Result
This page has no server side at all. The table you paste is parsed by JavaScript inside your own browser, the chart is drawn on a canvas element on your machine, and the export file is assembled locally. Nothing is uploaded, stored or written to any log. You can disconnect from the network after the page has loaded and everything will still work — which is the simplest way to verify the claim yourself.
Facts and limits of this method
| Word | A run of characters between spaces or line breaks (a \S+ token) |
|---|---|
| Slow | 120 words per minute — technical text, reading in a non-native language |
| Average | 200 words per minute — an average adult's silent reading speed |
| Fast | 260 words per minute — fluent reading of familiar, easy text |
| Custom speed | When filled in, it fully replaces the selected preset |
| Formula | Time (sec) = round(words ÷ speed × 60), displayed as minutes:seconds |
When it misleads you
- The estimate ignores images, tables, code and footnotes — if a text has a lot of that material, the actual reading time will exceed the calculated one.
- Reading speed varies a lot between people: children, readers in a non-native language and people with dyslexia can read at 2–3 times below the average, and no single preset covers that.
- The formula is linear: it does not slow down for dense paragraphs or speed up for simple ones within the same text, even though real reading speed shifts from paragraph to paragraph.
- With very few words (one or two), the result can show 0:00 — rounding to whole seconds has no practical meaning at that scale.
How it is calculated
The text is split into words the same way as in the character counter — on spaces and line breaks, with empty fragments discarded.
The word count is divided by the chosen reading speed (words per minute) and multiplied by 60 to get the time in seconds.
If the custom speed field is filled in and its value is greater than zero, it is used instead of the preset entirely, regardless of which preset is selected in the list.
The final time is rounded to the nearest second and formatted as minutes:seconds, with a leading zero on seconds below ten.
Questions and answers
Which speed should I choose?
200 words per minute is a reasonable default for plain text in a native language. Use "slow" for technical text or reading in a non-native language, and "fast" for easy text.
How do I set my own speed?
Enter a number in the "custom speed" field — it fully replaces the selected preset. Leave it empty to use the preset.
Why doesn't the reading time match reality?
It's an average estimate based on word count. The actual time depends on how complex the text is, your own reading speed, and whether you're reading carefully or skimming.
Are images and tables taken into account?
No, the calculation is based only on the word count of the text. If the material has a lot of visual content, add time for that separately.
Is my text sent anywhere?
No. The whole calculation runs in your browser; the text is never transmitted anywhere.