Speed reading: how it works and whether it works
Brainura team · Updated · 3 min read
Speed-reading courses promise to multiply your reading rate. Reading research has a more modest answer: you can read somewhat faster with practice, and much faster only by understanding less. Here is why, technique by technique.
How reading actually works
≈ ¼ s
a typical fixation, when the reading happens
7–9
letters covered by a typical jump in English
14–15
letters to the right you can see sharply
Your eyes move along a line in quick jumps called saccades and pause in fixations. Almost nothing is taken in during a jump; the reading happens in the pauses. A skilled reader makes several fixations per second.
During each fixation, only a small window is sharp: about 14 to 15 letters to the right of where you look and a few to the left. Beyond that, words are too blurry to identify. This limit of the eye is the main reason dramatic speed-reading claims run into trouble.
Speed-reading techniques, checked against research
In 2016 a team of leading reading scientists reviewed speed-reading claims in detail. Here is how the popular techniques hold up.
| Technique | The promise | What research says |
|---|---|---|
| Finger or pointer pacing | Keeps your eyes moving forward | Can help hold a steady pace and attention. No evidence it lets you read several times faster with full understanding. |
| Reading whole lines at a glance | Use peripheral vision to take in more | The sharp window is about 15 letters. Words further out can't be identified, so “seeing” them isn't reading them. |
| Silencing your inner voice | Subvocalization slows you down | Inner speech appears to support comprehension, especially for difficult text. |
| One-word-at-a-time apps (RSVP) | No wasted eye movements | They remove the ability to look back, and understanding of complex text drops. |
| Skimming | Read only the key parts | A legitimate strategy, as long as you know you are trading detail for speed. |
Holds up
- Skimming when you only need the gist
- Pacing to keep attention on the page
- Previewing headings before reading
Doesn't hold up
- Triple speed with the same understanding
- Training your eyes to “see” whole pages
- Switching off your inner voice
What does make reading faster
- 1
Read more, and more widely
Skilled readers are fast mainly because they recognize words instantly. That comes from seeing them many times.
- 2
Grow your vocabulary
Every unfamiliar word is a small stop. Fewer stops, faster reading.
- 3
Build background knowledge
Familiar topics are read faster and understood better, because less of the text is new to you.
- 4
Preview before you read
Glance at headings, the first paragraph and any summary. Knowing where a text is going makes the rest easier to follow.
- 5
Skim on purpose
For much everyday reading, skimming is exactly right. Just be honest that you are skimming.
- 6
Cut distractions
Rereading after your attention drifted costs more time than any eye technique can save.
Where drills like the Schulte table fit
Schulte tables and similar grid drills are a staple of speed-reading courses. They are a pleasant, measurable focus exercise, and you will get faster at them. The evidence does not show that they raise reading speed with full comprehension. Enjoy them for what they are: a short attention workout.
Try a Schulte table in your browserFind the numbers 1 to 25 in order, as fast as you can. Grids from 3×3 to 7×7.PlayMyth or fact?
Myth
Speed readers understand just as much at 1,000 words per minute.
What research says
Comprehension falls as speed climbs far above normal. Very high rates are skimming.
Myth
Going back over a line is a bad habit.
What research says
Regressions are a normal part of reading and help you fix misunderstandings.
Myth
Speed-reading apps are the fastest way to read better.
What research says
Apps that flash single words remove look-backs; understanding of complex text suffers.
Frequently asked questions
Is speed reading real?
Reading a bit faster with practice is real. Reading several times faster than normal with the same understanding is not supported by research; at very high speeds people are skimming.
Should I stop subvocalizing?
Research suggests the inner voice supports comprehension, especially for difficult text. Trying to suppress it tends to cost understanding.
Do speed-reading apps work?
Apps that flash one word at a time can push your rate up, but they prevent looking back, and comprehension of complex text drops.
What is a realistic goal for reading faster?
Reading comfortably at the upper end of the normal range, around 250 to 300 words per minute for everyday prose, with full understanding. Regular reading and a bigger vocabulary get most people there over time.
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Sources
- Rayner, K., Schotter, E. R., Masson, M. E. J., Potter, M. C., & Treiman, R. (2016). So much to read, so little time: How do we read, and can speed reading help? Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 17(1), 4–34.
- Rayner, K. (1998). Eye movements in reading and information processing: 20 years of research. Psychological Bulletin, 124(3), 372–422.
- Brysbaert, M. (2019). How many words do we read per minute? A review and meta-analysis of reading rate. Journal of Memory and Language, 109, 104047.