The Danish Reading Time Estimator tells you roughly how long a piece of Danish text will take to read. It is handy for blog posts, newsletters, and scripts, where a “X min read” label sets reader expectations.
How it works
The estimate is a simple, transparent calculation:
seconds = (word count ÷ words per minute) × 60The tool counts words as runs of non-whitespace characters, divides by the chosen reading speed, and formats the result as minutes and seconds. Everything recalculates live as you type or change the speed.
Why 238 WPM
The default speed is 238 words per minute, a measured average silent-reading rate reported for Danish. That places Danish toward the faster end of European languages — for comparison, several studies put English nearer 220–240 and some Romance languages a little lower. The exact figure varies by reader, text difficulty, and whether the reader is skimming, so treat 238 WPM as a sensible starting point rather than an exact law.
Tips
- Adjust for your audience. Children, learners, and readers of technical prose are slower; drop to roughly 150–200 WPM.
- Round generously. Reading-time labels are estimates, so rounding up to the nearest whole minute is usually friendlier to readers.
- Measure the final draft. Edits change word counts, so re-check the estimate after your last revision.