Free tool
Speech time calculator
Paste your speech to see how long it takes to say. Choose a slow, average or fast pace, and set the time you've been given to see how many words to cut or add.
Speaking time
Paste your speech to see how long it takes to say.
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Words to minutes
How long a speech takes to say, in minutes and seconds, by word count and pace.
| Words | Slow (110 a minute) | Average (150) | Fast (180) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0:55 | 0:40 | 0:33 |
| 250 | 2:16 | 1:40 | 1:23 |
| 500 | 4:33 | 3:20 | 2:47 |
| 750 | 6:49 | 5:00 | 4:10 |
| 1,000 | 9:05 | 6:40 | 5:33 |
| 1,500 | 13:38 | 10:00 | 8:20 |
| 2,000 | 18:11 | 13:20 | 11:07 |
| 2,500 | 22:44 | 16:40 | 13:53 |
| 3,000 | 27:16 | 20:00 | 16:40 |
| 4,000 | 36:22 | 26:40 | 22:13 |
| 5,000 | 45:27 | 33:20 | 27:47 |
Words for each speech length
How many words fill a speech of each length, and what that length is usually for.
| Length | Slow (110) | Average (150) | Fast (180) | Usual for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 minute | 110 words | 150 words | 180 words | Elevator pitches and quick introductions |
| 2 minutes | 220 words | 300 words | 360 words | Speaker introductions, award thanks and interview answers |
| 3 minutes | 330 words | 450 words | 540 words | Wedding toasts and three-minute thesis talks |
| 5 minutes | 550 words | 750 words | 900 words | Class presentations, eulogies and lightning talks |
| 10 minutes | 1,100 words | 1,500 words | 1,800 words | Talks, pitches and interview presentations |
| 15 minutes | 1,650 words | 2,250 words | 2,700 words | TED-style talks, conference sessions and thesis presentations |
| 20 minutes | 2,200 words | 3,000 words | 3,600 words | Sermons, conference talks and lectures |
| 30 minutes | 3,300 words | 4,500 words | 5,400 words | Keynotes, lectures and long sermons |
What counts as an average speaking pace
Most people give a speech at 130 to 160 words a minute, and talk a little faster in conversation. The calculator uses 150 for average, 110 for slow and 180 for fast.
Slow suits a ceremony, a big room with an echo, a serious subject, or an audience listening in a second language. Fast is how many people sound when they're nervous; it works for a lively talk to a small group but is hard to follow for long. To find your own, read a minute of your speech aloud with a stopwatch running and count the words, then pick the pace nearest yours.
Add time for everything that isn't words
A speech is more than its words. Laughter, applause, a pause to let a point land, changing slides and a sip of water all take time, and none of it is in the word count.
Add 10 to 15 percent for a speech with a live audience. For a ten-minute slot, that means writing eight and a half to nine minutes of words, roughly 1,300 at an average pace.
How to cut a speech that runs long
Cut a whole part before you trim sentences. Taking out one example or one story saves a minute and keeps the rest whole; shaving words from every line saves seconds and makes it sound rushed.
Then look for the slow bits: a long introduction, thanks that could be one line, a summary of what you're about to say. Read it again with the timer. If it fits with a little time spare, stop editing.
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Last checked 2 October 2026
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