How many words per minute for a speech?

Most speakers deliver 110–160 words per minute. Average conversational pace is around 130 wpm. A formal presentation may be slower; a voiceover may be faster. The calculators let you choose a pace.

How many words do I need for a 5-minute speech?

At 130 wpm (average pace), a 5-minute speech is around 650 words. At a slow 110 wpm it is around 550 words; at 160 wpm it is around 800 words.

Speech and Speaking Time Tools

Plan your speech, presentation, voiceover or script by length. Estimate speaking time from word count, or find the right word count for your available time slot.

Speaking Time Calculator

Estimate speaking time for any text at slow, average and fast speaking speeds

Speech Time Calculator

Calculate how long your speech will take

Speech Words Calculator

Enter your speech length in minutes to find out how many words you need

Presentation Time Calculator

Estimate how long your presentation will take

Presentation Word Count Calculator

Find out how many words to write for a 5, 10, 15 or 20-minute presentation

Voice-Over Time Calculator

Calculate how long your voice-over script will take to record