How long does it take to read Outliers?
Malcolm Gladwell
At an average reading speed of 250 words a minute, Outliers takes 4 hours 32 minutes to read. The unabridged audiobook runs 7h 18m at 1x, or 4h 52m at 1.5x.
Malcolm Gladwell's book, the one that made the 10,000-hour rule famous, is in two parts, Opportunity and Legacy. At an average pace it's about four and a half hours.
Average is about 250 WPM. Measure yours in two minutes and every time on this page recalculates.
How much to read a day
At 250 words a minute, to finish the book:
Have a deadline in mind? The pages-per-day calculator works it out for any date.
How we measured it
Method: audiobook estimate. Estimated from the unabridged audiobook read by Malcolm Gladwell (7:18) at 155 words a minute.
Part of our study of the 100 most popular books, last checked November 2026. Reading times assume steady reading; editions, translations and your own pace all move them.
See how long it really takes you
Log it in Parch as you read. It tracks your pages, sessions and streak, so you'll know your real pace, and how long the next one will take.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to read Outliers?
About 4h 32m at an average reading speed of 250 words a minute: 5h 39m at 200 and 3h 46m at 300.
How many words are in Outliers?
About 67,890 words. That's estimated from the unabridged audiobook at a narration pace of 155 words a minute, so treat it as close, not exact.
How many pages a day to finish Outliers in a month?
About 9 pages a day, or 10m of reading a day at an average pace. That assumes about 247 pages at 275 words a page; real page counts vary by edition.
Can you read Outliers in a day?
Yes. It's about 4 hours 32 minutes at 250 words a minute, and under 4 hours at 300.
How long is the Outliers audiobook?
7 hours 18 minutes unabridged, read by Malcolm Gladwell. At 1.5x, just under 5 hours.