How fast can you read?

[Yaniv]

From what I've heard (numerous sites on the net) the average person reads at about 200-250 words per minute (wpm).
A good reader on the other hand can read 600-800 wpm, even more.
I wonder if this is true.
Not long ago, I was at about 200 wpm and after much practice I have managed to get up to about 260.
Anyways, where does your reading speed stand and how did you get it there?
I've also heard that there are many methods to increase reading speed.
If anyone can give tips, please do so.

Edit: here is a link to a speed reading test:
http://mindbluff.com/askread.htm

 

[~Corsair#01~]

I read slowly, but I like it that way- makes my books last longer.

 

[CIVPhilzilla]

i can read fast, haven't tested how fast.

 

[Longasc]

i never counted how fast I read. But I am reading a 600 pages book in 3 days - regularly. I am really an avid reader.

 

[Longasc]

if someone can tell me how many words are on a page app., I might have a guess.

 

[Yaniv]

if someone can tell me how many words are on a page app., I might have a guess.

The idea is to count the number of words in several rows, then calculte the average word per row, then multiply by the total number of rows on the page.

You can't be persice but you can get a good idea.
If you read on the pc like I do than you can be percise using Word to calculate the number of words on a document.

 

[Phasmida]

I have no idea how fast I read, and finding out seems like a waste of time.

 

[IglooDame]

Is there a reading speed test somewhere, similar to typing speed tests?

I think I'm a fairly fast reader, and can blast through good books in hours-long chunks, but I think the 600+ wpm folks are probably doing the speed-reading thing and "getting the gist of each paragraph" rather than reading every word. That seems akin to chugging fine wine, IMHO.

 

[Padma]

I was part of a "guinea pig" group that was taught speed reading back in elementary school, many, many years ago. I *could* read about 600 WPM. Since then, as my jobs have required me to be precise in what I am doing/reading (E.g., you don't want to misread a tech order when maintaining nukes!) I have slowed down. Currently around 350 wpm.

 

[Marla_Singer]

How do we calculate that thing ? Who on earth knows his average wpm speed ?

Well, we can make a test... Let's get an alarm clock which will ring in 5 minutes, open the Lords of the rings, read untill it rings and then cound the words which had been read and calculate how much it makes in an hour.



I don't think I'm a volunteer for that, it seems like a waste of time.

 

[Marla_Singer]

Oh well, it seems Padma knows his average wpm... interesting hobby...

 

[Gogf]

I agree with Marla. I have no idea what my average WPM is, but I'm sure it's pretty slow.

 

[eyrei]

I just know I read very quickly...I've gotten a lot of practice skimming threads like this...

 

[Suppersalmon]

about 200-250 according to the link

 

[CIVPhilzilla]

500-550, but i read off the computer screen slower than a book.

 

[newfangle]

500-550. Faster than I thought I'd get.

 

[Mise]

about 200-250 according to the link...

...but i read off the computer screen slower than a book.

Same here.

 

[MCdread]

It depends on what I'm reading (and of course, on what language I'm reading). Anyway, the real pleasure is in reading slower and enjoy each word (depending again on what you're reading of course)...

 

[Tomoyo]

I got 450-500 wpm.

However, I have read a half-inch thick book in 13 minutes, and understood all of it.

(And every page of that had text on it)

 

[Civrules]

I got 200-250. Probably if I am not focused, I'd read slower.