Reading time is the estimated duration needed to read a piece of text from start to finish. It is typically calculated based on an average reading speed of 200-250 words per minute for English text.

Displaying reading time on blog posts helps readers gauge the commitment required before they start reading. Platforms like Medium popularized this feature, and studies show it can increase engagement. Blog writing guides recommend including reading time estimates for better user experience.

The calculation can be refined by accounting for images (adding ~12 seconds for the first image, decreasing for subsequent ones) and code blocks.

For Japanese text, reading speed is typically measured at 400-600 characters per minute. UX writing books explore the relationship between reading time and reader attention spans.