How to use the speaking time calculator
- Pick a speaking rate preset or type your own words per minute.
- Enter the number of words, or open “paste your script” and the word count fills in automatically.
- For a time limit, enter the minutes under Time to words to get a word budget for your speech.
Words per minute when speaking
| Preset | Words per minute | Where the number comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Slow | 130 | Lower end of the “average speaking range (approximately 130 to 190 words per minute)” (Reynolds & Givens, 2001) |
| Average | 160 | Middle of that range. This is our midpoint, not a measured average |
| Reading aloud | 183 | Average oral reading rate across 77 studies (Brysbaert, 2019) |
| Fast | 190 | Upper end of the Reynolds & Givens range |
Broadcasters aim for a similar band: a study of radio news bulletins notes that most authors recommend 160 to 180 words per minute for radio (Rodero, 2012). Your own words per minute speaking can sit outside all of these, so the most reliable number is one you measure.
Speech length chart
How many words fit in a speech of a given length:
| Speech length | Slow (130 wpm) | Average (160 wpm) | Fast (190 wpm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 minute | 130 | 160 | 190 |
| 2 minutes | 260 | 320 | 380 |
| 3 minutes | 390 | 480 | 570 |
| 5 minutes | 650 | 800 | 950 |
| 7 minutes | 910 | 1,120 | 1,330 |
| 10 minutes | 1,300 | 1,600 | 1,900 |
| 15 minutes | 1,950 | 2,400 | 2,850 |
| 20 minutes | 2,600 | 3,200 | 3,800 |
| 30 minutes | 3,900 | 4,800 | 5,700 |
A 2 minute speech is therefore about 260 to 380 words, and a 10-minute talk about 1,300 to 1,900.
Measure your own rate with a script timer
- Pick a passage of your script, ideally 200 words or more, and count it with the word counter.
- Read it aloud at presentation pace while a timer runs.
- Divide the words by the minutes. 300 words in 2 minutes 15 seconds (2.25 minutes) is 133 words per minute.
- Enter that number as your speaking rate above.
Leave some slack in the final plan. Pauses for slides, questions, laughter or a demo add time that a words to minutes calculation cannot see.
Speaking time vs. reading time
People read silently faster than they speak: the adult average for silent reading of non-fiction is 238 wpm (Brysbaert, 2019), against 160 wpm used here for speech. If you want to know how long an article takes to read rather than to present, use the reading time calculator.
Sources
- Reynolds, M. E., & Givens, J. (2001). Presentation rate in comprehension of natural and synthesized speech. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 92(3), 958–968
- Brysbaert, M. (2019). How many words do we read per minute? A review and meta-analysis of reading rate. Journal of Memory and Language, 109, 104047
- Rodero, E. (2012). A comparative analysis of speech rate and perception in radio bulletins. Text & Talk, 32(3)