Fact · Typing and writing speed
183words per minute
The same meta-analysis, using 77 studies and 5,965 participants, finds an average oral reading rate of 183 words per minute.
Checked against its source on October 16, 2026
In the source's own words
“The average oral reading rate (based on 77 studies and 5,965 participants) is 183 wpm.”
How many words do we read per minute? A review and meta-analysis of reading rate, Marc Brysbaert, Journal of Memory and Language, 2019, Abstract.
Open the original (DOI 10.1016/j.jml.2019.104047)- What it measures
- Oral reading is slower than silent reading.
- What it does not show
- English-language studies.