Convert words to minutes and minutes to words. See how long your speech, script, or presentation will take at slow, average, and fast speaking paces — all in your browser, your text never leaves your device.
Live delivery usually runs 5-10% longer than a read-through because of pauses, transitions, and audience reaction. Build in a small buffer.
How long is a 500-word speech? About 3 and a half minutes. A 700-word speech takes about 5 minutes, and 1,000 words about 7 minutes, at an average pace of 140 words per minute.
| Word count | Slow (110 wpm) | Average (140 wpm) | Fast (170 wpm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 words | 55 sec | 43 sec | 35 sec |
| 200 words | 1 min 49 sec | 1 min 26 sec | 1 min 11 sec |
| 300 words | 2 min 44 sec | 2 min 9 sec | 1 min 46 sec |
| 400 words | 3 min 38 sec | 2 min 51 sec | 2 min 21 sec |
| 500 words | 4 min 33 sec | 3 min 34 sec | 2 min 56 sec |
| 550 words | 5 min | 3 min 56 sec | 3 min 14 sec |
| 600 words | 5 min 27 sec | 4 min 17 sec | 3 min 32 sec |
| 700 words | 6 min 22 sec | 5 min | 4 min 7 sec |
| 800 words | 7 min 16 sec | 5 min 43 sec | 4 min 42 sec |
| 850 words | 7 min 44 sec | 6 min 4 sec | 5 min |
| 900 words | 8 min 11 sec | 6 min 26 sec | 5 min 18 sec |
| 1,000 words | 9 min 5 sec | 7 min 9 sec | 5 min 53 sec |
| 1,100 words | 10 min | 7 min 51 sec | 6 min 28 sec |
| 1,200 words | 10 min 55 sec | 8 min 34 sec | 7 min 4 sec |
| 1,400 words | 12 min 44 sec | 10 min | 8 min 14 sec |
| 1,500 words | 13 min 38 sec | 10 min 43 sec | 8 min 49 sec |
| 1,700 words | 15 min 27 sec | 12 min 9 sec | 10 min |
| 2,000 words | 18 min 11 sec | 14 min 17 sec | 11 min 46 sec |
| 2,200 words | 20 min | 15 min 43 sec | 12 min 56 sec |
| 2,500 words | 22 min 44 sec | 17 min 51 sec | 14 min 42 sec |
| 3,000 words | 27 min 16 sec | 21 min 26 sec | 17 min 39 sec |
| Speech Length | Slow (110 wpm) | Average (140 wpm) | Fast (170 wpm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-minute speech | ~110 words | ~140 words | ~170 words |
| 2-minute speech | ~220 words | ~280 words | ~340 words |
| 3-minute speech | ~330 words | ~420 words | ~510 words |
| 5-minute speech | ~550 words | ~700 words | ~850 words |
| 10-minute speech | ~1,100 words | ~1,400 words | ~1,700 words |
| 15-minute speech | ~1,650 words | ~2,100 words | ~2,550 words |
| 20-minute speech | ~2,200 words | ~2,800 words | ~3,400 words |
| 30-minute speech | ~3,300 words | ~4,200 words | ~5,100 words |
| 45-minute speech | ~4,950 words | ~6,300 words | ~7,650 words |
| 60-minute speech | ~6,600 words | ~8,400 words | ~10,200 words |
Useful anchors: 500 words is about 3.5 minutes at an average pace, a 1-minute speech is roughly 140 words, and 1,000 words takes about 7 minutes to deliver.
The calculation is simple: Speaking time = word count ÷ words per minute. The hard part is choosing the right pace. Research on public speaking puts most prepared talks between 120 and 160 words per minute, so this calculator uses 110 wpm for slow, deliberate delivery, 140 wpm as a realistic average, and 170 wpm for fast, energetic speakers.
Treat the results as a planning estimate rather than a stopwatch. Pauses for emphasis, slide transitions, audience laughter, and Q&A all add time that is not in your script. If your time slot is strict, rehearse aloud at least once and trim toward the lower end of the range.
At an average speaking pace of 140 words per minute, a 500-word speech takes about 3 min 34 sec. Slow speakers (110 wpm) need about 4 min 33 sec, and fast speakers (170 wpm) about 2 min 56 sec.
At an average speaking pace of 140 words per minute, a 700-word speech takes about 5 min. Slow speakers (110 wpm) need about 6 min 22 sec, and fast speakers (170 wpm) about 4 min 7 sec.
At an average speaking pace of 140 words per minute, a 1,700-word speech takes about 12 min 9 sec. Slow speakers (110 wpm) need about 15 min 27 sec, and fast speakers (170 wpm) about 10 min.
About 1,400 words at an average pace of 140 words per minute. A slow speaker (110 wpm) covers about 1,100 words in 10 minutes, and a fast speaker (170 wpm) about 1,700.
At an average speaking pace of 140 words per minute, a 5-minute speech is about 700 words. Slow speakers (110 wpm) need around 550 words, while fast speakers (170 wpm) can deliver about 850 words in 5 minutes.
Most people speak at 120-160 words per minute in presentations, with 140 wpm being a good average for prepared talks. Conversational speech is often faster (160-200 wpm), while formal speeches and technical material are usually delivered more slowly (100-120 wpm).
About 7 minutes at an average pace of 140 words per minute. At a slow pace (110 wpm) it takes roughly 9 minutes, and at a fast pace (170 wpm) just under 6 minutes.
Write slightly fewer. Live delivery almost always runs longer than a read-through because of pauses, audience reaction, transitions between slides, and ad-libbing. A good rule of thumb is to aim for 90-95% of the calculated word count for your time slot.
No. The word count and timing calculations happen entirely in your browser — your text never leaves your device, so it is safe to paste unreleased scripts, confidential remarks, or draft speeches.
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