> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.iotools.cloud/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Reading Time Calculator

> Estimate how long it takes to read a piece of text, based on word count and an adjustable reading speed (words per minute) — plus a slower read-aloud/speaking-time estimate.

[Try Reading Time Calculator in your browser →](https://iotools.cloud/tool/reading-time-calculator/)



## OpenAPI

````yaml https://api.iotools.cloud/v1/openapi post /v1/tool/reading-time-calculator
openapi: 3.1.0
info:
  title: iotools.cloud API
  version: 1.0.0
  description: >-
    Run any iotools.cloud tool over HTTP.


    Authenticate with `Authorization: Bearer iot_live_…`.


    **Only `POST /v1/tool/{slug}` costs credits.** Every GET here — the catalog,
    a tool's schema, your balance — is free. A tool call is charged its own
    weight or your plan's per-call minimum, whichever is larger;
    `x-iotools-credit-cost` on each operation is quoted at the free-tier
    minimum, and `GET /v1/tools/list` returns the exact figure for your key.
    `GET /v1/me/credits` reports what you have left, and `GET /v1/me/usage`
    reports what it went on.


    Failures are RFC 9457 problem documents — branch on `code`.
servers:
  - url: https://api.iotools.cloud
    description: Production
security:
  - bearerAuth: []
tags:
  - name: Catalog
    description: Find a tool and read its contract. Free.
  - name: Converters
    description: >-
      Convert between formats, encodings, and units — Base64, CSV and JSON,
      timestamps, and more. Fast, free, and processed right in your browser.
  - name: Formatters
    description: >-
      Format, beautify, minify, and validate code and data — JSON, HTML, CSS,
      SQL, and regex. Clean up messy input in one click, with nothing to upload.
  - name: Generators
    description: >-
      Generate exactly what you need and on demand — passwords, UUIDs, QR codes,
      hashes, random numbers, and more. Secure, instant, and free.
  - name: Calculators
    description: >-
      Crunch the numbers fast — from everyday math to specialized conversions
      and unit work. Free online calculators that run entirely in your browser.
  - name: Editors
    description: >-
      Edit and transform text, code, and images with quick, focused editors that
      run entirely in your browser — nothing to install, and no sign-up needed.
  - name: Utilities
    description: >-
      Everyday developer and web utilities — DNS and IP lookups, redirect and
      certificate checkers, and other quick diagnostics. Free and
      privacy-friendly.
  - name: Account
    description: Your key's allowance, limits and usage history.
paths:
  /v1/tool/reading-time-calculator:
    post:
      tags:
        - Calculators
      summary: Reading Time Calculator
      description: >-
        Estimate how long it takes to read a piece of text, based on word count
        and an adjustable reading speed (words per minute) — plus a slower
        read-aloud/speaking-time estimate.


        [Try Reading Time Calculator in your browser
        →](https://iotools.cloud/tool/reading-time-calculator/)
      operationId: run_reading_time_calculator
      requestBody:
        required: false
        content:
          application/json:
            schema:
              type: object
              properties:
                inputText:
                  type: string
                  description: Text
                readingSpeed:
                  type: number
                  description: Reading Speed (WPM)
                  minimum: 100
                  maximum: 800
                speakingSpeed:
                  type: number
                  description: Speaking / Read-Aloud Speed (WPM)
                  minimum: 50
                  maximum: 400
              required: []
            examples:
              short_pangram:
                summary: Short pangram
                value:
                  inputText: The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
                  readingSpeed: '238'
                  speakingSpeed: '154'
              longer_article_at_default_speeds:
                summary: Longer article at default speeds
                value:
                  inputText: >-
                    Reading speed varies enormously from one person to the next,
                    and even the same person reads at different speeds depending
                    on the material. Skimming a news headline is nothing like
                    working through a dense legal contract or a technical manual
                    full of unfamiliar terms. Researchers who study reading
                    behavior generally agree that the average adult reads
                    somewhere between two hundred and two hundred and fifty
                    words per minute when reading silently for comprehension,
                    though that number drops sharply for difficult or unfamiliar
                    text and rises for light, familiar material.


