Mind

How fast does the average person read?

~238 WPM

The average adult reads at about 238 words per minute for non-fiction and 260 WPM for fiction. Speed readers can reach 400–700 WPM but typically with reduced comprehension. By contrast, audiobooks are recorded at 150–175 WPM — meaning most people read faster than they listen.

Source: Brysbaert (2019), Journal of Cognition

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