# 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.

Canonical: https://lucernel.com/guides/how-long-to-read-a-book
Last updated: 2026-09-26

Type: Guide. Publisher: Lucernel.

## 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.

## Side by side

| | Reading the whole book | Iqumi lessons |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full argument, examples and stories | Yes | No, the key ideas |
| Fits in a few minutes | No | Yes, eight short lessons per book |
| Text or full-screen lessons | Text | Yes, both |
| Remembers your place | Partly, a 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.



Disclosure: Iqumi is made by Lucernel, the publisher of this article.

## 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

[See how Iqumi works](https://lucernel.com/apps/iqumi)

## Sources (checked 2026-09-26)

- [Brysbaert M. How many words do we read per minute? A review and meta-analysis of reading rate. J Mem Lang, 2019](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2019.104047)