                    Reading aloud is a different skill entirely. Because the
                    reader must actually pronounce every syllable clearly enough
                    for a listener to follow, read-aloud speed tends to land
                    closer to one hundred and fifty words per minute, well below
                    silent reading speed. This is one reason audiobooks often
                    let listeners speed up playback well past the narrator's
                    natural pace and still remain intelligible, since trained
                    listeners can process spoken language faster than a narrator
                    would naturally speak it.


                    Several factors influence how quickly any individual reads a
                    given passage. Font size and line spacing affect how easily
                    the eye can track across a page. Vocabulary familiarity
                    matters enormously, since unfamiliar jargon forces the brain
                    to pause and decode meaning rather than recognizing whole
                    words instantly. Prior knowledge of the subject also plays a
                    role, because readers who already understand the topic can
                    skip past details their brain fills in automatically.


                    Speed reading courses often promise reading speeds of a
                    thousand words per minute or more, claiming that most
                    readers waste time on habits like subvocalizing every word
                    or moving their eyes back over text they already covered.
                    However, controlled studies of speed reading techniques
                    consistently find that comprehension falls sharply once
                    reading speed climbs far beyond normal ranges, suggesting
                    there is a real tradeoff between speed and understanding
                    that no technique fully escapes. Most reading experts
                    therefore recommend adjusting speed to match the material
                    rather than chasing a single universal target, reading
                    quickly through familiar or low stakes material and slowing
                    down deliberately for anything dense, technical, or
                    unfamiliar enough to reward careful attention.
                  readingSpeed: '238'
                  speakingSpeed: '154'
              same_article_slow_reading_fast_speaking:
                summary: Same article, slow reading / fast speaking
                value:
                  inputText: >-
                    Reading speed varies enormously from one person to the next,
                    and even the same person reads at different speeds depending
                    on the material. Skimming a news headline is nothing like
                    working through a dense legal contract or a technical manual
                    full of unfamiliar terms. Researchers who study reading
                    behavior generally agree that the average adult reads
                    somewhere between two hundred and two hundred and fifty
                    words per minute when reading silently for comprehension,
                    though that number drops sharply for difficult or unfamiliar
                    text and rises for light, familiar material.


                    Reading aloud is a different skill entirely. Because the
                    reader must actually pronounce every syllable clearly enough
                    for a listener to follow, read-aloud speed tends to land
                    closer to one hundred and fifty words per minute, well below
                    silent reading speed. This is one reason audiobooks often
                    let listeners speed up playback well past the narrator's
                    natural pace and still remain intelligible, since trained
                    listeners can process spoken language faster than a narrator
                    would naturally speak it.


                    Several factors influence how quickly any individual reads a
                    given passage. Font size and line spacing affect how easily
                    the eye can track across a page. Vocabulary familiarity
                    matters enormously, since unfamiliar jargon forces the brain
                    to pause and decode meaning rather than recognizing whole
                    words instantly. Prior knowledge of the subject also plays a
                    role, because readers who already understand the topic can
                    skip past details their brain fills in automatically.


                    Speed reading courses often promise reading speeds of a
                    thousand words per minute or more, claiming that most
                    readers waste time on habits like subvocalizing every word
                    or moving their eyes back over text they already covered.
                    However, controlled studies of speed reading techniques
                    consistently find that comprehension falls sharply once
                    reading speed climbs far beyond normal ranges, suggesting
                    there is a real tradeoff between speed and understanding
                    that no technique fully escapes. Most reading experts
                    therefore recommend adjusting speed to match the material
                    rather than chasing a single universal target, reading
                    quickly through familiar or low stakes material and slowing
                    down deliberately for anything dense, technical, or
                    unfamiliar enough to reward careful attention.
