Speech Calculator
How long is my speech? Paste your text to get the exact speaking time.
Paste or type your script below and this speech calculator estimates how many minutes it will take to say out loud, based on your speaking speed.
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Speech Duration Calculator
Calculate how long your speech will take based on word count
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How the speech calculator works
It counts the words in your text and divides by your speaking rate (words per minute). English presentations average about 140 words per minute; pick slow, average, or fast, or type your own rate. Turn on “include natural pauses” to add time for punctuation, breaths, and slide changes — a delivered speech usually runs 15–25% longer than the raw word count suggests.
Words-to-minutes reference
At an average pace of 140 words per minute, here's roughly how many words fit into a given speaking time:
| Speaking time | Approx. words |
|---|---|
| 1 minute | 140 words |
| 2 minutes | 280 words |
| 3 minutes | 420 words |
| 5 minutes | 700 words |
| 10 minutes | 1,400 words |
Most people speak at 130-150 words per minute for presentations
Regular practice helps maintain consistent timing and confidence
Our calculator accounts for natural pauses and speaking patterns
Frequently asked questions
How many words is a 5-minute speech?+
At an average speaking pace of about 140 words per minute, a 5-minute speech is roughly 700 words. Slow down to ~120 wpm and it's about 600 words; speed up to ~160 wpm and it's closer to 800.
How many words is a 10-minute speech?+
A 10-minute speech is about 1,400 words at an average pace of 140 words per minute — roughly 1,200 words if you speak slowly and up to 1,600 if you speak quickly.
How long does it take to speak 1,000 words?+
About 7 minutes at an average pace of 140 words per minute. Add 15–25% if you pause often for emphasis or audience questions.
What is a good speaking pace for a presentation?+
Most presenters land between 120 and 150 words per minute. Around 130–140 wpm is clear and comfortable for an audience; faster than 160 wpm can be hard to follow.
Does the estimate include pauses?+
It can. Turn on “include natural pauses” to multiply the raw estimate by about 1.2, accounting for punctuation, breaths, and slide transitions. Turn it off to see the pure read-through time.
Why is the German estimate different from English?+
German builds long compound words, so a speaker covers fewer words per minute than in English at the same effort. That's why the default pace is lower for German (about 125 wpm) than for English (about 140 wpm).