09/09/2026
Subject: The SPEED READING Tool to Improve Your Reading Speed at ESL Fast
Dear ESL Fast Community Member,
As an English learner, you may find that reading speed is a challenge. You may understand the words you read, but you cannot read them fast enough.
The average reading speed of English learners is often around 60–100 words per minute (WPM), while an educated adult native English speaker may read at around 200–300 WPM. Why is there such a big difference?
There are many reasons, but one important reason is that English learners often read word by word. Instead, you should train yourself to read in sense groups.
What Is a Sense Group?
A sense group is a group of words in a sentence that forms a unit of meaning. When speaking, the words in a sense group are usually spoken together, with a brief pause before and after the group.
A sense group is also called a thought group. It helps readers and speakers break long sentences into smaller, more manageable units.
One effective way for English learners to break the habit of reading word by word is to train themselves to read in sense groups.
How SPEED READING Works at ESL Fast
To help English learners break the habit of reading word by word, ESL Fast has developed a tool called SPEED READING.
The tool marks sense groups as you read an essay, helping you recognize and read groups of words as units of meaning. It also allows you to control your reading speed.
How to Use the SPEED READING Tool
- Click the SPEED READING button in the upper-left corner of the reading passage page. A control panel will appear on your screen.
- On the control panel, change the default WPM (words per minute) setting to the reading speed you want to practice.
- Click the PLAY button to start your reading-speed training.
- Follow the moving bar. It highlights one sense group at a time. Read each group of words quickly, without pausing between the words, as if the entire group were one word.
- Use the PAUSE button to stop. Use the arrow buttons to move backward or forward if you want to stop, reread something, or skip ahead. Clicking the forward arrow will take you to the beginning of the next sentence.
- When you reach the end of the passage, the reading bar will stop. Increase the WPM setting and read the passage again to continue your training.
- You can also play the audio for the reading passage while training. Adjust the WPM setting to match the speed of the audio. Remember that you can also change the playback speed of the audio player.
- When you are finished, click the CLOSE button on the control panel to close the SPEED READING tool.
Read Faster and Understand Better
Reading by sense groups is an important skill for improving your reading speed. With regular practice, we are confident that you will be able to read faster and, at the same time, understand passages better—because a sense group represents a unit of meaning.
We hope the SPEED READING tool at ESL Fast will help you improve your reading speed quickly and effectively.
Please write to us and let us know what you think. If you encounter any problems with the tool, we would also like to hear from you.
Enjoy reading!
The ESL Fast Team
Los Angeles, USA
