SPEECH LENGTH GUIDE · 6 MIN
How many words is a 6-minute speech?
A 6-minute speech is about 780–900 words at a typical speaking pace of 130–150 words per minute.
With six minutes, each of three points can carry a full story. Or one longer story can carry the whole speech.
Words in six minutes, at every pace
| Pace | Words per minute | Words in 6 min |
|---|---|---|
| Slow | 120 | 720 |
| Conversational | 140 | 840 |
| Rehearsed | 150 | 900 |
| Fast | 170 | 1,020 |
Typed up, that's about 3–3½ pages double-spaced or 1½–2 pages single-spaced. Most people don't know their own pace. The speaking speed test finds your row in about a minute.
What a 6-minute speech is used for
- PechaKucha20 slides shown for 20 seconds each: 6 minutes 40 seconds in all.
- Toastmasters Ice BreakerThe red light comes on at six minutes, so start your close before then.
- A eulogy with a few storiesTime for two or three memories, a word about what the person meant, and a goodbye.
- Product demoThe problem, a live walk-through, and what you want to happen next.
For help with the occasion itself, see presentations and talks, interviews or toasts, eulogies and other life moments.
How to structure a 6-minute speech
Three points with stories. Here's one way to spend six minutes, with rough word counts at a conversational 140 words a minute:
- Opening story (leave it unfinished)55 s · about 125 words
- Point one1 min 25 s · about 195 words
- Point two1 min 25 s · about 195 words
- Point three1 min 25 s · about 195 words
- Finish the opening story, then close1 min · about 135 words
Tip for this length
Bookend it: open with a story, leave it unfinished, and finish it in your close. Six minutes is long enough for the payoff to land.
When you rehearse with a timer, check yourself at the 3-minute mark. At 140 words a minute you should be around word 420.
Check your own script
Set to six minutes. Switch to “Paste a script” to time what you've written.
6 min is about 780 to 900 words.
For 6 min, write about
780–900 words
At a typical 130–150 words per minute. That is about 3–3½ pages double-spaced.
- Slow 120 wpm720 wordsDeliberate delivery: ceremonies, big echoey rooms, dense material, or listeners in their second language.
- Conversational 140 wpm840 wordsTalking it through in your own words, with natural pauses while you think.
- Rehearsed 150 wpm900 wordsA script you know well. No searching for words, so it runs a little quicker.
- Fast 170 wpm1,020 wordsNerves, excitement or a squeezed slot. Easy to slip into, hard for listeners to follow for long.
Not sure which pace is yours? Read a passage aloud and time yourself. It takes about a minute.
QUESTIONS
6-minute speech questions
How many words is a PechaKucha?
PechaKucha is 20 slides × 20 seconds = 6 minutes 40 seconds, so about 870 to 1,000 words at 130–150 words a minute, or 43 to 50 words per slide.
Is six minutes too long for a eulogy?
Not if every minute is about the person. Two or three specific memories hold a room far better than a list of qualities.
How many pages is a 6-minute speech?
About 3–3½ pages double-spaced, or 1½–2 pages single-spaced, in 12-point type (roughly 250 and 500 words a page). Fonts and margins change this, so trust the word count over the page count.
How many words is a 6-minute speech at a slow or fast pace?
At a slow 120 words per minute, about 720 words. At a fast 170, about 1,020. Most people land in between; the free speaking speed test shows you where you do.
Make your 6 minutes count.
Record a minute of it and see your pace, pauses and fillers, with one fix from your coach before the real thing.
Rehearse it freeYour first Voice Snapshot is free. No account needed to try it.