Reading Speed Statistics

Reading brings a wide range of benefits, including improving focus and memory while enhancing empathy and communication skills.

To gain insight into how fast people can read, we reviewed findings from 21 scientific papers and articles. This research allowed us to compile 36 key statistics and facts about reading speed.

Average reading speed statistics

Reading speed refers to how many words a person reads accurately within a certain amount of time. It’s typically measured in words per minute, or wpm.

Different sources report varying figures for average reading speed, but it generally falls within the 200 to 300 wpm range.

For an adult, the average silent reading speed is around 238 words per minute when reading non-fiction, based on a meta-analysis of 190 studies on reading speed.
When it comes to fiction, the average reading speed increases to 260 words per minute.
For oral reading, the speed tends to be slower, averaging 183 words per minute, according to a meta-analysis of 77 studies involving 5,965 participants.
When reading for learning, the speed typically falls between 100 to 200 words per minute.
If the goal is to memorize material, the reading speed is usually less than 100 words per minute.

Average reading speed by page

For a typical paperback, the average adult reads about one page per minute, or 60 pages in an hour.
A college student, on average, can read about 20 pages per hour when it comes to easy fiction or non-technical material, considering an average textbook has around 800 words per page.
For more technical content, the average student reads at a slower pace of approximately 11 pages per hour, translating to about 149 words per minute.
For advanced scientific or highly technical material, the reading rate drops further to around 6 pages per hour, which is roughly 75 words per minute.

How fast can people read?

There are certain physical and technical limits to how fast a person can read. Depending on the methods they use, readers generally fall into three main categories – motor readers, auditory readers, and visual readers.’

Motor readers typically read at an average speed of 200 to 250 words per minute. This is due to subvocalization, where they sound out each word in their minds, which restricts their reading speed.
Auditory readers can reach speeds of 400 to 450 words per minute. They do not move their lips or tongue; instead, they hear and mentally articulate the words silently as they read.
Visual readers surpass these speeds, often reading at rates over 450 words per minute, and many can achieve speeds of 700 words per minute or more. They do not need to hear or say the words they are reading, which allows them to read faster.
However, around 20% of people attempting to learn speed reading will never progress beyond the auditory reading level.
Some studies suggest that reading beyond 500 words per minute with complete comprehension is not feasible due to the physical limitations of how human eyes process information.

Some people claim to be able to read at a much higher rate with full comprehension:

Annie Jones, a six-time World Speed Reading Champion, reads at an impressive 4,700 words per minute with a comprehension rate of 67%.
Howard Berg holds the Guinness World Record for speed reading set in 1990, reportedly achieving a speed of 25,000 words per minute, or 80 pages per minute, with full comprehension. However, Guinness no longer recognizes any speed-reading records.
Maria Teresa Calderon claims she can read at a staggering rate of 80,000 words per minute with complete comprehension, although this claim has never been officially verified.
Bill Gates is said to read at a speed of about 150 pages per hour, which is approximately 625 words per minute, maintaining a comprehension rate of 90%.

Average reading speed by age

An in-depth breakdown of reading speed by age is presented in this article –https://wordiplypro.com/reading-speed-by-age

Reading speed tends to change with age. Research indicates that it steadily increases throughout the school years as children develop their reading skills. This growth usually reaches its peak during college years when reading proficiency and speed are at their highest. After this peak, reading speed often begins to decline gradually in adulthood as cognitive processing and visual acuity may change over time.

Based on the research by Hasbrouck, J. & Tindal, G. (2017), reading speed, measured in words read correctly per minute (WCPM), changes as follows during elementary school:

1st Grade: Students typically read between 23 to 53 WCPM by the middle of the year, progressing to 47 to 111 WCPM by the end of the year.
2nd Grade: Reading speed increases to around 72 to 106 WCPM by the middle of the year and reaches 89 to 142 WCPM by the end of the year.
3rd Grade: The range grows to 92 to 128 WCPM by the middle of the year, rising further to 107 to 162 WCPM by the end of the year.
4th Grade: Students read at about 112 to 144 WCPM by the middle of the year and improve to 123 to 180 WCPM by the end of the year.
5th Grade: Reading speed continues to grow, ranging from 127 to 160 WCPM in the middle of the year and reaching 139 to 194 WCPM by the end of the year.
6th Grade: The speed progresses to around 140 to 170 WCPM by the middle of the year and further to 150 to 204 WCPM by the end of the year.

As students enter high school, reading speed increases to adult level, and then peaks during college:

By the age of 18, most high school students have typically improved their reading speed to between 200 and 250 words per minute.
As they move into college, the average student’s reading speed generally increases further, ranging from 250 to 300 words per minute.

As people get older, reading speed additionally decreases:

One study found that older adults, with a mean age of 58, read about 30% slower compared to younger adults, whose mean age was 23. This difference highlights how age can impact reading speed, likely due to changes in cognitive processing and visual acuity over time.

What impacts reading speed?

Beyond age, various other factors can influence reading speed. These factors range from the positioning and design of letters and words, which can affect readability, to differences among languages that may require varying cognitive and visual processing skills. Additionally, certain health conditions, such as visual impairments, dyslexia, or cognitive disorders, can also impact how quickly a person reads.

The visual span of reading, which is the number of letters a reader can recognize in a text without moving their eyes, plays a crucial role in determining reading speed. A wider visual span allows a reader to process more text at once, leading to faster reading rates. Conversely, a narrower visual span requires more frequent eye movements, slowing down the reading process.

