Speaking & Speech

How Many Words Is a 5-Minute Speech?

A 5-minute speech is typically 550–800 words. The exact number depends on how fast you talk: slow speakers (110 wpm) need around 550 words, average speakers (130 wpm) around 650 and fast speakers (160 wpm) around 800. Paste your script below to check your timing, or use these figures as a writing target.

A 5-minute speech is 550–800 words, depending on pace. Slow (110 wpm): 550 words. Average (130 wpm): 650 words. Fast (160 wpm): 800 words. Paste your own script to see what it really runs at your pace.

Check your own speech
How Many Words Is a 5-Minute Speech?

Word count range (5 minutes)

SpeedWords per minutewords / 5 minutes
Slow110 wpm550 words
Average130 wpm650 words
Fast160 wpm800 words
minutes

Or paste your script to check its length:

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