How long does it take to read The Time Machine?

About 2 h 09 min at 260 words per minute, assuming 275 words per page. At 30 minutes a day that is 5 days.

How many words is The Time Machine?

Roughly 34,000 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 H. G. Wells

How many pages is The Time Machine?

The Time Machine by H. G. Wells has a median of 122 pages across 175 English-language print editions with a recorded page count; the middle half of editions run 103 to 140 pages.

Median pages

122

175 editions counted

Range

59–268

shortest to longest edition

Reading time

2.2h

at 260 wpm (fiction average)

Words (est.)

34k

at 275 words per page

How long will The Time Machine 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

2 h 09 min

At 30 min a day

5 days

At 1 hour a day

3 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). 1 edition 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	128	3	2 h 15 min
Paperback	123	20	2 h 10 min

Editions counted

The 175 editions behind the figures above, newest first. 19 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 1,146 editions of this work in all languages and formats.

Year	Publisher	Format	Pages	Open Library
2021	Independently Published	–	122	OL34203301M
2021	Gildan Media Corporation	–	140	OL34144238M
2021	Independently Published	–	112	OL34242455M
2021	Independently Published	–	105	OL34344341M
2021	Independently Published	–	123	OL34360665M
2021	Independently Published	–	122	OL34304602M
2021	Independently Published	–	123	OL34353948M
2021	Independently Published	–	123	OL34254545M
2021	Gildan Media Corporation	–	140	OL34225448M
2021	Independently Published	–	107	OL34206530M
2021	Independently Published	–	67	OL34254760M
2021	Independently Published	–	94	OL34238472M
2021	Independently Published	–	111	OL34294412M
2021	Independently Published	–	123	OL34306679M
2021	Independently Published	–	123	OL34344820M
2021	Independently Published	–	131	OL34123514M
2021	Independently Published	–	93	OL34300032M
2021	Independently Published	–	111	OL34303452M
2021	Independently Published	–	122	OL34299873M
2021	Independently Published	–	122	OL34235611M
2021	Independently Published	–	94	OL34329992M
2021	Independently Published	–	122	OL34310972M
2021	Independently Published	–	114	OL34309196M
2021	Independently Published	–	122	OL34351354M
2021	Independently Published	–	90	OL34213925M
2021	Independently Published	–	122	OL34283447M
2021	Independently Published	–	123	OL34291608M
2021	Independently Published	–	122	OL34198869M
2021	Independently Published	–	123	OL34313275M
2021	Independently Published	–	60	OL34173132M
2020	Independently Published	–	123	OL30336343M
2020	Independently Published	–	113	OL30050633M
2020	Independently Published	–	123	OL30318552M
2020	West Margin Press	–	86	OL29919413M
2020	Independently Published	–	64	OL30050384M
2020	Independently Published	–	67	OL30205196M
2020	Independently Published	–	123	OL34351570M
2020	Independently Published	–	113	OL29956388M
2020	Independently Published	–	122	OL30007121M
2020	Independently Published	–	75	OL30003650M
2020	Independently Published	–	123	OL30318974M
2020	Independently Published	–	123	OL30354431M
2020	Kalyani Navyug Media Pty. Ltd.	–	72	OL29464322M
2020	Independently Published	–	123	OL30006168M
2020	Independently Published	–	111	OL30337727M
2020	Independently Published	–	87	OL30266579M
2020	Independently Published	–	123	OL30028974M
2020	Independently Published	–	123	OL30333582M
2020	Independently Published	–	110	OL34262728M
2020	Independently Published	–	123	OL30363581M
2020	Independently Published	–	123	OL30322056M
2020	Independently Published	–	96	OL30003666M
2020	Independently Published	–	118	OL30050469M
2020	Independently Published	–	123	OL30330277M
2020	Independently Published	–	111	OL29958086M
2020	Independently Published	–	107	OL30353682M
2019	Independently Published	–	97	OL30026042M
2019	Independently Published	–	88	OL29818761M
2018	Lerner Publishing Group	–	108	OL29778095M
2018	Lerner Publishing Group	–	108	OL29778134M
2018	Penguin Random House	–	128	OL30599312M
2018	Unknown Publisher	–	104	OL34399911M
2018	Joe Books Inc.	–	72	OL34096586M
2018	Lerner Publishing Group	–	108	OL29778085M
2017	Pan Macmillan	–	128	OL28609726M
2017	Scholastic	–	186	OL29354789M
2017	Alma Classics	–	160	OL28631402M
2017	Oxford University Press	–	144	OL28618489M
2017	Oxford University Press	–	144	OL28629382M
2017	HarperCollins Publishers Australia	–	144	OL28612915M
2016	Simon & Schuster	–	176	OL34020647M
2015	CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform	paperback	112	OL39489511M
2015	Flame Tree Publishing	–	128	OL28502419M
2014	Diderot Publishing	–	166	OL28549675M
2014	Capstone	–	72	OL28805407M
2014	Standard Ebooks	–	84	OL37044446M
