Reading & speaking time calculator
Count pasted text or enter a word count to estimate reading and speaking time. Set your own pace, add pauses and check a word budget for a timed slot.
How to use this tool
Replace the example values with your own, then choose Estimate time. Changing an input clears the previous result until you calculate again. Copy the result or download a CSV to keep a record.
Method
Reading minutes = words ÷ reading pace. Speaking minutes = words ÷ speaking pace + added pause seconds ÷ 60. Available word budget = floor((slot minutes − pause minutes) × speaking pace), with a minimum of zero. Pasted-text counting keeps internal apostrophes and hyphens within a word.
Worked example
For 750 words at 250 words/min, estimated reading time is 3 minutes. At 150 words/min plus 30 seconds of pauses, speaking time is 5.5 minutes. A 5-minute slot with those pauses allows 675 words, so the draft is 75 words over budget.
Assumptions and limits
Pace defaults are illustrative, not a measurement of you or a universal reading-speed claim. Rehearse spoken work. Slide changes, emphasis, audience reactions and technical content can change duration. Counting is designed for English text, not languages that omit spaces between words. Nothing is saved across reloads.