Research indicates a strong correlation between visual span size and reading speed, with visual span size accounting for between 53.1% and 93.9% of the variance in reading speed.
Another study suggests that expanding the visual span by 6 bits can result in a significant 41% increase in maximum reading speed.
This demonstrates how enhancing the visual span can substantially improve a reader’s ability to process text more quickly.

The effect of letter spacing on reading speed is similar to the effect of age. According to D. Yu (2007):

Reading speed improves as letter spacing increases, up to the point of standard letter spacing, where it reaches its maximum.
However, when the letter spacing is doubled compared to the standard size, reading speed drops by 25%.
This shows that while some additional spacing can enhance readability, too much spacing negatively affects reading speed.

Crowding, which is the difficulty in recognizing distinct objects (like letters) within a cluttered visual environment, also impacts reading speed. As people age, the effects of crowding tend to increase, making it harder to distinguish letters from one another. Studies have shown that this increased crowding can result in a reduced reading rate, particularly in older adults.

Older adults (mean age 58) show a 31% increase in crowding compared to younger adults (mean age 23), accompanied by a 30% reduction in reading speed.

Some studies show that reading sources can have a significant effect on reading speed:

Reading on paper is 10% to 30% faster than reading on a screen.
Additionally, several studies indicate that reading comprehension is higher with printed media compared to digital formats.

Language impacts reading speed. One of the studies analyzed reading speed in 12 different languages, and the rate varied from 181 wpm for Arabic to 285 wpm for the Italian language.’

Various health conditions can impact reading speed, with some of the most common being dyslexia, alexia, hyperlexia, vision-related issues, and trauma. Additionally, individuals who struggle with word decoding, fluency, or reading comprehension may also experience slower reading speeds.

How do you measure reading speed?

Measuring reading speed can be done using several methods. The simplest approach involves reading a random page of medium-level material for one minute and counting the total number of words read.

Another method involves estimating the number of words on a page. Start by counting the words in the first two lines, finding the average, then count the number of lines on the page. Multiply the average number of words per line by the total number of lines to estimate the total words on the page. Next, read the entire page while timing how long it takes to complete. Finally, divide the estimated number of words by the time in seconds it took to read, then multiply by 60 to get your words per minute (wpm) rate.

How does reading speed impacts comprehension?

Studies indicate that for most people, reading speeds over 500 words per minute aren’t achievable with full comprehension. One reason is that the very mechanisms that slow us down—like subvocalization (silently pronouncing words) and regression (looking back at previously read words)—are crucial for understanding.

By reducing subvocalization and regression, we might increase our reading speed to over 400 words per minute, but this often comes at the cost of comprehension.

For comparison, when reading for memorization, speeds are typically below 100 words per minute, while reading for learning usually falls between 100 and 200 words per minute.

FAQ’s

What is the average reading speed for adults?

The average reading speed for adults typically ranges from 200 to 300 words per minute (wpm).

How does reading speed vary by age?

Reading speed generally increases during childhood and peaks during the college years, often slowing down in adulthood.

What is considered a fast reading speed?

A reading speed of over 400 wpm is generally considered fast. However, comprehension can decline significantly at speeds beyond 500 wpm.

What is the average reading speed for children?

Reading speed varies by grade level, but elementary school children typically read between 23 and 162 wpm, depending on their age and development.

How does reading speed differ between fiction and non-fiction?

On average, adults read fiction at around 260 wpm and non-fiction at about 238 wpm.

Does reading speed differ when reading aloud versus silently?

Yes, reading aloud is typically slower, with average speeds around 183 wpm, compared to silent reading, which can reach higher speeds.

What factors affect reading speed?

Factors include age, cognitive abilities, visual span, letter spacing, crowding, language differences, health conditions, and reading habits.

How do health conditions impact reading speed?

Conditions such as dyslexia, alexia, hyperlexia, vision-related problems, and cognitive impairments can significantly reduce reading speed.

Can reading speed be improved?

Yes, with practice and training, such as speed reading techniques, one can improve their reading speed, though it may affect comprehension.

Is it possible to read faster without losing comprehension?

Up to a point, yes. However, reading beyond 500 wpm often results in reduced comprehension due to limitations in cognitive processing.

What is the role of visual span in reading speed?

A larger visual span allows for faster reading speeds because more text is processed in a single glance, reducing the need for eye movement.

How does reading on paper compare to reading on a screen?

Reading on paper is generally 10% to 30% faster, and comprehension tends to be higher compared to reading on digital screens.

How does letter spacing affect reading speed?

Reading speed increases with optimal letter spacing, but too much or too little spacing can slow it down significantly.

What is the impact of crowding on reading speed?

Crowding, or difficulty recognizing letters in a cluttered visual environment, can reduce reading speed, particularly in older adults.

What is the difference between motor, auditory, and visual readers?

Motor readers subvocalize and read at 200-250 wpm, auditory readers read at 400-450 wpm without moving lips, and visual readers read at over 450 wpm without needing to hear or say words.

Can speed reading techniques help everyone?

Not everyone benefits from speed reading techniques; around 20% of people who try may not progress beyond the auditory reading level.

What is the typical reading speed for college students?

College students generally read at a speed of 250-300 wpm.

How does reading speed change in older adults?

Older adults tend to read about 30% slower than younger adults, partly due to increased crowding and changes in cognitive processing.

Why is memorization reading speed slower?

Memorization requires careful attention to detail and understanding, so reading speeds are typically below 100 wpm for effective retention.

How is reading speed measured?

Reading speed can be measured by counting the number of words read correctly in a set time or estimating the number of words on a page and timing the reading duration to calculate wpm.