How fast do you read?

[Kat]

Just saw this on Twitter - What Speed Do You Read?

At 554 words per minute apparently I could read War and Peace in 17 hours and 40 minutes, The Lord of the Rings in 14 hours and 24 minutes, or The Fountainhead in 9 hours and 22 minutes!

Now just to find all those uninterrupted hours!

[Cheryl]

I love that test, except that the samples are too short and too familiar to be truly representative. Averaging out my scores, and trying take weaknesses of the test into account, I could supposedly read 8-9 books on my Sony Reader without recharging - good to know!

[Janice, Moderator]

I kept reading the same passage over and over and got faster each time. LOL!

[Kat]

I'd hoped it would give me different passages to read, just to see how accurate it really was! I did answer all three questions correctly the first time, but I confess to guessing at one of them!

[Billie]

About 15 pages an hour. Slow but deliberate; that's me

[Amy *Waitforit*]

This test is great.
Apparently I read 277 words a minute, it would take me 4 hours and 38 minutes to read Harry Potter and the Philosophers stone and 35 hours and 20 minutes to read War and Peace. I may have to test the theory and read Harry Potter again.....what a perfect excuse =)

[Alison]

357 /minute. You must be zooming along Kat!

[Kat]

One page is probably not the best test - a chapter would be more accurate as there would be more info to take in, and I'd need to concentrate for a longer period - something I often struggle with!

[Kimberly]

I got the same time as you Kat, but I think I'd need a chapter to accurately judge it better too.

[Pam]

447 wpm and I answered the questions correctly. I would like to slow my reading speed down because I think I would retain more, but I get started and I just can't do it.

[Sam]

I've managed to hit 570 words per min on my first go! I knew I read fast but I didn't realise it was that fast, I feel rather pleased with myself :-D

[Maria]

I have anything from 550 to 650 words a minute... though I'm not certain what the comprehension level is on that. I'd say I read about 400-500 words a minute for older novels, and a higher speed in newer novels.

And it makes sense, too-- the app notes I could read War and Peace from 14 to 24 hours. Since it took about 22 or so, I'd suggest taking the test a great many times, and then using the books you've already read as a gauge for the authenticity of the numbers.

Now just to find all those uninterrupted hours!

Hopefully one can retain the concentration for so many hours!