How long does it take to read The Merchant of Venice?

About 3 h 01 min at 260 words per minute, assuming 275 words per page. At 30 minutes a day that is 7 days.

How many words is The Merchant of Venice?

Roughly 47,000 words, estimated from the median page count at 275 words per page. Open Library does not record word counts, so this is an estimate.

Book · by William Shakespeare · first published 1992

How many pages is The Merchant of Venice?

The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare has a median of 171 pages across 335 English-language print editions with a recorded page count; the middle half of editions run 128 to 207 pages.

Median pages

171

335 editions counted

Range

77–347

shortest to longest edition

Reading time

3.0h

at 260 wpm (fiction average)

Words (est.)

47k

at 275 words per page

How long will The Merchant of Venice take you?

Starts at the fiction average of 260 words per minute and 275 words per page. Move the slider to your own speed.

Reading speed 260 wpm

Page density

Reading time

3 h 01 min

At 30 min a day

7 days

At 1 hour a day

4 days

Page count of every edition, by year

Each dot is one English-language print edition. Shaded: middle half of editions. Line: median.

Open Library edition records (2026-09-30 dump). 35 editions without a publication year not plotted.

Pages by format

Hardcover, paperback and mass-market editions are typeset differently, so the same text can run to more or fewer pages.

Format	Median pages	Editions	Reading time
Hardcover	196	7	3 h 27 min
Paperback	148	37	2 h 37 min
Mass market	288	2	5 h 05 min

Editions counted

The 335 editions behind the figures above, newest first. 46 more editions were set aside because the page count was less than half or more than 2.2 times the median, which usually means an abridged text, an omnibus, or a typing error. Open Library lists 818 editions of this work in all languages and formats.

