What is the best speed for listening to a text?
There is no ideal speed for everyone: it depends on the text, on your habits and on what you are doing at the same time. Here is how to find yours in a few minutes.
Which speeds does Readotte offer?
Readotte offers eight speeds: 0.75×, 1×, 1.25×, 1.5×, 1.75×, 2×, 2.5× and 3×. You can change it at any time during playback.
The pitch of the voice is preserved: at 2×, the voice goes faster but does not get squeaky. For our duration estimates, we count about 800 characters per minute at 1×.
How long does a text take at each speed?
At 1×, count about 800 characters per minute, spaces included; the duration is then divided by the speed you choose. A text that takes 30 minutes at 1× therefore takes about 20 minutes at 1.5× and 15 minutes at 2×.
These are rough figures: the real pace varies a little with the voice and the text.
| Speed | Characters per minute (approx.) | 24,000-character text |
|---|---|---|
| 0.75× | 600 | 40 min |
| 1× | 800 | 30 min |
| 1.5× | 1,200 | 20 min |
| 2× | 1,600 | 15 min |
| 3× | 2,400 | 10 min |
Which speed should you choose for each kind of text?
The denser or newer the text is to you, the lower the speed should be. A story or a light article holds up well at 1.25× to 1.5×; a course you are discovering, a legal or technical text is easier to follow around 1×.
On the other hand, a chapter you are revising or a document you are skimming for the main points can go to 2× or more. For revision, see also listen to your course notes.
- Discovering difficult material: 0.75× to 1×.
- Reading an article or a story: 1× to 1.5×.
- Reviewing material you already know: 1.5× to 2×.
- Skimming to find a passage: 2.5× to 3×.
When should you slow down to 0.75×?
Slow down when every word counts: a text in a language you are learning, a technical passage, or a proofreading pass where you are looking for mistakes. At 0.75×, words stand out more clearly without the voice getting deeper.
It helps if you are learning French, since Readotte also reads French texts, and when you proofread a text by ear, where a low speed helps you catch a missing or doubled word.
Does listening fast mean understanding well?
It depends on you and on the text: we do not promise that listening at 2× or 3× saves time without losing anything. The only good guide is your own understanding, which you can test by summing up what you just heard.
Following the text with your eyes while listening helps a lot at high speed: the current sentence and the spoken word are highlighted. If you missed a sentence, the left arrow key plays it again.
Should you change speed depending on the situation?
Yes: you follow less well walking down a noisy street than sitting at a desk. Go down one step when your attention is divided, and back up when you are focused.
In the car, set the speed before you leave, never while driving; see listen to PDFs while driving.
Listen to your document
PDF with selectable text, 25 MB max. Scanned PDFs (images only) are not read yet.
Free, no account: about 10 minutes of listening a day. The text is extracted and read by our servers in Europe.
Frequently asked questions
Does the voice get squeaky when sped up?
No, Readotte preserves the pitch of the voice when you change the speed. You can also adjust the pitch separately on the Voices page, by ±4 semitones.
Can I change speed in the middle of playback?
Yes, you can switch from one speed to another at any time during playback. If you listen to very different texts, adjust it for each document.