How fast can you read? Take a look at this article to find out your reading speed and determine whether you should increase it.

How fast can you read?

Fast reading can have multiple benefits. The quicker you read, the more books you can complete. This is excellent news for avid readers who can’t seem to get enough of books. Besides pleasure, reading faster can be immensely useful for your work and studies. You can go through your workload and reading materials much faster, thus saving time and increasing productivity.

You might wonder how fast you should read to be considered a fast reader. Let’s examine your reading skills and determine if you’re reading below or above average reading speed.

If you discover you’re somewhat of a slow reader, don’t worry. We’ll show you how to increase your reading speed.

Determining your current reading speed

Determining your reading speed is straightforward and accessible, thanks to several handy online speed reading tests. To measure your reading speed, visit one of these websites:

• SwiftRead
• Free Reading Test
• ARealMe

After that, hit the Start button and choose the reading material. Once you’re confident you’ve finished reading the entire entry and understood what’s it about, press the End or Done button. The website might give you a comprehension test to ensure you haven’t skimmed through the text. Then, it will display your results, measured in words per minute (wpm).

Should you read faster?

Generally, an adult’s average reading speed is 200 to 300 wpm. This speed allows you to maintain good momentum without sacrificing reading comprehension.

High school or college students who need to memorize or learn the material they’re reading typically go through 100 to 200 words in a minute. Anything above 400 wpm is fast reading, while a reading time of 700 wpm falls under speed reading.

But don’t let these figures scare you. Everyone has a different reading process, and the ideal reading rate will change on a case-by-case basis. For example, studying usually requires you to read a book more slowly. This way, you can:

• Re-read sections
• Highlight the most important parts
• Achieve better comprehension

In contrast, fast reading is recommended when you have limited time or little reading material. This reading speed has multiple advantages, including:

• Using less time
• Covering a broader range of ideas
• Getting an impression of the content

Still, you shouldn’t go overboard if you don’t feel comfortable. Otherwise, the reading will lose significance, and you’ll fail to immerse yourself in a book or to understand what you’ve just read.

How to increase your reading speed

If you find your current reading speed unsatisfactory, the good news is that you can improve it. Here are some tested techniques to help you increase your reading level.

Stop subvocalization

Subvocalization, or inner monologue, is one of the most detrimental reading habits. Basically, readers are saying the words in their heads while reading them, preventing them from reading faster.

Try reading while listening to music or chewing gum to eliminate your inner monologue. These distractions will prevent your brain from focusing on subvocalization.

Avoid re-reading words

While reading, most people tend to shift back and review sections they’ve already read without realizing it. This is known as regression, another hindrance to speed reading. This habit might be tricky to break, but you can start by running your fingers across the page or using a bookmark to guide you. Whatever you do, try not to go backward, only forward.

Use peripheral vision

Using peripheral vision while reading is crucial for increasing your reading speed. This technique entails looking at the center of the line and relying on your peripheral vision to read the rest. This way, you’re practically scanning the page with your eyes. You’ll still retain good comprehension despite reaching the bottom of the page in record time.

Read faster and understand more with Speechify

Several reading techniques can undoubtedly help you train yourself to read better. However, you can also turn to technology to maximize your reading performance.

Speechify is a text to speech (TTS) software that can help you read a text faster. As the name suggests, this tool will convert text into spoken words, allowing you to breeze through various reading materials. Plus, if you’re really in a hurry, you can increase the reading speed.

If you’re focusing on comprehension, you’ll find that listening to and reading a text simultaneously works wonders for your data retention. Speechify will also highlight the text as it’s read, allowing you to follow along better.

This powerful tool is available across all major devices and works with numerous text formats. As a result, your reading efficiency doesn’t have to stop at books. You can go through emails, work documents, and study and research materials at record speed. On top of that, you can select the reading voice that best suits the material.

Whatever voice you choose, you can rest assured it will be natural-sounding, guaranteeing a pleasant experience each time.

If Speechify sounds too good to be true, download the app today for free and witness its benefits first-hand.

FAQ

How fast is it humanly possible to read?

Howard Stephen Berg is recognized as the world’s fastest reader. He has set this record by reading at a speed of 25,000 wpm. However, this mind-blowing number results from mastering multiple speed reading techniques and is likely unattainable for an average person.

Can you read 100 pages in an hour?

Although not impossible, it’s improbable for an average reader to read 100 pages in an hour. People who read around 50 pages per hour are considered fast readers, and even they would require almost two hours to go through 100 pages.

How fast can Bill Gates read?

It’s speculated that Bill Gates reads at a speed of approximately 750 wpm, which allows him to go through 150 pages in an hour.

How many words are on a page?

As a rule of thumb, the number of words on one single-spaced page is 500. With double-spacing, this number goes down to 250. 

How fast can you read the Bible?

The Bible contains approximately 80,000 words. An average adult reads around 250 words per minute. So, you’d need a little over five hours to finish reading the Bible at this speed.