Speaking time calculator
Paste your script for the delivery time at a comfortable pace, plus the figure at three other speeds so you can see how much your nerves might cost you.
Numbers appear here once you add text.
- Free, no sign-up
- Counts as you type
- Your text never leaves your browser
Choosing a pace
Conversational English runs at roughly 140 words per minute. Public speaking is usually slower, because pauses do real work in a room, and formal delivery slower still.
| Pace | Words per minute | Where it belongs |
|---|---|---|
| Deliberate | 100–120 | Ceremonial speeches, eulogies, complex technical content |
| Conversational | 130–150 | Presentations, lectures, most talks |
| Brisk | 160–180 | Podcasts, energetic keynotes, audiobooks |
| Fast | 180+ | Auctioneers, sports commentary, advertising voice-over |
Nerves push almost everyone faster than they intend. If you have rehearsed at 140 words per minute, expect to deliver nearer 160 in front of an audience, which means a script timed exactly to its slot will finish early: usually a better problem than the alternative.
Time you must budget for and the word count will not show
- Pauses. A beat after a key point is worth several seconds and is the difference between a talk and a recitation.
- Slide changes. Two to three seconds each. Twenty slides is a minute.
- Audience reaction. Laughter, applause and the settling afterwards.
- Questions. If Q&A is inside your slot, take it off the top before you write.
- The opening. Thanks, introductions and the first joke rarely appear in the script.
Common questions
How many words is a 10-minute speech?
About 1,300 to 1,400 words at a conversational pace. Aim nearer 1,200 to leave room for pauses and the audience. See the full breakdown.
Should I write out the whole speech?
Write it fully to get the timing right, then reduce it to notes for delivery. A script read aloud sounds read; a script written and then internalised sounds prepared.
How do I slow myself down?
Mark deliberate pauses in the script, breathe at full stops rather than commas, and rehearse once with a timer against a script you have already timed. Knowing you have room is what actually slows people down.
Related tools
- Speech word counterWord count led by delivery time.
- Reading time calculatorMinutes to read, at researched reading speeds.
- Word counterWords, characters, sentences and reading time, live.
- How many words is a 5-minute speech?650–750 words. Write 600.
- How many words is a 10-minute speech?1,300–1,500 words. Write 1,200.
- Syllable counterSyllables per line and total, for poetry and readability.