“How long is my speech?” is the question every speaker asks the night before — usually while staring at a script and guessing. Stop guessing.
Paste your script below and pick a delivery pace. You’ll see exactly how long it runs, and whether it fits your slot. Like everything on this site, your text never leaves your browser.
How the speech time calculator works
Speaking has its own speeds, separate from reading. This tool uses three delivery paces:
- Conversational (~130 wpm): natural talking speed — interviews, casual talks, most keynotes.
- Presentation (~140 wpm): a confident, steady delivery with room for pauses.
- Brisk (~150 wpm): energetic delivery; fine for short slots, risky for complex ideas.
The math is the same honest division as ever: speaking time = words ÷ speaking pace. A 700-word script at 140 wpm runs exactly 5 minutes. Pick the pace that matches how you actually talk — then rehearse once out loud, because nerves change everything (more on that below).
If you’re timing silent reading instead, use our reading time calculator — eyes run about twice as fast as voices, so the numbers are very different.
How many words is a X-minute speech?
The question behind the question. Here’s the quick reference, at the two most common delivery paces:
| Speech length | At 130 wpm (conversational) | At 150 wpm (brisk) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 minute | 130 words | 150 words |
| 2 minutes | 260 words | 300 words |
| 3 minutes | 390 words | 450 words |
| 4 minutes | 520 words | 600 words |
| 5 minutes | 650 words | 750 words |
| 10 minutes | 1,300 words | 1,500 words |
Memorize one line and you’ll never be caught out: a 5-minute speech is about 650–750 words. Everything else scales from there.
Why speeches almost always run long
Three culprits, in order of damage:
- You timed it by reading, not speaking. Silent reading at 250 wpm makes a 1,000-word script feel like 4 minutes. At the microphone it’s 7+. Always convert with speaking speeds — that’s what this page is for.
- Pauses aren’t in the script. The pause after your opening line, the laugh you hope for, the sip of water — none of them have word counts, but all of them take time. Budget roughly 10% extra.
- Nerves speed you up, then slow you down. Most speakers rush the opening and then over-correct. One full read-aloud rehearsal, timed with your phone, beats any calculator — use the calculator to get close, the rehearsal to be sure.
Practical rule: aim to come in 10% under your slot. A 9-minute script for a 10-minute slot gives you room to breathe, pause, and survive the unexpected.
Speaking time FAQ
How many words is a 4 minute speech?
About 520–600 words, depending on pace — 520 at a conversational 130 wpm, 600 at a brisk 150 wpm.
How many words is a 3 minute speech?
About 390–450 words. At a natural 140 wpm presentation pace, that’s 420 words.
How many words is 2 minutes of speaking?
Roughly 260–300 words — about half a typed page.
How many words per minute in a speech?
Most speakers deliver 130–150 words per minute. Keynote speakers often sit near 130; podcast hosts and auctioneers of enthusiasm push toward 150–160.
How long is my speech?
Paste it into the calculator above — it counts your words and divides by your chosen speaking pace. A 1,000-word script runs about 7 to 8 minutes.
How long does it take to speak 1,000 words?
About 7 minutes at 150 wpm, closer to 8 at 130 wpm. The same 1,000 words take only 4 minutes to read silently.
Should I just speak faster to fit my time slot?
Trim words instead. Audiences forgive a short talk; they punish a rushed one. Cut one example, not your pauses.
What’s the difference between speaking time and reading time?
Speed. Silent reading runs 200–300 words per minute; speech runs 130–150. A text takes roughly twice as long to say as to read.