A method for determining an average segment time of an encoder wheel of an internal combustion engine, the encoder wheel being connected in rotationally fixed fashion to a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine, markings being situated along the circumference of the encoder wheel, and the crankshaft of the internal combustion engine passing through specified angular ranges during segment times, segment times being acquired, associated rotational speed values being determined from the segment times, a rotational speed curve being determined from the individual determined rotational speed values, a value of the average rotational speed being determined from the rotational speed curve, and an average segment time being determined from the value of the average rotational speed.