Speaking Speed Test
How fast do you talk? Measure your words per minute.
Speak into your microphone and this test counts your words to measure your real speaking rate — or read a short passage and time yourself if you prefer not to use the mic.
Read this passage aloud
Good communication is less about speaking quickly and more about speaking clearly. When you present, your audience needs a moment to absorb each idea before you move on to the next one. Pauses are not empty space; they give your words room to land. Read this paragraph at a comfortable, natural pace, as if you were explaining something to a friend who is genuinely interested in what you have to say. Notice where you slow down for emphasis and where you speed up. The goal is not to hit a perfect number, but to become aware of your own rhythm so you can adjust it to the room and the moment.
111 words
How the speed test works
With the microphone, your browser transcribes what you say and the test divides the number of words by the time you spoke to get your words-per-minute rate. If you'd rather not use the mic, read the provided passage aloud and time yourself — since the passage has a known word count, we can calculate the same result. Most presenters land between 120 and 150 words per minute; slower is easier to follow, and much faster can lose the audience.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good speaking speed?+
For presentations, about 120 to 150 words per minute. Around 130–140 is clear and comfortable for most audiences. Below 110 can feel slow, and above 160 is hard to follow.
How is my speaking speed measured?+
In microphone mode, your browser transcribes your speech, and we divide the word count by how long you spoke. In read-a-passage mode, we use the passage's known word count and your timed reading.
Do you record or store my voice?+
YoListen doesn't record or store anything — the test runs in your browser. Note that some browsers use an online service to transcribe speech, so the microphone method depends on your browser's speech recognition.
Which browsers support the microphone test?+
Chrome and Edge on desktop have the best support for in-browser speech recognition. If your browser doesn't support it, the read-a-passage method works everywhere.