User Experience (UX)
⏱️ Why Show Reading Time?
Adding a "minutes to read" badge to your articles respects your reader's time and improves engagement.
Have you noticed that major publishing platforms like Medium always include a "5 min read" indicator at the top of their articles? This isn't just a design trend; it is a proven psychological tool to increase readership.
The Psychology of Commitment
When a user clicks on a link, they are instantly evaluating the cost-benefit analysis of staying on the page. A massive wall of text is intimidating. By clearly stating, "This will only take 3 minutes of your life," you lower the barrier to entry and encourage them to commit to reading the whole piece.
How do we calculate it?
The standard formula used by publishing platforms is based on Words Per Minute (WPM).
- The Average Reader: Studies show that the average adult reads at a speed of roughly 200 to 250 words per minute.
- The Math: Take the total word count of your article and divide it by the WPM. For example, a 1,000-word article divided by 200 WPM equates precisely to a 5-minute read.
* Note: If your article contains a lot of images, standard practice is to add an extra 12 seconds for the first image, 11 for the second, and 10 seconds for each additional image. This basic calculator strictly measures text volume.