How reading time is calculated
Reading time is simply the number of words divided by your reading speed. If you only know the page count, the calculator estimates words using words per page. Around 300 words per page is a reasonable middle for a paperback novel, but books vary a lot with font size, margins and how much dialogue there is.
Typical reading times
- A 200-page novella (about 60,000 words) takes about 4 hours at 250 wpm.
- A 350-page novel (about 105,000 words) takes about 7 hours.
- A 600-page fantasy (about 180,000 words) takes about 12 hours.
Planning your whole year? Try the reading plan calculator next.
Related reading
Questions people ask
How long does it take to read a 300-page book?
At 250 words per minute and about 300 words per page, a 300-page book takes about 6 hours. At 30 minutes a day, that's around 12 days.
What is a good reading speed?
Commonly cited estimates put typical adult reading of general text somewhere around 200 to 300 words per minute. Comfort and understanding matter more than speed, especially for fiction you're reading for fun.
Where can I find a book's word count?
Publishers don't always list it. Some sites and e-readers estimate reading time or word count; otherwise page count times about 300 words is a good estimate.
