Why your words-read number might not match your effort

How words read is counted

The words read chart tracks when you move forward through a story. Each sentence is counted the first time you read through it. If you go back to re-read, review words, or listen again, those sentences don't add to the word count a second time.

This keeps the number tied to how much new material you're covering, rather than how many times you revisit the same text.

What this means day to day

• Spent a session reviewing old sentences? Your reading time will go up, and your word familiarity might improve, but the words-read number won't climb much.
• Jumped back to check a word you already passed? That won't hurt your count — your progress isn't lost — but moving forward again through that same sentence won't add extra credit either.
• Feel like you read more than the number shows? That's normal. Deep study, re-reading, and word lookups all take effort but aren't counted as new reading.

What to watch instead

If you're curious about your overall effort, words read works best alongside:

• Reading time — captures how long you spent, whether on new material or review
• Familiarity changes — shows words moving from New to Learning, Known, or Mastered, even if they came from review sessions
• Quiz performance — measures how well you're retaining what you've studied

Also see Reading time and idle pauses and Troubleshooting stats.