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.
| 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 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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