Speed of Thought

[Sindri]

As part of designing a magic system I need to come up with how fast someone could mentally recite a short memorized text (without eliding "pronunciation" or otherwise skipping parts). Should I just assume it's much the same speed as speech or could training allow someone to surpass that by a significant amount?

[Anthony]

What does 'mentally recite' mean? If you have to actually sequentially think each of the words in succession, you're probably limited to around 250 wpm (reading with subvocalization).

[Sindri]

Originally Posted by Anthony

What does 'mentally recite' mean? If you have to actually sequentially think each of the words in succession, you're probably limited to around 250 wpm (reading with subvocalization).

Yes, it's necessary to mentally think each of the words in succession. I had a suspicion that this would be around as fast as reading speeds that maintain normal comprehension but I figured I might as well check to see if that was right.

[Buzzardo]

Here's another data point, for what it might be worth.

In gradual school, one of my best professors taught us how to deliver seminar papers, including speaking clearly and with emphasis on the key points. We learnt to deliver about 300 words a minute. I don't think it would be faster than that if someone is thinking it to themselves, provided they have to focus on properly pronouncing each word.

[RGTraynor]

Originally Posted by Anthony

What does 'mentally recite' mean? If you have to actually sequentially think each of the words in succession, you're probably limited to around 250 wpm (reading with subvocalization).

I wouldn't say so. An anecdote:

I was in a fantasy boffer LARP where a limitation on magical spells was a chant of a required number of words. The Raise Dead spell required a minimum of forty. As it happened, I was the most powerful "healer" in the game, and had a strategic-level spell that allowed me (with some severe limitations) to cast the spell an effectively unlimited number of times ... my record was around 1500 over a five hour battle. It was, as you can well imagine, much to everyone's advantage for me to chant that as fast as possible, especially with the bodies piling up. Sounded rather like a tobacco auctioneer at the time.

I had that chant memorized early on ... and even sixteen years after the last time I used it, I can still recite from memory. Back then, I could routinely recite those forty words in under five seconds, and that's somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 wpm.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by RGTraynor

Back then, I could routinely recite those forty words in under five seconds, and that's somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 wpm.

Oddly enough, it's quite possible that you were able to recite it faster than you could think it; I would lay odds that thinking about what you were doing would slow you down. It's just a practiced routine at that point.

[Purple Haze]

All us 70's kids can recite "Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions – on a sesame seed bun." in under two seconds. Got to win those "Big Macs". That's 450 wpm.

[Flyndaran]

"I want a Big Mac, Mc DLT, a Quarter-Pounder with some cheese, Filet-O-Fish, a hamburger, a cheeseburger, a Happy Meal, McNuggets, tasty golden french fries, regular and larger sizes..." for we 80s kids.

[GodBeastX]

You guys are bringing me back with the mcdonald's reference, especially with those winning records.

Anyway, I think I agree that thinking something instead of saying it can sometimes slow you down. That being said, IQ is going to be the basis for it.

[Anaraxes]

The setting's metaphysics of magic are also relevant. Are spells mechanical in the sense that anyone that says the right works gets the intended effect? Or is it that the words are just a tool to help shape the caster's mind into just the right magical mindset for the effect to occur? In the former case, it might not matter how fast the execution is as long as you make no mistakes. In the latter, reaching the speeds of automatic reflex might be taking the conscious mana-shaping part of the mind out of the loop, and so counterproductive.