2014	Capstone	–	72	OL28815084M
2014	Rock Paper Books	–	148	OL32147619M
2014	Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.	–	120	OL29695531M
2013	Start Publishing LLC	–	120	OL33999457M
2013	Steerforth Press	–	72	OL28461738M
2012	Penguin Books, Limited	–	128	OL28480174M
2012	Flame Tree Publishing	–	200	OL29225849M
2011	Simon & Schuster, Limited	–	176	OL29069522M
2011	Legend Press	–	110	OL29172143M
2010	Penguin Books	–	115	OL24080792M
2010	Gollancz	–	125	OL24846924M
2009	Phoenix Pick	–	102	OL24410638M
2008	Akasha Publishing, LLC	–	108	OL28744652M
2008	Horizon Publishing Group (HPG)	–	196	OL28453350M
2008	Real Reads Ltd.	–	64	OL28436849M
2008	Compass Media Incorporated	–	67	OL29556067M
2008	Akasha Publishing, LLC	–	108	OL28744651M
2008	Pearson Education, Limited	–	88	OL28452926M
2008	ReadHowYouWant.com, Limited	–	136	OL28484288M
2007	BiblioBazaar	Paperback	100	OL11878471M
2007	Stone Arch Books	Library Binding	63	OL12498723M
2007	BiblioBazaar	Paperback	92	OL11878427M
2007	Book Jungle	Paperback	92	OL12557681M
2007	IndyPublish	Paperback	116	OL11982972M
2007	W. W. Norton	Paperback	268	OL10157936M
2006	ICON Reference	Paperback	124	OL9379101M
2006	Dalmatian Press	–	192	OL28739572M
2006	Cengage Heinle	–	240	OL28434715M
2006	Icon Reference	Paperback	200	OL7652740M
2006	ICON Group International, Inc.	Paperback	158	OL10416726M
2006	Penguin Books, Limited	–	107	OL28434759M
2006	ICON Group International, Inc.	Paperback	138	OL10370441M
2006	ICON Reference	Paperback	128	OL9767739M
2006	ICON Group International, Inc.	Paperback	120	OL10416527M
2006	ICON Group International, Inc.	Paperback	122	OL10370547M
2006	ICON Group International, Inc.	Paperback	120	OL10370656M
2005	Saddleback Educational Publishing, Inc.	Paperback	61	OL12131153M
2005	Penguin Classics	–	144	OL7359933M
2005	Penguin Books	–	104	OL22624111M
2004	Wildside Press, LLC	–	128	OL37089106M
2004	Pocket Books	–	150	OL3328154M
2004	octopus publishing house	–	162	OL49812394M
2004	Scholastic	–	144	OL7512934M
2004	Dalmatian Press	–	128	OL28740262M
2003	Ulverscroft Large Print	Paperback	198	OL10822609M
2003	Hinkler Books Pty, Limited	–	192	OL28428416M
2003	Reclam	–	159	OL22817485M
2002	Signet Classic	–	123	OL3567650M
2002	Orion Publishing Group, Limited	–	160	OL28426752M
2002	ABDO Pub.	–	238	OL3955085M
2002	Modern Library	–	90	OL3567275M
2002	House of Stratus, Incorporated	–	116	OL30085968M
2002	Thorndike Press	–	167	OL3956574M
2002	CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform	–	108	OL28426295M
2001	Ace	–	138	OL7524168M
1999	Saddleback Educational Publishing, Inc.	Paperback	80	OL12131036M
1999	Fabbri Publishing	–	102	OL22629856M
1998	LRS (Library Reproduction Service)	Library Binding	145	OL12279976M
1996	Phoenix	–	59	OL22833635M
1996	Oxford University Press	–	229	OL781792M
1995	McFarland & Co.	–	258	OL806422M
1995	Oxford University Press	–	106	OL7592821M
1995	Dover Publications	–	76	OL1107394M
1994	Bullseye Books	–	94	OL24505129M
1993	J.M. Dent	–	98	OL1213322M
1992	J.M. Dent	–	104	OL1488175M
1992	Tom Doherty Associates	Paperback	125	OL25432290M
1990	Aerie Books	–	120	OL24229148M
1988	Ace Books	–	138	OL3664342M
1987	Indiana University Press	–	218	OL2740958M
1984	Bantam Classics	Paperback	128	OL7820476M
1984	Reclam, Ditzingen	Paperback	159	OL9019045M
1981	Fawcett	–	258	OL7568118M
1980	Watermill Press	–	147	OL24370066M
1977	Amereon Limited	Hardcover	128	OL11295888M
1976	Lythway Press	–	173	OL22836246M
1971	R. Bentley	–	118	OL5761361M
1969	Childrens Press	–	256	OL5694205M
1966	Heinemann	–	129	OL6013278M
1964	Heritage Press	–	97	OL5906326M
1964	Ltd. Editions Club	–	97	OL45022747M
1964	Limited Editions Club	–	97	OL24558794M
1964	Limited Editions Club	–	97	OL24584517M
1963	Scholastic Book Services	–	217	OL24221986M
1952	Longman	–	108	OL22788460M
1949	Heinemann	–	118	OL17312901M
1949	Heinemann	–	118	OL20315192M
1946	Random House	–	86	OL6888723M
1935	Dent	–	112	OL22577979M
1931	Random House	–	86	OL23762343M
1931	Random House	–	86	OL6767934M
1931	Random House	–	86	OL16360205M
1922	H. Holt	–	216	OL24431723M
1922	H. Holt	–	216	OL19405191M
1912	Holt	–	216	OL13535540M
1895	H. Holt	–	216	OL19833545M
1895	W. Heinemann	–	151	OL6475752M
1895	H. Holt and Company	–	216	OL24331810M
–	Readers Library	–	253	OL21478307M

More by H. G. Wells

All 9 books by H. G. Wells with page counts

Questions

How many pages is The Time Machine?: About 122 pages: that is the median of 175 English-language print editions on Open Library. Editions range from 59 to 268 pages.
How long does it take to read The Time Machine?: About 2 h 09 min at 260 words per minute, assuming 275 words per page. At 30 minutes a day that is 5 days.
How many words is The Time Machine?: Roughly 34,000 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)).