Year	Publisher	Format	Pages	Open Library
2015	Lerner Publishing Group	–	120	OL29703701M
2015	Lerner Publishing Group	–	120	OL29779628M
2015	Lerner Publishing Group	–	120	OL29781232M
2014	Simon & Schuster, Limited	–	288	OL34499899M
2014	Cambridge University Press	–	216	OL28520847M
2014	Einaudi	–	252	OL32125036M
2010	Saddleback Educational Publishing, Incorporated	–	96	OL29584416M
2010	Pearson Education, Limited	–	224	OL28443892M
2010	Simon & Schuster Paperbacks	–	247	OL25010341M
2010	Oxford University Press	–	122	OL25008578M
2010	Modern Library	–	196	OL24844379M
2010	Pearson Education	–	264	OL28443980M
2009	Ignatius Press	–	252	OL24878907M
2009	Cambridge University Press	–	194	OL25562409M
2008	Focus Pub.	–	107	OL24977300M
2008	Barnes & Noble Books	–	306	OL23142468M
2008	Oxford University Press	–	241	OL23152206M
2007	Wildside Press	Hardcover	196	OL11974487M
2007	FQ Classics	Paperback	160	OL12502529M
2007	Wildside Press	Paperback	196	OL11974486M
2006	ICON Group International, Inc.	Paperback	160	OL10416474M
2006	Icon Reference	Paperback	180	OL7652834M
2006	ICON Reference	Paperback	136	OL9468585M
2006	ICON Group International, Inc.	Paperback	142	OL10416657M
2006	Yale University Press	Paperback	208	OL9846892M
2006	Echo Library	Paperback	176	OL8965221M
2006	Oxford University Press, USA	–	160	OL7399665M
2006	ICON Group International, Inc.	Paperback	136	OL10416592M
2006	Echo Library	Paperback	124	OL8411210M
2006	ICON Reference	Paperback	140	OL9762153M
2006	Prestwick House, Inc.	Perfect Paperback	96	OL12276612M
2006	ICON Reference	Paperback	148	OL9571511M
2006	ICON Group International, Inc.	Paperback	140	OL10370398M
2006	Pearson Education, Limited	–	224	OL28989763M
2006	Echo Library	Paperback	92	OL8411219M
2006	ICON Group International, Inc.	Paperback	136	OL10416683M
2006	Hard Press	Paperback	98	OL11685376M
2005	W.W. Norton	–	347	OL3428754M
2005	Penguin Books Ltd	–	240	OL7358377M
2005	Pearson Longman	–	256	OL17138206M
2005	Riverhead Books	–	132	OL3424067M
2005	Cambridge University Press	Paperback	208	OL7748880M
2004	Washington Square Press	Mass Market Paperback	288	OL7951043M
2004	Signet Classics	–	272	OL7577359M
2004	Perfection Learning Corp.	–	272	OL31640554M
2004	Turtleback Books Distributed by Demco Media	Turtleback	224	OL10944074M
2004	Longman	Paperback	288	OL9578305M
2004	Turtleback Books Distributed by Demco Media	Turtleback	237	OL10943880M
2003	Nelson Thornes	Paperback	120	OL7964850M
2003	Cambridge University Press	–	202	OL3706317M
2003	Cambridge University Press	Paperback	316	OL7753093M
2003	Harcourt Canada, Limited	–	242	OL28428663M
2003	SparkNotes	Paperback	256	OL8821549M
2003	Cambridge University Press	Hardcover	316	OL7753027M
2003	SparkNotes	–	231	OL3676993M
2002	Washington Square Press	Hardcover	288	OL7950345M
2001	Wordsworth Editions Ltd	Paperback	96	OL12266603M
2001	Wordsworth Editions Ltd	Paperback	112	OL8767757M
2001	Oxford University Press	–	118	OL3970813M
2001	Arden	Paperback	192	OL8768136M
2001	Applause Books	Paperback	216	OL8602201M
2000	Pearson Education Australia	–	224	OL28426674M
2000	Applause Books	Paperback	156	OL8602125M
2000	IDG	–	200	OL23031126M
2000	Cliffs Notes	Paperback	216	OL8051887M
2000	Penguin Books	–	103	OL6898539M
1998	Signet Classics	–	272	OL7577267M
1998	Applause	–	96	OL664024M
1998	Oxford University Press, USA	–	256	OL7384042M
1997	NTC/Contemporary Publishing Company	Paperback	100	OL8978438M
1997	Wordsworth Editions Ltd	Paperback	128	OL8914251M
