How long does it take to read a book?
How long a book takes at the average adult reading speed, how to estimate the words in yours, and how much a daily reading habit gets through in a year.
Iqumi is made by Lucernel.
On this page
Short answer
At the average adult speed of about 238 words a minute for non-fiction (260 for fiction), a 300-page book of about 82,500 words takes a little under six hours. At 20 minutes a day, that is about 18 days. Your own speed and the density of the book change the result, so measure both.
Choose this if
A whole book is the right choice when you want the full argument, the stories and the author’s voice.
Choose the other option if
Iqumi is the better fit when you want a book’s key ideas in short lessons you can finish on a busy day.
At a glance
| Feature | Reading the whole book | Iqumi lessons |
|---|---|---|
| Full argument, examples and stories | Yes | Nothe key ideas |
| Fits in a few minutes | No | Yeseight short lessons per book |
| Text or full-screen lessons | Text | Yesboth |
| Remembers your place | Partlya bookmark | Yes |
| Original writing, not the book’s text | No | Yes |
The average reading speed
In 2019, Marc Brysbaert reviewed 190 studies with 18,573 participants and found that adults read English silently at about 238 words per minute for non-fiction and about 260 for fiction. Those numbers are lower than the figures often quoted: most adults fall between 175 and 300 words a minute for non-fiction and between 200 and 320 for fiction.
Reading aloud is slower, about 183 words a minute, and reading to study, with notes and rereading, is slower still. Speed also drops when the topic is new or the sentences are dense.
How many words are in your book
Pages vary a lot with the trim size, the font and the margins. For a quick estimate, count the words on three full lines, divide by three, and multiply by the number of lines on a page and then by the pages.
Ebook stores and publishers sometimes list a word count or a page count for a standard edition; use it when you have it.
Quick examples
- 200 pages at 275 words a page (55,000 words): about 3 hours 51 minutes at 238 words a minute.
- 300 pages (82,500 words): about 5 hours 47 minutes.
- 400 pages (110,000 words): about 7 hours 42 minutes.
- At 20 minutes a day, the 300-page book takes 18 days; at an hour a day, 6 days.
Measure your own speed
Averages hide big differences between readers. Time yourself on a page you have not read, at your normal pace, and divide the words by the minutes. Our free reading time calculator does this with a short passage from Marcus Aurelius and then shows when you would finish any book at your daily pace.
A steady daily habit finishes more books than trying to read faster: the same review found silent reading rates in line with the top speed at which people can follow speech.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to read 100 pages?
At about 275 words a page and 238 words a minute, around 1 hour 55 minutes.
What is a good reading speed?
Around 238 words a minute for non-fiction and 260 for fiction is average for adults reading English silently.
How many books can I read in a year?
At 20 minutes a day and average speed you read about 1.7 million words a year, roughly twenty 300-page books.
Do book summaries replace reading?
No. They give you the key ideas and help you choose which books deserve a full read.
Is Iqumi available?
Iqumi is in development for iPhone.
Our pick
Iqumi, non-fiction books as short lessons
When a whole book does not fit your week, Iqumi gives you its ideas as eight short lessons you can finish while the kettle boils, as full-screen lessons or as short text.
- 100 non-fiction books, eight lessons each
- Lessons as reels or short summaries
- A library that remembers your place
