DB: in order to read at the rate of normal speech how many characters must be recognized per second?
ChatGpt: Normal speech is typically spoken at a rate of around 125 to 150 words per minute (WPM) in many languages, including English. To read at the rate of normal speech, you need to process and recognize the characters at a speed that allows you to comprehend and pronounce words at this pace.
Let’s break this down:
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Words per minute (WPM) can vary, but let’s take an average of 137.5 WPM (which is right in the middle of the 125 to 150 range).
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English words have an average length of around 5 characters.
To read at the rate of normal speech:
137.5 words per minute * 5 characters per word = 687.5 characters per minute
Now, to find the number of characters recognized per second, you can divide by 60 (since there are 60 seconds in a minute):
687.5 characters per minute / 60 seconds per minute ≈ 11.46 characters per second
So, to read at the rate of normal speech, you would need to recognize and process approximately 11.46 characters per second. Keep in mind that this is just an average estimate, and individual reading speeds can vary. Additionally, factors like comprehension, context, and the complexity of the text can influence your reading speed.