                  readingSpeed: '100'
                  speakingSpeed: '400'
      responses:
        '200':
          description: Tool output
          content:
            application/json:
              examples:
                short_pangram:
                  summary: Short pangram
                  value:
                    tool: reading-time-calculator
                    tool_version: 1.0.1
                    outputs:
                      readingTime: 2 sec
                      speakingTime: 4 sec
                      wordCount: '9'
                      characterCount: '44'
                    credits_used: 3
                    credits_remaining: null
                longer_article_at_default_speeds:
                  summary: Longer article at default speeds
                  value:
                    tool: reading-time-calculator
                    tool_version: 1.0.1
                    outputs:
                      readingTime: 1 min 29 sec
                      speakingTime: 2 min 17 sec
                      wordCount: '352'
                      characterCount: '2319'
                    credits_used: 3
                    credits_remaining: null
                same_article_slow_reading_fast_speaking:
                  summary: Same article, slow reading / fast speaking
                  value:
                    tool: reading-time-calculator
                    tool_version: 1.0.1
                    outputs:
                      readingTime: 3 min 31 sec
                      speakingTime: 53 sec
                      wordCount: '352'
                      characterCount: '2319'
                    credits_used: 3
                    credits_remaining: null
              schema:
                type: object
                required:
                  - tool
                  - tool_version
                  - outputs
                  - credits_used
                  - credits_remaining
                properties:
                  outputs:
                    type: object
                    properties:
                      readingTime:
                        type: string
                        description: Reading Time
                      speakingTime:
                        type: string
                        description: Speaking Time
                      wordCount:
                        type: string
                        description: Words
                      characterCount:
                        type: string
                        description: Characters
                  tool:
                    type: string
                    description: The tool's slug, echoing the {slug} in the request path.
                  tool_version:
                    type: string
                    description: Output-contract version for this tool.
                  credits_used:
                    type: integer
                    description: >-
                      Credits this call consumed, after any settlement refund. 0
                      when metering is disabled.
                  credits_remaining:
                    type:
                      - integer
                      - 'null'
                    description: >-
                      Credits left in the current monthly allowance, or null
                      when metering is disabled.
                  request_id:
                    type: string
                    description: Correlation id, also sent as x-request-id.
        '400':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/ValidationError'
        '401':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/Unauthorized'
        '402':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/InsufficientCredits'
        '403':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/ToolNotAllowed'
        '404':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/ToolNotFound'
        '413':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/PayloadTooLarge'
        '429':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/RateLimited'
        '500':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/ToolFailed'
        '503':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/ToolDisabled'
      security:
        - bearerAuth: []
components:
  responses:
    ValidationError:
      description: Invalid request.
      content:
        application/problem+json:
          schema:
            type: object
            description: >-
              RFC 9457 problem document, served as application/problem+json.
              Branch on `code`; `title` is human prose and may be reworded
              without notice. Some failures add extension members — `fields` on
              validation errors, `retry_after` on 429s,
              `credits_used`/`credits_remaining` on billing-adjacent failures —
              documented on the responses that carry them.
            required:
              - type
              - title
              - status
              - code
            properties:
              type:
                type: string
                format: uri
                description: Stable documentation URI for this failure.
                examples:
                  - https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/validation_error
              title:
                type: string
                description: Short human-readable summary of the failure.
                examples:
                  - Invalid request
              status:
                type: integer
                description: HTTP status code, matching the response's own status.
              code:
                type: string
                description: >-
                  Stable machine-readable error code — branch on this, not
                  `title`.
                enum:
                  - validation_error
              detail:
                type: string
                description: Human explanation of this occurrence.
              request_id:
                type: string
                description: Correlation id, also sent as x-request-id.
              fields:
                type:
                  - object
                  - string
                additionalProperties:
                  type: string
                description: >-
                  What failed: a map of field name → message. Absent when the
                  body itself is malformed; a single string when the failure
                  isn't tied to one field.
          example:
            type: https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/validation_error
            title: Invalid request
            status: 400
            code: validation_error
            detail: One or more inputs are invalid — see `fields`.
            request_id: e4042b29-8f1e-4c7a-9b52-6f0d1a3c7e11
            fields:
              inputString: Required
    Unauthorized:
      description: Missing or invalid API key.
      content:
        application/problem+json:
          schema:
            type: object
            description: >-
              RFC 9457 problem document, served as application/problem+json.
