Reading Speed Test
Check your reading speed in about two minutes. Pick a text, read it at your normal pace, then answer three short questions. You get your words per minute, how much you understood, and how you compare with the average adult reader.
“The dance of the honeybee”, 297 words. Read at your normal pace, as if you wanted to remember it. Then answer three questions without looking back.
The timer runs from “Start reading” to “I’m done reading”. Your best speed is saved on this device when you answer at least two of three questions correctly at a real reading pace (up to 700 words per minute; faster than that is skimming).
How the reading speed test works
- 1
Choose a text
Three short non-fiction texts, each about 300 words long.
- 2
Start reading
The text appears and a hidden timer starts.
- 3
Read normally
Your usual pace, as if you wanted to tell someone about it afterwards.
- 4
Done
The text disappears and three questions appear.
- 5
Answer
Without looking back. You get words per minute and a comprehension score.
Average reading speed: what to compare with
Average adult reading rate in English
Most people fall roughly between 175 and 300 words per minute. Older popular figures of 300 or more were higher than the research supports. Your result depends on the text as much as on you, which is why all three test texts are plain non-fiction of similar difficulty. More in our article on average reading speed for adults.
Speed and comprehension go together
Reading is not just moving your eyes. You recognize each word, fit it into the sentence and connect it to what came before. Push past your comfortable pace and the eyes keep moving while understanding falls behind. A large review concluded there is a trade-off: reading much faster almost always means understanding less.
| Result | What it says |
|---|---|
| 250 wpm, 3 of 3 right | A solid, normal reading speed |
| 600 wpm, 1 of 3 right | Skimming, not reading |
| 150 wpm, 3 of 3 right | Careful reading: fine, and speed comes with practice |
How to read faster without losing the meaning
- 1
Read more
The biggest long-term lever. Fast readers recognize most words instantly because they've seen them many times.
- 2
Build background knowledge
The more you know about a topic, the less of the text is new, and the faster you read.
- 3
Match speed to the goal
Skim to find a fact; slow down for what you need to learn. Both are legitimate.
- 4
Remove distractions
Rereading a line after your attention drifted costs more than any eye technique can save.
Myth
Silencing your inner voice will make you read much faster.
What research says
Eye-movement research gives little support to this trick; inner speech seems to help comprehension.
We look at speed-reading tricks in more detail in does speed reading work? For a reading challenge, Mirror Reading makes you read flipped text and then checks your understanding.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good reading speed?
The average adult reads English non-fiction silently at about 238 words per minute, and most people fall somewhere between about 175 and 300. A good reading speed is one where you still understand and remember what you read; going faster than that is skimming.
How is words per minute calculated?
The number of words in the text divided by your reading time in minutes. A 400-word text read in 1 minute 40 seconds gives 400 ÷ 1.67, or about 240 words per minute.
Why does the test ask questions?
Because speed alone is easy to fake by skimming. Three quick questions check that you actually took in the text. Your best speed is only saved when you get at least two of them right at a realistic reading pace.
Is 1,000 words per minute possible?
Not with full understanding of ordinary text. Reading research finds that beyond a certain pace, comprehension drops: what looks like very fast reading is skimming. Skimming is useful, but it is a different skill.
Is reading on a screen slower than on paper?
The difference in speed is usually small. Studies more often find a small comprehension advantage for paper, especially for longer informational texts and when people are short on time.
How can I read faster?
Read more, especially in areas that interest you. A bigger vocabulary and more familiarity with a topic are what make reading feel fast and easy. Cutting distractions helps too. Techniques promising to triple your speed mostly trade understanding for speed.
Try next
Repeat digits forwards, backwards or a grid sequence. Find your memory span.
Reaction Time TestClick when the screen turns green. Five tries, average in milliseconds.
Schulte TableFind the numbers 1 to 25 in order. A classic attention and visual search drill.
Stroop TestName the ink color, not the word. Measure your own Stroop effect.
Reading games that keep you sharp
Brainura has four reading games, from Masked Text to Mirror Reading, with questions that check you understood, plus 22 more short games for memory, attention and logic. No ads.
Free to install · no ads · no account needed
Sources
- 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.
- 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.
- Delgado, P., Vargas, C., Ackerman, R., & Salmerón, L. (2018). Don't throw away your printed books: A meta-analysis on the effects of reading media on reading comprehension. Educational Research Review, 25, 23–38.