1997	Arden Shakespeare	–	240	OL7381574M
1997	Arden Shakespeare	Hardcover	174	OL10124593M
1995	Stanley Thornes Publishers	Paperback	240	OL7964501M
1995	Prentice Hall	Paperback	144	OL10087306M
1995	Prentice Hall, Harvester Wheatsheaf	–	136	OL16835125M
1995	Dover Publications	–	88	OL1278378M
1994	Educational Co. of Ireland	–	152	OL31937779M
1994	Gramercy Books	–	127	OL1434109M
1994	Oxford University Press, USA	–	256	OL7383602M
1993	J.M. Dent	–	227	OL1157046M
1993	Clarendon Press	–	241	OL1734765M
1993	Longman Trade/Caroline House	Paperback	304	OL10647481M
1992	Washington Square Press	Mass Market Paperback	288	OL7663226M
1992	Stanley Thornes Publishers	Paperback	90	OL10761380M
1992	Oxford University Press, USA	–	139	OL7399634M
1992	Pocket Books	–	237	OL32766774M
1992	Cambridge University Press	–	188	OL1483489M
1990	Stanley Thornes	–	236	OL22621768M
1989	Learning Links	–	236	OL7313575M
1988	Bantam Books	–	129	OL2394461M
1988	Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Canada	–	240	OL2274467M
1987	Cambridge University Press	–	190	OL2734128M
1987	Oxford University Press, USA	–	136	OL7399618M
1987	New American Library	–	211	OL24372568M
1987	New American Library of Canada	–	211	OL22595149M
1986	Macmillan	–	123	OL14998375M
1986	Perfection Form Co.	–	235	OL2425402M
1986	Longman	–	276	OL2472046M
1985	Routledge	–	232	OL7498576M
1985	Barron's	–	236	OL2865376M
1985	Reclam	–	224	OL22020028M
1984	University Press of America	–	118	OL2843121M
1983	Swan Books	–	112	OL3170159M
1981	Penguin Classics	–	224	OL7357274M
1980	Coles Publishing	–	137	OL20817370M
1980	Coles	–	84	OL14893805M
1976	Macmillan	–	227	OL24890247M
1975	Clarendon Press	–	192	OL4603971M
1972	Collins	–	238	OL5462922M
1970	Penguin Books	–	124	OL4754047M
1969	Cambridge University Press	Hardcover	228	OL7716756M
1969	Clarendon Press	–	287	OL23746420M
1968	Cambridge U.P.	–	194	OL5651640M
1968	Penguin Books	–	121	OL20684056M
1968	Funk & Wagnalls	–	137	OL5596613M
1968	Cambridge University Press	Paperback	228	OL7731801M
1967	Edward Arnold	–	191	OL5647067M
1967	Stanwix House	–	228	OL5858282M
1966	[Dell Pub. Co.	–	268	OL5980590M
1966	Blaisdell Pub. Co.	–	102	OL18571762M
1966	Blaisdell Pub. Co.	–	102	OL5998054M
1966	Heinemann Educational Books	–	216	OL5550741M
1966	Watts	–	123	OL26905821M
1965	New American Library	–	176	OL13545659M
1965	Airmont Pub. Co.	–	126	OL5938954M
1965	New American Library	–	176	OL5934937M
1964	University of London Press	–	176	OL15959532M
1964	Cambridge University Press	Hardcover	192	OL7716361M
1964	Arden	Paperback	232	OL8768128M
1964	Van Nostrand Reinhold	–	232	OL7481160M
1964	University Press	–	184	OL15959418M
1963	Macmillan	–	249	OL5891269M
1962	–	–	194	OL26535492M
1962	Bantam Books	–	203	OL5875518M
1961	Methuen	–	174	OL15959339M
1961	Routledge	–	232	OL7498967M
1961	Macmillan	–	150	OL19364946M
1961	Longmans, Green	–	189	OL19934043M
1960	Clarke, Irwin	–	169	OL15959392M
1960	Yale University Press	–	123	OL5795832M
1959	Penguin Books	–	126	OL6271852M
1959	Harvard University Press	–	174	OL26911775M
1959	Penguin Books	–	126	OL15959546M
1958	University Press	–	97	OL5834092M
1957	Pocket Library	–	94	OL6223900M
1957	Yale University Press	–	120	OL24382367M
1957	Washington Square Press	–	94	OL23242488M
1955	Metheun	–	174	OL13534981M
1955	Harvard University Press	–	174	OL26983706M
1955	Harvard University Press	–	174	OL27925344M
1955	Methuen	–	174	OL15959323M
1955	Harvard University Press	–	174	OL23319186M
1954	Harrap	–	138	OL15959411M
