Peer-reviewed research
Influence of Speech Rate and Information Density on Recognition: The Moderate Dynamic Mechanism
Emma Rodero, Media Psychology, 2016 · DOI 10.1080/15213269.2014.1002942
Read the originalRead on October 16, 2026
- What it is
- A study of 200 communication students who heard one-minute radio news items read at 150, 170, 190, 210 and 230 words per minute, in low and high information density versions. It measured how well listeners recognized the content and how normal each speed sounded.
- How much weight it carries
- Peer-reviewed, with an open-access copy in a university repository. The sample was students, the material was Spanish radio news read in Spanish, and the listeners heard recordings rather than live talks, so the rates apply to read speech on one topic.
Facts taken from this source
- In the same study, listeners rated the 170 and 190 words per minute versions of the radio news as normal and easy to understand.
“Both versions at 170 and 190 wpm were considered normal and easy to understand” (Results on perceived speed and difficulty)
- In a study of 200 students who heard one-minute radio news items, recognition of the content was best at 170 to 190 words per minute, with the faster speed paired with lower information density.
“The best result in order to achieve the greatest recognition is between 170 (high density) and 190 (low density) words per minute” (Abstract (conclusion of the study))