Frequently Asked Questions

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It’s simple: we count the words in the text above and divide that by the time you take to read it, from clicking "Start Time" to "Stop Time." This gives us your words per minute (WPM).

Let’s brainstorm examples of how to estimate what percentage of the population someone can read faster than based on their reading speed (in WPM). We’ll base this on research about average reading speeds and their distribution across populations, then tie those speeds to approximate percentiles. The goal is to keep this conceptual and grounded in research before turning it into code later. I’ll use widely accepted studies on reading speed to inform these examples and critically examine the data to ensure reasonable estimates.

Our first benchmark comes from a 2019 study by Marc Brysbaert. It looked at over 18,000 people and found the average adult reads nonfiction silently at 238 WPM. Most people fall between 175 and 300 WPM, with standout readers—like college students at 334 WPM or exceptional speed readers hitting 1000 WPM, as noted in research on visual reading limits (Dehaene, 2009)—showing the upper range. This variety highlights how reading speeds differ widely across a large population.

Our second benchmark is from a 2023 SwiftRead study of their users, who are all about boosting reading speed. Their middle speed is 334 WPM, with 75% reading below 460 WPM. This group is faster than average because they’re actively training, giving us a different angle to compare your skills.

So, how do we rank you? We take your WPM and see where it fits in these two distributions—one for typical readers and one for speed enthusiasts. This lets us estimate what percentage of each group you’re ahead of, without diving into tricky math. It’s a practical way to show your reading prowess!

• Brysbaert, M. (2019). "How many words do we read per minute? A review and meta-analysis of reading rate." Journal of Memory and Language, 109, 104047.
• Dehaene, S. (2009). Reading in the Brain: The New Science of How We Read. Penguin Books.
• SwiftRead. (2023). "Average Reading Speed Analysis." SwiftRead Blog. Available at: swiftread.com/blog/average-reading-speed-analysis.

This training is a work out for your mind. If you believe fitness coaching is valuable, so is this.

1. As soon as you sign up, watch the 14 minute video on "the science of speed reading.'
2. We test your reading speed on the call.
3. We will do multiple exercises live to boost reading comprehension, speed, and memory.

"The Science of Reading" by Adrian Johns has these two quotes.

“There is no support in research for the popular notion that the slow reader is superior in comprehension.” (Buswell, 113-114)

".. readers read at different speeds, and that faster ones tended to understand what they were reading at least as well as slower ones." (Johns 100)

According to the largest study out there on reading rates, most people read around 238 words per minute.

To put that number into perspective, a 2023 study of over 2,000 participants conducted by the company "Spreeder"..

Noticed that faster readers, around 600 words per minute, did not have a loss in comprehension.

Forbes magazine has an article showcasing a "reading speed" study by Staples, showing college professors and high level executives reading in ranges from 500-675 words per minute.

That's almost 4x more knowledge, without a loss in comprehension.

A good reading speed to shoot for is 400 words per minute.

When was the last time you took a reading class? Until you try to improve and training your reading muscle..

How do you really know that faster reading speeds are not enjoyable?

I used to think I liked reading slowly, until I read the research, and personally met naturally fast readers that remembered and comprehended more than me.

Top 26% of CEOs read a book a week, according to Fast Company's survey of 500 CEOs.

85% of self-made millionaires read a minimum of 2 books per month according to Thomas C Corely's research, author of "Rich Habits", who use data and personal research of the wealthy to determine their habits.

Massive action is massive reading. Most Americans read under 2 books a year.

Tony Robbins read 700 books in 7 years.

He would not be where he is today without the massive action and massive discipline it took to read at that level.

What brings more growth for the next 5 years..

Spending that one extra hour working in the business..

Or spending that one extra hour reading a high impact business or self-help book?

Which one will take you farther?

Science, hard data, has proven multi-tasking is very inefficient.

Multitaskers are not productive or effective, concluded a 2009 Stanford study.

“Multitaskers were just lousy at everything.” - Clifford Nass, Stanford Professor & Researcher

You need to build your focus muscle. Reading helps you build that.