              Branch on `code`; `title` is human prose and may be reworded
              without notice. Some failures add extension members — `fields` on
              validation errors, `retry_after` on 429s,
              `credits_used`/`credits_remaining` on billing-adjacent failures —
              documented on the responses that carry them.
            required:
              - type
              - title
              - status
              - code
            properties:
              type:
                type: string
                format: uri
                description: Stable documentation URI for this failure.
                examples:
                  - https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/invalid_api_key
              title:
                type: string
                description: Short human-readable summary of the failure.
                examples:
                  - Invalid API key
              status:
                type: integer
                description: HTTP status code, matching the response's own status.
              code:
                type: string
                description: >-
                  Stable machine-readable error code — branch on this, not
                  `title`.
                enum:
                  - invalid_api_key
              detail:
                type: string
                description: Human explanation of this occurrence.
              request_id:
                type: string
                description: Correlation id, also sent as x-request-id.
          example:
            type: https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/invalid_api_key
            title: Invalid API key
            status: 401
            code: invalid_api_key
            detail: 'Provide ''Authorization: Bearer <key>''.'
            request_id: e4042b29-8f1e-4c7a-9b52-6f0d1a3c7e11
    InsufficientCredits:
      description: Monthly credit allowance exhausted.
      content:
        application/problem+json:
          schema:
            type: object
            description: >-
              RFC 9457 problem document, served as application/problem+json.
              Branch on `code`; `title` is human prose and may be reworded
              without notice. Some failures add extension members — `fields` on
              validation errors, `retry_after` on 429s,
              `credits_used`/`credits_remaining` on billing-adjacent failures —
              documented on the responses that carry them.
            required:
              - type
              - title
              - status
              - code
            properties:
              type:
                type: string
                format: uri
                description: Stable documentation URI for this failure.
                examples:
                  - https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/insufficient_credits
              title:
                type: string
                description: Short human-readable summary of the failure.
                examples:
                  - Insufficient credits
              status:
                type: integer
                description: HTTP status code, matching the response's own status.
              code:
                type: string
                description: >-
                  Stable machine-readable error code — branch on this, not
                  `title`.
                enum:
                  - insufficient_credits
              detail:
                type: string
                description: Human explanation of this occurrence.
              request_id:
                type: string
                description: Correlation id, also sent as x-request-id.
              credits_used:
                type: integer
                description: Always 0 — a refused call charges nothing.
              credits_remaining:
                type: integer
                description: Credits left in the allowance — fewer than this call costs.
          example:
            type: https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/insufficient_credits
            title: Insufficient credits
            status: 402
            code: insufficient_credits
            detail: This call costs 1 credit and 0 remain in this month's allowance.
            request_id: e4042b29-8f1e-4c7a-9b52-6f0d1a3c7e11
            credits_used: 0
            credits_remaining: 0
    ToolNotAllowed:
      description: Tool exists but has no API surface.
      content:
        application/problem+json:
          schema:
            type: object
            description: >-
              RFC 9457 problem document, served as application/problem+json.
              Branch on `code`; `title` is human prose and may be reworded
              without notice. Some failures add extension members — `fields` on
              validation errors, `retry_after` on 429s,
              `credits_used`/`credits_remaining` on billing-adjacent failures —
              documented on the responses that carry them.
            required:
              - type
              - title
              - status
              - code
            properties:
              type:
                type: string
                format: uri
                description: Stable documentation URI for this failure.
                examples:
                  - https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/tool_not_allowed
              title:
                type: string
                description: Short human-readable summary of the failure.
                examples:
                  - Tool not available over the API
              status:
                type: integer
                description: HTTP status code, matching the response's own status.
              code:
                type: string
                description: >-
                  Stable machine-readable error code — branch on this, not
                  `title`.
