aim for about 130. Audiobook narrators and podcasters run at 150 to 160, and quick conversation can reach 180.
How many words for a speech?
- A 2-minute speech: 260 to 320 words
- A 5-minute speech: 650 to 800 words
- A 10-minute talk: 1,300 to 1,600 words
- A 20-minute talk: 2,600 to 3,200 words
Leave room for pauses, slides and laughter. Most people speak more slowly in front of an audience than they expect.
How many pages is 1,000 words?
About two pages single-spaced, or four double-spaced, in a 12-point font with normal margins. A page holds roughly 500 words single-spaced and 250 double-spaced.
Check your own text
Gren shows read time and speak time as you type, in the Stats panel beside the word and character counts. Select a passage to time just that part. Gren's estimates assume a brisk 275 words a minute for reading and 180 for speaking, so allow a little longer if you read or speak at an average pace.
Questions
How long does it take to read 2,000 words?
About 8 and a half minutes at the average pace of 238 words a minute. A quick reader at 300 words a minute takes under 7.
How long is a 1,000-word speech?
Between about 6 and a half and 8 minutes for most speakers, at 130 to 150 words a minute.
How many words per minute does the average person read?
About 238 for non-fiction and 260 for fiction, reading silently in English, according to a 2019 review of 190 studies.
How many words is a 5-minute speech?
650 to 800 words, at 130 to 160 words a minute.
Why does Gren show a shorter time than this table?
Gren assumes a brisk 275 words a minute for reading and 180 for speaking, nearer the pace of a confident reader and a quick talker. The table uses the research averages, which suit most people.