IE 11 Not Supported

For optimal browsing, we recommend Chrome, Firefox or Safari browsers.

Who can read at a rate of 1,000 words per minute?

Answer: Anyone, according to the makers of a new app

A new speed reading app by Spritz could theoretically allow someone to read the 1,440 pages of Leo Tolstoy's novel War and Peace in less than 10 hours. The app works by flashing words in the same place in rapid succession, while also aligning the words with the correct “fixation point” for the reader. The easiest way to understand how Spritz works? Give it a try:

The average person reads 220 words per minute (wpm). This first image goes slightly faster than that at 250 wpm. Give it a whirl:

Spritz+at+250+wpm


And now let's bump it up a bit -- how does 350 wpm feel?

Spritz+at+350wpm


And next, we have 500 wpm -- relax and see how you do ... 

Spritz at 500wpm


 

Colin wrote for Government Technology and Emergency Management from 2010 through most of 2016.