                enum:
                  - tool_not_allowed
              detail:
                type: string
                description: Human explanation of this occurrence.
              request_id:
                type: string
                description: Correlation id, also sent as x-request-id.
          example:
            type: https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/tool_not_allowed
            title: Tool not available over the API
            status: 403
            code: tool_not_allowed
            detail: >-
              "Background Remover" is available on iotools.cloud but has no API
              endpoint.
            request_id: e4042b29-8f1e-4c7a-9b52-6f0d1a3c7e11
    ToolNotFound:
      description: No such tool.
      content:
        application/problem+json:
          schema:
            type: object
            description: >-
              RFC 9457 problem document, served as application/problem+json.
              Branch on `code`; `title` is human prose and may be reworded
              without notice. Some failures add extension members — `fields` on
              validation errors, `retry_after` on 429s,
              `credits_used`/`credits_remaining` on billing-adjacent failures —
              documented on the responses that carry them.
            required:
              - type
              - title
              - status
              - code
            properties:
              type:
                type: string
                format: uri
                description: Stable documentation URI for this failure.
                examples:
                  - https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/tool_not_found
              title:
                type: string
                description: Short human-readable summary of the failure.
                examples:
                  - Tool not found
              status:
                type: integer
                description: HTTP status code, matching the response's own status.
              code:
                type: string
                description: >-
                  Stable machine-readable error code — branch on this, not
                  `title`.
                enum:
                  - tool_not_found
              detail:
                type: string
                description: Human explanation of this occurrence.
              request_id:
                type: string
                description: Correlation id, also sent as x-request-id.
          example:
            type: https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/tool_not_found
            title: Tool not found
            status: 404
            code: tool_not_found
            detail: No tool with that slug. See GET /v1/tools/list.
            request_id: e4042b29-8f1e-4c7a-9b52-6f0d1a3c7e11
    PayloadTooLarge:
      description: Body too large.
      content:
        application/problem+json:
          schema:
            type: object
            description: >-
              RFC 9457 problem document, served as application/problem+json.
              Branch on `code`; `title` is human prose and may be reworded
              without notice. Some failures add extension members — `fields` on
              validation errors, `retry_after` on 429s,
              `credits_used`/`credits_remaining` on billing-adjacent failures —
              documented on the responses that carry them.
            required:
              - type
              - title
              - status
              - code
            properties:
              type:
                type: string
                format: uri
                description: Stable documentation URI for this failure.
                examples:
                  - https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/payload_too_large
              title:
                type: string
                description: Short human-readable summary of the failure.
                examples:
                  - Payload too large
              status:
                type: integer
                description: HTTP status code, matching the response's own status.
              code:
                type: string
                description: >-
                  Stable machine-readable error code — branch on this, not
                  `title`.
                enum:
                  - payload_too_large
              detail:
                type: string
                description: Human explanation of this occurrence.
              request_id:
                type: string
                description: Correlation id, also sent as x-request-id.
          example:
            type: https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/payload_too_large
            title: Payload too large
            status: 413
            code: payload_too_large
            detail: Request body exceeds this tool's size limit.
            request_id: e4042b29-8f1e-4c7a-9b52-6f0d1a3c7e11
    RateLimited:
      description: Per-minute rate limit exceeded.
      headers:
        Retry-After:
          description: Seconds to wait before retrying (RFC 9110 delta-seconds).
          schema:
            type: integer
      content:
        application/problem+json:
          schema:
            type: object
            description: >-
              RFC 9457 problem document, served as application/problem+json.
