We’ve been reading in the same exact way for centuries, horizontally from left to right, line after line. It’s probably one of those things we think will never change, but is that really so?
App developer Spritz, based out of Boston, claims that their app could change the way we are used to read, dramatically speeding the process and even improving our comprehension.
How can they do that? The trick is the ORP (Optimal Recognition Point): it is usually slightly left of the center of every word, and our eyes are continuously trying to decipher it while we read. Spritz facilitates the process by making the ORP red, and placing it always in the same position. This way our eyes don’t need to move from word to word, saving around 80% of time.
They claim that with their method people can read up to 1000 words per minute, around five times faster than the speed we are used to read using the “normal” reading method.
Below you can see some samples at 250, 350 and 500 words per minute. See for yourself how powerful this tool can be.
250 words per minute
At this speed you could read all the 309 pages of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in around 5 hours.
350 words per minute
Reading 350 words per minute, you could complete 309 pages of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in around 3 hours and 40 minutes.
500 words per minute
A this speed, you would read the whole Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in 2 hours and 30 minutes, which means that at 1000 wpm you could read it in just 90 minutes!
(h/t, photo credit: We Heart It)
It will certainly take some practice to read 1000 words per minute, but seeing how easily we could manage to read 500 wpm after a little training we definitely think that’s a goal everybody could reach.
