Speech time calculator

How the speech time calculator works

Speaking time is the number of words divided by your speaking pace. A 600-word script at 140 words per minute takes 600 ÷ 140 = 4.3 minutes, or about 4 minutes 17 seconds. The maths is easy. Knowing your pace is harder, so the calculator shows four paces and gives the headline as a range.

Most guides put a comfortable pace for a talk at about 130 to 150 words per minute, so the headline answer is the time at the quick and the slow end of that range. Below it, you'll see the time at each of these paces:

Why is “rehearsed” quicker than “conversational”? Reading a script you know well usually runs faster than talking off the cuff, because you never stop to search for the next word. It's part of the reason speakers get told to slow down on stage. The best way to know your own number is to test your speaking speed: read a passage aloud for a minute and use that figure.

What about pauses?

Pace figures for whole speeches already include the ordinary pauses between sentences, so you don't need to add them. If you plan deliberate pauses, such as a beat after each section or room for laughter at a wedding, switch on the paragraph pause option. It adds two seconds for every paragraph break in your script.

Words per minute chart

How many words fit in common speech lengths at each pace. Tap a length for what fits in it and how to structure it.

All lengths: 1 min · 2 min · 3 min · 4 min · 5 min · 6 min · 7 min · 8 min · 10 min · 12 min · 15 min · 20 min · 30 min · 45 min · 1 hour

Script too long? How to make it fit

1. Read it aloud once, with a timer. The calculator gives you a range. A real read-through tells you where you land in it.
2. Cut a whole section, not a few words everywhere. Trimming every sentence makes you rush. Dropping one example keeps the pace calm.
3. Leave a margin. Questions, laughter and a slide that won't load all take time. Aim to finish a little under your slot.
4. Rehearse at the pace you'll really use. Nerves tend to speed people up, so a script that fits at 150 words a minute in your kitchen may come out faster on the day.

Writing for a big moment? There's more help with presentations and with toasts, eulogies and other life moments. Preparing for an interview? Our guide to answering “Tell me about yourself” shows how many words fit in 90 seconds.