Words per minute speaking depends on the context
About 150 words per minute is the US English speaking average. For presentations, use the 120–160 wpm range to plan your script. Choose an audiobook or news pace when timing those formats. These are planning estimates; time a rehearsal to check your own pace.
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About 150 wpm is the average for everyday US English speech. The 120–160 wpm range is guidance for presentations. Start with a presentation pace when drafting a talk, and use the conversational pace when estimating a more casual spoken piece.
9,300 words per finished audiobook hour equals 155 wpm. Oral reading tasks average 183 wpm, and silent non-fiction reading averages 238 wpm. Choose the audiobook pace for a narration script and the silent reading pace for reviewing a written draft.
| Rate | Context | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 100 wpm | Slow listening pace | Griffiths (1990), abstract |
| 120–160 wpm | Recommended presentation pace | Toastmasters International (2021) |
| About 150 wpm | Approximate US English speaking average | NCVS voice-quality tutorial |
| 200 wpm | Fast listening pace | Griffiths (1990), abstract |
| 155 wpm | Audiobook narration: 9,300 words per finished hour ÷ 60 | ACX |
| 160–180 wpm | Recommended radio pace | Rodero (2012) |
| About 140 wpm | Target for non-native presenters | Baruch College |
| 183 wpm | Average oral reading in laboratory tasks | Brysbaert (2019) |
| 238 / 260 wpm | Adult English silent non-fiction / fiction | Brysbaert (2019) |
What’s a good pace for…
120–160 wpm is the presentation range. Start at 130 wpm in the calculators to set a word budget for your talk.
About 150 wpm is the US English conversational average. For dictation, allow time to compose your thoughts and correct the text as well as speak.
9,300 words per finished audiobook hour equals 155 wpm. Use this pace to estimate an audiobook’s length; 183 wpm is the average for oral reading tasks.
About 140 wpm is suggested for non-native presenters. The 100, 150, and 200 wpm listening research rates give you slower and faster paces to compare.
Speaking vs typing
51.56 wpm was the average typing speed among 168,000 online volunteers taking a typing test. Use it as a comparison when planning time at the keyboard.
English speech entry was “2.93 times faster (153 vs. 52 WPM)” than keyboard entry in a touchscreen-phone study using a cloud recogniser.
Speech left more uncorrected errors than keyboard entry: “1.30% vs. 0.79% uncorrected error rate”.
A note from WhisperJot
WhisperJot supports dictation at conversational speed with local engines by default. It is private by default. Speak your draft, then review and correct the text before sharing it.
Questions about words per minute speaking
What is a normal speaking speed?
About 150 wpm is the average for US English conversation. The recommended presentation range is 120–160 wpm. Use the conversational figure to time casual speech and the presentation range to plan a talk, then choose a preset for the delivery you have in mind.
How fast do people talk compared with typing?
153 wpm for speech entry versus 52 wpm for keyboard entry were the results on touchscreen phones with a cloud recogniser. Speech also left more uncorrected errors. When planning a dictation session, leave time to review and correct the text you create.
Is a slower speaking rate always better for ESL?
About 140 wpm is a suggested pace for non-native presenters. Listening research compared 100, 150, and 200 wpm. For your presentation, choose clear wording and pause between main points. Ask listeners which parts need repeating before deciding to slow the whole talk.
Sources
- Toastmasters: presentation pace (120–160 wpm)
- NCVS: average US English speech (about 150 wpm)
- ACX: 9,300 words per finished audiobook hour
- Griffiths (1990): EFL listening rates (abstract)
- Rodero (2012): radio pace (abstract)
- Brysbaert (2019): silent and oral reading meta-analysis
- Baruch College: speaking rate for non-native presenters
- Dhakal et al. (2018): typing study
- Ruan et al.: speech and keyboard entry on touchscreen phones