Find your words per minute in about two minutes. Free, no signup.
You will read a 249-word passage at your normal pace, then answer three questions. Read to understand, not to race.
The timer starts when you press Start and stops when you say you finished. Your speed is the number of words in the passage divided by the minutes you took. The three questions are there because speed without understanding is skimming, so read the way you normally would.
A 2019 review of 190 studies by Marc Brysbaert put the average adult at about 238 words per minute for non-fiction and 260 for fiction, reading silently in English. Most adults fall between 175 and 300. College students tend to sit near the top of that range.
Somewhat, with practice. Claims of 1,000 words per minute with full comprehension do not hold up in research. What does improve is how wide your eyes take in a line, how quickly you recognize words, and how long you can stay focused. The Schulte table is a classic drill for the first one.
ReaderPro is my iPhone and iPad app with this test plus 13 more drills: Schulte tables, guided pacing at a speed you set, word search and memory exercises. It tracks your WPM over time.
Get ReaderPro on the App Store