1952	The Clarendon press	–	192	OL26885179M
1950	Yale University Press	–	120	OL32125035M
1950	Clarke, Irwin	–	138	OL17469079M
1945	Ginn	–	163	OL26884335M
1940	The Copp, Clark Company, Limited	–	162	OL24194424M
1940	Simon and Schuster	–	145	OL6417392M
1937	H. Holt and company	–	300	OL6357801M
1936	Ginn	–	164	OL6339694M
1935	Macmillan	–	145	OL19664523M
1934	S. French	–	77	OL23339392M
1934	Walter H Baker Co	Paperback	77	OL10642770M
1932	National Home Library Foundation	–	134	OL6458313M
1931	D.C. Heath and company	–	118	OL27888648M
1930	Houghton Mifflin company	–	284	OL6752640M
1929	Lyons & Carnahan	–	158	OL6736888M
1929	The Macmillan company	–	185	OL6732877M
1928	Harlow Publishing Co.	–	105	OL6711167M
1927	Methuen	–	176	OL15959476M
1926	Nelson	–	147	OL26889641M
1926	The University Press	–	193	OL6691413M
1925	Charles E. Merrill company	–	182	OL6677456M
1923	Yale University Press; [etc., etc.]	–	120	OL6653189M
1923	Penn Pub. Co.	–	98	OL577193M
1923	–	–	98	OL26721576M
1923	[Ernest Benn]	–	97	OL2905159M
1922	Priv. print.	–	174	OL24819275M
1922	Priv. print.	–	174	OL24733683M
1922	Christophers	–	126	OL6649879M
1922	Privately Printed	–	174	OL32221263M
1922	Privately Printed	–	174	OL24152154M
1922	Priv. print.	–	82	OL20494403M
1922	Priv. print.	–	174	OL6651331M
1920	F. M. Ambrose	–	192	OL6623905M
1919	Scott, Foresman & company	–	186	OL6615095M
1919	C. Scribner's Sons	–	152	OL16580745M
1919	C. Scribner's sons	–	152	OL23719426M
1917	Row, Peterson and company	–	95	OL24760158M
1917	Methuen	–	176	OL14022625M
1917	Row, Peterson and company	–	95	OL6597673M
1917	Row, Peterson and company	–	95	OL24818105M
1917	Allyn and Bacon	–	293	OL6596761M
1917	Row, Peterson and company	–	95	OL24734954M
1916	D. C. Heath & Co.	–	182	OL6588270M
1916	Heath	–	182	OL7073677M
1914	The A. S. Barnes company	–	117	OL6567519M
1914	Hodder & Stoughton	–	143	OL22893316M
1914	Waseda Daigaku Shuppanbu	–	204	OL30930917M
1914	John C. Winston Company Publishers	–	331	OL24786065M
1914	Macmillan Co.	–	207	OL17146912M
1914	The A. S. Barnes company	–	117	OL7150504M
1912	Doubleday, Page & company	–	194	OL6543599M
1911	American Book Company	–	236	OL14022627M
1911	The Palmer company	–	137	OL6530185M
1911	Macmillan Co.	–	132	OL18630159M
1911	Macmillan	–	132	OL6537968M
1911	American book company	–	112	OL6529551M
1911	American book company	–	236	OL7023280M
1911	American book co.	–	173	OL26983707M
1911	H. Holt	–	158	OL6528678M
1910	Charles E. Merrill co.	–	183	OL24819252M
1910	D.C. Heath & Co.	–	142	OL37028576M
1910	Charles E. Merrill co.	–	183	OL24733700M
1909	Educational Publishing Co.	–	154	OL7008255M
1909	Grosset and Dunlap	–	137	OL23266135M
1908	Duffield and company	–	82	OL6568300M
1908	Chatto and Windus	–	80	OL7006210M
1907	W. H. Baker & co.	–	83	OL24819145M
1907	W. H. Baker & co.	–	83	OL24734955M
1906	Ginn & Co.	–	144	OL24638161M
1906	Ginn	–	144	OL26912383M
1906	Ginn & Co.	–	144	OL24929643M
1906	J.M. Dent and co.	–	130	OL6412710M
1906	D.C. Heath	–	142	OL26364817M
1906	Ginn and Company	–	143	OL13996683M
1906	Morang & Co.	–	81	OL24132475M
1906	Ginn & Co.	–	144	OL24832081M
1905	Methuen	–	176	OL15959462M
1905	Crane & company	–	129	OL23719389M
1905	Clarendon Press	–	130	OL7247230M
1905	B. F. Johnson	–	197	OL6960956M
1904	Crowell	–	264	OL6938097M
1903	American book company	–	186	OL6935535M
1903	B. F. Johnson publishing company	–	197	OL23719313M
1903	H. Holt and company	–	220	OL6928484M
1903	American Book Co.	–	186	OL23300943M
1903	American Book Company	–	236	OL6930709M
