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Speaking speed in English: words per minute calculator

Read a short passage aloud and time it, or paste your own text with the time it took. See your words per minute.

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Measure your pace

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Read this aloud

Last weekend I visited my friend in a small town by the sea. We woke up early and walked along the beach before breakfast. The air was cold, but the sun was bright, and the water was very calm. Later we found a little café and ordered coffee and warm bread. My friend told me about her new job, and I told her about my plans for the summer. In the afternoon we took a train back to the city. I was tired, but I felt happy. It was a simple day, and it was exactly what I needed.

Your result shows here.

  • Slow: below 120
  • Easy to follow: 120 to 160
  • Fast: above 160

Nothing is recorded or sent. The timer runs in your browser.

Rules of thumb, not a standard.

How to read the result

  • A comfortable conversation pace in English is often described as roughly 120 to 160 words per minute.
  • Learners often read aloud at about 80 to 110 words per minute. Fast native speech can pass 180.
  • These bands are broad rules of thumb. Reading aloud is not the same as speaking freely, so expect a different number for each.
  • Faster is not better. Clear stress, pauses and linking words matter more than speed.
  • No microphone, no recording and no upload. You press Start and Stop, and the browser times it.

Practice: sound fluent

Multiple choice cloze. Pick the discourse marker that fits.

Choose the best option.

  1. 1. Did you like the film? , I fell asleep halfway.
  2. 2. We need the report by Friday. , have you seen the new schedule?
  3. 3. The plan is too risky and too expensive. , we should not do it.
  4. 4. I thought the exam was tomorrow, but it is on Thursday.
  5. 5. , I am not sure I agree, but let me think about it.
  6. 6. It was a great trip. , the food was amazing.

0 of 6 checked

Open cloze. Write one word.

Write one word in each gap.

  1. 1. Sorry,

    I was saying, the deadline is Monday.

  2. 2. It is not cheap. In

    words, it costs a fortune.

  3. 3. To be

    , I did not like the ending.

  4. 4. By the

    , did you call the client?

  5. 5. It is kind

    hard to explain.

  6. 6.

    a matter of fact, I lived there for ten years.

0 of 6 checked

Key word transformation. Use the key word unchanged, 2 to 5 words in the gap.

Complete the second sentence so it means the same. Keep the key word as it is.

  1. 1. The hotel was too far. It was also too expensive.

    BESIDES
    The hotel was too far.too expensive.

  2. 2. She was ill, but she went to work.

    DESPITE
    she went to work.

  3. 3. We stayed at home because it rained.

    DUE
    We stayed at homerain.

  4. 4. Although he was tired, he kept working.

    SPITE
    He kept workingtired.

0 of 4 checked

Questions

What is a good speaking speed in English?
Roughly 120 to 160 words per minute is often described as comfortable for conversation. It is a rule of thumb, not a target to hit.
Should I speak faster to sound fluent?
No. Fluency is smooth speech with few long stops. Clear words at a steady pace sound better than rushed ones.
How are the words counted?
Any group of characters between spaces that holds a letter or a number counts as one word. A lone dash does not.
Is my voice recorded?
No. The page only times the seconds between Start and Stop in your browser. Nothing leaves your device.

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