Reading rate is a measure of what?

• A. Comprehension only
• B. Vocabulary size
• C. Fluency without speed
• D. Speed, generally calculated in words per minute

Answer: (D)

Reading rate examines how quickly a reader can move through text. It focuses on speed, not on understanding or word knowledge. In practice, it’s usually quantified as words read correctly in one minute, commonly called words per minute. This makes it distinct from comprehension, which measures meaning, and from vocabulary size, which measures knowledge of words rather than how fast they are read. Fluency involves both speed and accuracy, but if you’re specifically talking about how fast reading happens, the principal measure is speed, expressed as words per minute. So reading rate is about speed, generally calculated in words per minute.