1903	American Book Co.	–	186	OL14022626M
1903	D. Appleton and company	–	174	OL23719495M
1902	Ginn & co.	–	228	OL20608091M
1901	J. M. Dent and co.	–	130	OL17729965M
1901	C. C. Birchard	–	186	OL6912777M
1901	University Society	–	154	OL23319104M
1900	Ginn & company	–	207	OL6910576M
1900	Hodder & Stoughton	–	143	OL24867000M
1900	–	–	118	OL24187488M
1900	Globe School Book Co.	–	137	OL6774645M
1900	Scott, Foresman and company	–	172	OL16565521M
1900	Hodder & Stoughton	–	143	OL24152121M
1899	Harper & brothers	–	173	OL14041935M
1899	Maynard, Merrill, & co.	–	218	OL24187109M
1899	The Macmillan company	–	207	OL529642M
1899	The Macmillan company	–	207	OL24734940M
1899	The Macmillan company	–	207	OL24819147M
1899	Harper	–	173	OL17806424M
1898	American book company	–	173	OL15373159M
1897	Blackie	–	142	OL24605709M
1896	Longmans, Green, and co.	–	144	OL24172718M
1896	Allyn and Bacon	–	115	OL6552540M
1896	Longmans, Green, and Co.	–	144	OL32216629M
1896	Longmans, Green, and Co.	–	144	OL6552539M
1895	Silver, Burdett & co.	–	188	OL24364467M
1895	Harper	–	173	OL7106801M
1894	Sibley & Ducker	–	226	OL25389408M
1894	Leach, Shewell, & Sanborn	–	226	OL6552554M
1894	J.M. Dent	–	130	OL25261669M
1893	American book company	–	103	OL23719480M
1892	Houghton, Mifflin & company	–	111	OL23719576M
1892	Houghton, Mifflin and company	–	116	OL6707135M
1890	Macmillan	–	174	OL15959373M
1888	The Shakespeare Society of New York	–	205	OL21246908M
1886	Cassell	–	192	OL25261685M
1884	Harper & brothers	–	155	OL6640426M
1883	Harper and brothers	–	171	OL24733699M
1883	Harper & brothers	–	171	OL17729966M
1883	Harper and brothers	–	171	OL23719329M
1883	Harper and brothers	–	171	OL24819251M
1882	Clark & Maynard	–	159	OL6276819M
1881	W. Griggs	–	78	OL14637030M
1881	W. Griggs	–	78	OL20747854M
1881	Publisht W. Griggs ...	–	78	OL23748075M
1881	W. Griggs	–	78	OL24434121M
1879	Ginn & Company	–	207	OL15308306M
1879	Harper & Brothers	–	168	OL17804199M
1879	Ginn & Company	–	207	OL24785997M
1871	Harper & brothers	–	168	OL6637056M
1870	Ginn	–	172	OL24172672M
1868	Longmans, Green	–	144	OL24172738M
1868	B. Tauchnitz	–	77	OL20280672M
1860	D. Appleton and Co.	–	95	OL6457162M
1860	Sampson Low, Son and Co.	–	95	OL17348103M
1860	Hurst & Company, New York	Hardcover	78	OL25943358M
1858	Printed by J. K. Chapman and co.	–	85	OL24128951M
1823	Wells and Lilly; New-York, A. T. Goodrich & co.	–	94	OL24819244M
1823	Wells and Lilly	–	94	OL24733717M
1773	Printed for John Bell ...; and C. Etherington, at York	–	230	OL20137851M
1619	Printed by J. Roberts [i.e. by William Jaggard for Thomas Pa	–	80	OL25918725M

More by William Shakespeare

All 23 books by William Shakespeare with page counts

Questions

How many pages is The Merchant of Venice?: About 171 pages: that is the median of 335 English-language print editions on Open Library. Editions range from 77 to 347 pages.
How long does it take to read The Merchant of Venice?: About 3 h 01 min at 260 words per minute, assuming 275 words per page. At 30 minutes a day that is 7 days.
How many words is The Merchant of Venice?: Roughly 47,000 words, estimated from the median page count at 275 words per page. Open Library does not record word counts, so this is an estimate.

Data: Open Library monthly data dumps (works, editions, authors, reading log, ratings) (Open Library / Internet Archive); How many words do we read per minute? A review and meta-analysis of reading rate (Marc Brysbaert, Journal of Memory and Language 109 (2019)).