Does speed reading work?

What the research says

In 2016, a team of reading researchers reviewed what is known about how we read and whether speed reading helps. Their conclusion: there is a trade-off between speed and understanding. Going from a typical 250 words a minute to 500 or 750 while understanding the text just as well is unlikely for most readers.

The limit is not mainly in the eyes. The hard part of reading is making sense of language, and the brain can take in only so much at a time. That is why techniques that train your eyes to move faster do not make you understand faster.

What happens with speed reading apps

Some apps flash one word at a time in the same spot, so your eyes never have to move. It sounds efficient, but it removes something readers rely on: quick glances back at earlier words. When researchers prevented those glances, understanding dropped. Most of the time we do not notice we are going back, but it helps us keep track of what a sentence means.

Skimming is a real skill

If you do not need to understand everything, skimming is honest speed reading. Read the headings, the first sentence of each paragraph and the conclusion, and slow down only where something matters to you. You will get the gist and moderate understanding, which is often enough for a report or an article. It is not a way to read a novel.

What actually makes you faster

According to the same review, the way to read faster and still understand is to become a more skilled reader:

• Read more. Practice makes recognizing words and sentences faster.
• Grow your vocabulary. Every unfamiliar word slows you down.
• Know the subject. Readers move fastest through topics they already know well.
• Remove interruptions. Checking your phone every few pages costs more time than any technique can save.

Measure your pace instead of chasing a number

Your speed changes with the book, the time of day and your reason for reading. The guide on how many pages you can read in an hour shows how to measure your own pace and how long a book is likely to take.

In Pagetime, enter the page you reached when you end a reading session. From your sessions with a book, Pagetime estimates how much time it has left at your pace. There is no speed score and no competition: a pace at which you follow the book is the right pace.

The free version holds up to 5 books and includes 20 page scans with text recognition in total. Deleting a note does not restore a used scan. Notes and the timer work offline without an account; sync is free after signing in. A subscription removes the book and scan limits and unlocks your full stats history, year in review and folder export. Pagetime is coming to iPhone and Android; you can leave your email below to hear when it is available. Until then, read a little more each day, and the speed will take care of itself.

This independent guide is published by Pagetime and is not authorized, sponsored or endorsed by Apple Inc. or Google LLC.