# how fast do you read? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 8, 2003, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-do-you-read/153694 "2003-02-08T09:00:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![something\_clever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3bc359/32.png) [@something\_clever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/something_clever)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-do-you-read/153694/1 "2003-02-08T09:00:07Z")
my cousin and i used to play alot of videogames… he would always get pissed at me because i read faster than him, so when the dialog boxes would pop up containing lines from one of the characters, or a part of the story, i would rush through and he wouldnt get to finish reading… this has happened with a few other friends as well, i dont think i read fast, but, apparently i read faster than most of my friends 🙂 i just found this ‘test’ online… i want to know how i compare to, i guess, ‘normal’, so im sending it to them, but let me know what you guys get too. the first paragraph it showed me i got 465, and after all the tests, the second one said i got 618… ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-do-you-read/153694/2 "2003-02-08T09:05:50Z")
Could you link to the test? I think I’m a slow reader, but now I’m curious. ---
**Author:** ![something\_clever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3bc359/32.png) [@something\_clever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/something_clever)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-do-you-read/153694/3 "2003-02-08T09:07:31Z")
[http://www.eyeq.tv/demo](http://www.eyeq.tv/demo) sorry guys im retarded 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-do-you-read/153694/4 "2003-02-08T10:33:06Z")
Ow. My eyes. Good test, tho’ – even it it does capture the whole screen. Methinks you have this in the wrong forum, however. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-do-you-read/153694/5 "2003-02-08T10:55:50Z")
I got 628 and then 602. I don’t think that is a true indication of how fast I read, though. I think I’m in the 300 - 500 words per minute category. One thing I do know, though–I read a lot faster than many around me, but I have some friends who read a lot faster than I do. One of my friends can devour a relatively dense science fiction novel in a couple of hours. I can read silly light stuff (like Harlequin Romances) in 2 hours, but the really substantive stuff, that will take me longer. Well, now, come to think of it, I can take maybe 5-6 hours to read a “normal” sized novel (some take longer, of course). That’s not really super-duper fast, but it’s adequate, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-do-you-read/153694/6 "2003-02-08T11:01:44Z")
661 to start, 746 at the end. However, I think the increase is due far more to the fact that the second paragraph is in a smaller font than the first, rather than any benefit to the exercises. Just a WAG, I admit, but then I’m a skeptic. But I did notice with the first paragraph that I was noticing how much I had to move my eyeballs, but I didn’t with the second. Besides, I was having a hard time paying attention to the exercises - the big crash scene from the Blues Brothers was playing on my TV at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-do-you-read/153694/7 "2003-02-08T11:47:42Z")
583 to 820, but I attribute much of it to the greater familiarity with the test the second time around. ---
**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-do-you-read/153694/8 "2003-02-08T12:14:19Z")
Man you guys are fast. I was 443 to 593. In real world reading I do a little better than a page a minute. ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-do-you-read/153694/9 "2003-02-08T13:24:44Z")
I found that I could read and comprehend without skimming at about 1200 wpm, buy you know what? That’s not how I prefer to read. When I read for pleasure or out of interest, I read at about the rate I imagine someone would speak if they were narrating, closer to 320 wpm. Since that speed isn’t likely to change, I’ve never felt aspeed reading coursed had much to offer. I’ll speed read the day I listen to Led Zep’s Kashmir at 78 rpms to get through it quicker. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-do-you-read/153694/10 "2003-02-08T13:41:28Z")
652 then 808. ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-do-you-read/153694/11 "2003-02-08T14:01:41Z")
798 to start, but only 743 at the end. I got bored and wasn’t expecting the test at the end when it showed up. I have always been a very fast reader when I need to be. In many, many years of formal education, I have seldom not been the first person to finish a test. I have never taken a standardized test that I didn’t finish in time. I am not the most clever person around, but by god, I can finish that test. 🙂 Seriously, it has been a huge help to me. On the other hand, when I read for pleasure, like **Waverly** , I slow down a lot. Why hurry when you are enjoying something? ---
**Author:** ![Iteki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eada6e/32.png) [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-do-you-read/153694/12 "2003-02-08T14:52:00Z")
612 went to 767 with retained comprehension. Like others said, I wouldn’t _want_ to read that fast generally. Reading is for me relaxation and enjoyment. I go through books at a fierce rate, wish I read slower! ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-do-you-read/153694/13 "2003-02-08T15:04:41Z")
This is a sort of survey, so I’ll move this to the forum for polls and surveys, In My Humble Opinion. bibliophage moderator GQ ---
**Author:** ![Super\_Gnat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Super\_Gnat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Super_Gnat)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-do-you-read/153694/14 "2003-02-08T15:14:36Z")
1. I don’t have time to go through the exercises and take it again. ---
**Author:** ![auRa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c4cdca/32.png) [@auRa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auRa)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-do-you-read/153694/15 "2003-02-08T16:14:48Z")
1. But I don’t usually read that quickly. I like to savor the words. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-do-you-read/153694/16 "2003-02-08T16:26:51Z")
715, then 683 – because I stopped for a millisecond to glance down and make sure I wasn’t supposed to press “start.” I can read fast when I need to, but like most of you, slow down and savor the experience when I’m reading for fun. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-do-you-read/153694/17 "2003-02-08T17:03:57Z")
tried to read at my usual speed = 666 words per minute. got the number of the devil and decided not to take the test again ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-do-you-read/153694/18 "2003-02-08T17:13:08Z")
433 went to 732… but I like reading slower to get the feel of things. Even then I can usually read a novel in about 2-3 hours. ---
**Author:** ![MrPeabody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7cd45c/32.png) [@MrPeabody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrPeabody)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-do-you-read/153694/19 "2003-02-08T17:17:41Z")
A test like this is like going down a path in a park. Yes you can run and miss a few things or you can walk and take in all the park has to offer. I read to fast. I hate it when I finish a good book in to short a time, it is like leaving a friend you just got to know. ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-do-you-read/153694/20 "2003-02-08T17:23:39Z")
1,956 to 1,781, not sure what happened the second time… But I was able to read the Wizard of Oz passages at 2,500 WPM. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-do-you-read/153694.md?page=2)