Calculate words per minute for typing, reading, or speaking. Get accurate time estimates and speed metrics.
Words per minute (WPM) is a standard measurement of speed for various activities including typing, reading, and speaking. It represents how many words can be processed in 60 seconds. For typing calculations, a "word" is standardized as 5 characters (including spaces) to ensure consistency across different texts.
Basic WPM: Total words ÷ (Time in seconds ÷ 60)
Time Estimate: Total words ÷ WPM = Minutes needed
CPM Calculation: WPM × 5 (average characters per word)
CPM is useful for measuring typing speed with more precision than WPM alone.
Estimate how long it takes to write blog posts, articles, or books. Average writers produce 500-1,000 words per hour, while experienced writers can reach 1,500-2,000 words per hour.
Calculate speech duration for presentations. A 10-minute presentation typically requires 1,300-1,600 words at a comfortable speaking pace of 130-160 WPM.
Determine how long it takes to read documents, books, or articles. A 300-page book (75,000 words) takes about 4-6 hours at average reading speed.
Monitor typing efficiency for data entry, transcription, or writing tasks. Track improvements over time and set realistic productivity goals.
Practice touch typing daily, focus on accuracy before speed, use proper finger placement on home row keys, and maintain good posture. Online typing tutors and regular practice sessions of 15-30 minutes can significantly improve your speed.
Reduce subvocalization (saying words in your head), use a pointer or finger to guide your eyes, practice chunking (reading groups of words), and expand your peripheral vision. Speed reading courses can help you double or triple your reading speed.
Practice articulation exercises, record and review your speech, work on breath control, and eliminate filler words. Speaking at 140-160 WPM is ideal for presentations as it balances clarity with engagement.
A 30-minute podcast episode requires approximately 4,000-4,800 words at conversational speaking speed (130-160 WPM).
YouTube videos typically use 150-160 WPM for narration. A 10-minute video needs about 1,500-1,600 words of script.
Professional narrators read at 150-160 WPM. A 70,000-word novel becomes an 8-9 hour audiobook.
Transcriptionists typically type at 60-80 WPM but produce 15-30 WPM of finished transcript due to playback, corrections, and formatting.