Does speed reading work?
Partly. You can get through a text faster, but you’ll understand less. A major review of the research concludes that there’s a trade-off between speed and understanding, and that it’s unlikely anyone can double or triple their reading speed (from about 250 to 500 or 750 words per minute) and still understand the text as well (Rayner et al., 2016).
Where this answer comes from
The review was written by five reading researchers, from the University of California, San Diego and MIT among others, and published in Psychological Science in the Public Interest. It asks whether speed reading delivers what it promises. The question has been around at least since 1959, when Evelyn Wood launched her Reading Dynamics program, and it came back with speed-reading apps for phones.
What about apps that flash the words one at a time? A lab study tested the idea behind them. People read sentences either normally or with each word masked as soon as their eyes moved past it, so they couldn’t go back and reread. Without that option, they understood less, and not only in ambiguous sentences. The authors say this calls into question speed-reading apps that do away with eye movements, such as those that show the words one at a time (Schotter, Tran & Rayner, 2014). It was a lab test with sentences that imitated that format, not a test of any particular app.
When reading fast does make sense
According to the same review, if you don’t need a thorough understanding, speed reading or skimming gets you through a text faster with moderate comprehension. That’s useful for deciding whether a text is worth your time, or for finding one fact. To study, sign a contract or follow an argument, read at your own pace.
A lab study on skimming points the same way. Readers had time for only half of each text. Those who skimmed recalled more of the important ideas than those who read half the text, but not more of the details, or of what could only be inferred from it (Duggan & Payne, 2009). In another of its experiments, skimming did no better than reading the first or the second half of every paragraph. These were informational texts, read against the clock.
What does help you read faster without understanding less
The review is specific: to keep comprehension high and get through text faster, you practice reading and become a more skilled language user, for example through a bigger vocabulary. In its words, language skill is at the heart of reading speed. In practice: read often and learn more words.
How to tell if it’s working for you
Measure both at once. Time one minute of reading, count the words, then sum up in two or three sentences what you read. If your speed goes up and your summary comes out empty, that number doesn’t count. The full steps, and how many words per minute an average adult reads, are in our other article.
Questions people ask
Does speed reading work?
Partly. It gets you through a text faster, but you understand less. That’s the conclusion of a major review of the research (Rayner et al., 2016).
Can you read faster and still understand everything?
Not much faster. The same review finds a trade-off between speed and understanding, and considers it unlikely that anyone doubles their speed and still understands the text as well.
What actually helps you read faster?
Reading often and learning more words. According to the review, the way to keep comprehension high and get through text faster is to practice reading and become a more skilled language user, for example through a bigger vocabulary.
Is skimming the same as speed reading?
In what you get from them, yes: according to the review, both get you through a text faster with moderate comprehension. That’s enough to find one fact or decide whether a text is worth your time, not when you need the details.
How do I check if it’s working for me?
Measure your speed and your understanding together: one timed minute of reading, then a two- or three-sentence summary without looking. If the number goes up and the summary comes out empty, it doesn’t count.
Sources: Rayner, K., Schotter, E. R., Masson, M. E. J., Potter, M. C., & Treiman, R. (2016). So Much to Read, So Little Time: How Do We Read, and Can Speed Reading Help? Psychological Science in the Public Interest 17(1), 4-34 · Duggan, G. B. & Payne, S. J. (2009). Text skimming: The process and effectiveness of foraging through text under time pressure. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied 15(3), 228-242 · Schotter, E. R., Tran, R. & Rayner, K. (2014). Don’t believe what you read (only once): Comprehension is supported by regressions during reading. Psychological Science 25(6), 1218-1226. If you spot a mistake, write to us and we’ll fix it.
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