              Branch on `code`; `title` is human prose and may be reworded
              without notice. Some failures add extension members — `fields` on
              validation errors, `retry_after` on 429s,
              `credits_used`/`credits_remaining` on billing-adjacent failures —
              documented on the responses that carry them.
            required:
              - type
              - title
              - status
              - code
            properties:
              type:
                type: string
                format: uri
                description: Stable documentation URI for this failure.
                examples:
                  - https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/rate_limited
              title:
                type: string
                description: Short human-readable summary of the failure.
                examples:
                  - Rate limit exceeded
              status:
                type: integer
                description: HTTP status code, matching the response's own status.
              code:
                type: string
                description: >-
                  Stable machine-readable error code — branch on this, not
                  `title`.
                enum:
                  - rate_limited
              detail:
                type: string
                description: Human explanation of this occurrence.
              request_id:
                type: string
                description: Correlation id, also sent as x-request-id.
              retry_after:
                type: integer
                description: >-
                  Seconds until the window resets — the same value as the
                  `Retry-After` header.
          example:
            type: https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/rate_limited
            title: Rate limit exceeded
            status: 429
            code: rate_limited
            detail: Too many requests. Retry in 30s.
            request_id: e4042b29-8f1e-4c7a-9b52-6f0d1a3c7e11
            retry_after: 30
    ToolFailed:
      description: Tool failed to run.
      content:
        application/problem+json:
          schema:
            type: object
            description: >-
              RFC 9457 problem document, served as application/problem+json.
              Branch on `code`; `title` is human prose and may be reworded
              without notice. Some failures add extension members — `fields` on
              validation errors, `retry_after` on 429s,
              `credits_used`/`credits_remaining` on billing-adjacent failures —
              documented on the responses that carry them.
            required:
              - type
              - title
              - status
              - code
            properties:
              type:
                type: string
                format: uri
                description: Stable documentation URI for this failure.
                examples:
                  - https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/processing_error
                  - https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/internal_error
              title:
                type: string
                description: Short human-readable summary of the failure.
                examples:
                  - Tool failed to run
                  - Internal error
              status:
                type: integer
                description: HTTP status code, matching the response's own status.
              code:
                type: string
                description: >-
                  Stable machine-readable error code — branch on this, not
                  `title`.
                enum:
                  - processing_error
                  - internal_error
              detail:
                type: string
                description: Human explanation of this occurrence.
              request_id:
                type: string
                description: Correlation id, also sent as x-request-id.
              credits_used:
                type: integer
                description: >-
                  Always 0 on `processing_error` — a failed run is refunded,
                  floor included.
              credits_remaining:
                type: integer
                description: >-
                  Credits left after the refund. Absent when metering is
                  disabled.
          example:
            type: https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/processing_error
            title: Tool failed to run
            status: 500
            code: processing_error
            detail: The tool failed to run. Please try again.
            request_id: e4042b29-8f1e-4c7a-9b52-6f0d1a3c7e11
            credits_used: 0
    ToolDisabled:
      description: Tool temporarily disabled.
      content:
        application/problem+json:
          schema:
            type: object
            description: >-
              RFC 9457 problem document, served as application/problem+json.
              Branch on `code`; `title` is human prose and may be reworded
              without notice. Some failures add extension members — `fields` on
              validation errors, `retry_after` on 429s,
              `credits_used`/`credits_remaining` on billing-adjacent failures —
              documented on the responses that carry them.
            required:
              - type
              - title
              - status
              - code
            properties:
              type:
                type: string
                format: uri
                description: Stable documentation URI for this failure.
                examples:
                  - https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/tool_disabled
                  - https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/api_unconfigured
              title:
                type: string
                description: Short human-readable summary of the failure.
                examples:
                  - Tool temporarily disabled
                  - API not configured
              status:
                type: integer
                description: HTTP status code, matching the response's own status.
              code:
                type: string
                description: >-
                  Stable machine-readable error code — branch on this, not
                  `title`.
                enum:
                  - tool_disabled
                  - api_unconfigured
              detail:
                type: string
                description: Human explanation of this occurrence.
              request_id:
                type: string
                description: Correlation id, also sent as x-request-id.
          example:
            type: https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/tool_disabled
            title: Tool temporarily disabled
            status: 503
            code: tool_disabled
            detail: This tool is temporarily unavailable. Try again shortly.
            request_id: e4042b29-8f1e-4c7a-9b52-6f0d1a3c7e11
  securitySchemes:
    bearerAuth:
      type: http
      scheme: bearer
      bearerFormat: iot_live_…

````