What is a normal reading speed?
A 2019 meta-analysis of 190 studies and more than 18,000 readers found that adults read English silently at about 238 words per minute for non-fiction and 260 words per minute for fiction. Reading aloud is slower, at about 183 words per minute.
| Words per minute | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Under 150 | Slow, careful reading. Common with dyslexia, a second language or difficult material. |
| 150 to 200 | Below average for adults reading non-fiction silently. |
| 200 to 300 | The typical adult range. |
| 300 to 400 | Fast, especially on familiar material. |
| Over 400 | Usually skimming. Comprehension tends to drop. |
Reading faster without losing the meaning
- Read along with audio. Hearing text while you follow it word by word sets a steady pace and supports comprehension. See the research on reading while listening.
- Make the text easier to see. Bigger text, extra letter and word spacing and shorter lines reduce effort. Try the dyslexia font tester.
- Keep your place. Losing the line costs time. A focus line that dims the rest of the page helps many readers with ADHD.
- Read more, little and often. Word recognition and vocabulary are what actually raise reading speed over time.
Build pace with read-along. ClearRead reads your books, PDFs and articles aloud from 0.5x to 2.5x speed while highlighting each word, so you can nudge your pace up a little at a time. Free on iPhone and iPad.