Free speech length calculator

Minutes to words for your next speech

130 words per minute is the starting budget for a prepared speech. Multiply your available minutes by that rate to find a draft word count. Choose another pace below to see how much text fits your slot. These are planning estimates; time a rehearsal to check your own pace.

Updated

Calculate your estimate

Enter the time available for your script; decimal minutes are welcome.

Speaking benchmark

Estimated word count

520 words

Results round half up to whole seconds or words. Calculations run in your browser.

130 wpm gives you a draft word budget within the 120–160 wpm presentation range. Enter the minutes available for your script. Compare the result with conversational English, audiobook narration, deliberate delivery, and radio news to choose a pace for your talk.

Use the word count to guide your first edit. Set aside time for slide changes, audience reactions, and questions before entering your speaking minutes. Cut repeated points and long examples first, then use the remaining words for your main message and closing.

Word counts for 5 minutes by pace
BenchmarkWords per minuteWord countSource context
Slow / deliberate100500Griffiths (1990): slow listening pace
Prepared presentation130650Toastmasters: 120–160 wpm presentation guidance
Conversational English150750NCVS: approximate US English average
Audiobook narration155775ACX: 9,300 words per finished hour ÷ 60
Radio news180900Rodero (2012): 160–180 wpm radio guidance

Times round to the nearest whole second, with half a second rounded up. Word counts round to the nearest whole word, with halves rounded up. Calculations use the full rate before rounding.

Questions about minutes to words

How does a speech time calculator find a word count?

Multiply your speaking minutes by your chosen words per minute. The result is a word budget for your draft. Enter the time available for the scripted part of your talk, select a pace, and use the count to decide how much material to write.

Does the word count include time for questions?

Enter only the minutes you plan to spend speaking from your script. Reserve time for questions, audience responses, and slide changes first. Use the resulting word count to shape your draft, with a clear opening, the main points, and a closing.

Why does changing the pace change the speech length?

A faster pace fits more words into the same time; a slower pace fits fewer. Choose prepared presentation for a talk or audiobook narration for a recorded script. Use that pace consistently as you edit, so each section fits its share of the time.

Sources

Related tools

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