Description
Blog Post Reading Time is a lightweight plugin that enhances your blog posts with two key features:
- Estimated Reading Time – show readers how long it will take to read your article.
- Listen to Article (Text-to-Speech) – allow visitors to listen to your blog post using a simple “Listen” button powered by the browser’s built-in speech API.
These features improve accessibility, keep users engaged, and reduce bounce rates by giving them multiple ways to consume your content.
Features:
– Automatically display reading time on posts
– Shortcode support: [bprt_post_reading_time] and [bprt_listen_article]
– Customizable label text (e.g., „Estimated reading time:“)
– Option to show or hide the clock icon (⏱)
– Display positions: after title, after featured image, or before content
– Custom font size setting (in px)
– Adjustable words-per-minute (WPM) setting
– Add a custom postfix (e.g., „min read“)
– Enable/disable “Listen to this Article” feature
– Lightweight and works without third-party APIs (uses browser’s built-in Web Speech API)
License
This plugin is released under the GPLv2 or later.
Credits
Developed by Rathod Narendra
Visit: https://kappatechnosoft.com
Screenshots
Plugin settings panel. 
Display position selection 
Display Mode Selection 
Show the reading time and listen button on post
Installation
- Upload the plugin folder
blog-post-reading-timeto the/wp-content/plugins/directory. - Activate the plugin through the Plugins menu in WordPress.
- Navigate to Settings > Blog Post Reading Time to configure options.
- Use the shortcodes
[bprt_post_reading_time]or[bprt_listen_article]in your posts if you want manual placement.
FAQ
-
Can I use this manually with a shortcode?
-
Yes. Use
[bprt_post_reading_time]for reading time and[bprt_listen_article]for the listen button. -
Does the listen feature require an external API or paid service?
-
No. It uses the browser’s built-in Web Speech API, which is completely free.
-
Will it work with custom post types?
-
Currently, it supports the default
posttype. Custom post type support may be added in future updates. -
Can I hide the clock icon?
-
Yes, the plugin includes a checkbox setting to toggle the clock icon on or off.
-
Can I disable the listen feature if I don’t want it?
-
Yes. The “Listen to Article” option can be turned on or off in the plugin settings.
Reviews
There are no reviews for this plugin.
Contributors & Developers
“Blog Post Reading Time” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors
Translate “Blog Post Reading Time” into your language.
Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
Changelog
2.1
- Added Listen to Article feature with shortcode
[bprt_listen_article] - Added toggle option in settings to enable/disable listening feature
- Improved shortcode rendering and frontend scripts
1.1
- Added shortcode option
- Added display mode: automatic or manual
- New settings: font size, label, postfix, WPM, icon toggle
- Improved rendering logic
1.0
- Initial release