Speech Length Calculator: Words to Minutes (and Minutes to Words)
How many words is a 5 minute speech? About 585 words at 117 words per minute, the median overall pace, pauses included, that EchoPitch measured across 25 recorded speeches. A 3 minute speech is about 350 words and a 10 minute speech about 1,170. Counting only the time the speaker was actually talking, the median was 130 words per minute, which gives about 650 words for 5 minutes, while the slowest quarter of speakers ran at about 102 or slower, roughly 510 words. Those recordings are US presidential speeches, not a universal rule, so treat the figures as a starting point and time your own script out loud. The calculator below turns a pasted script into minutes at three paces, adds a laughter and pause allowance, and turns a target length into a word count. It runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded or stored.
Everything is calculated in your browser. Your script is not uploaded or stored. Words are counted the way a reader would count them.
Minutes to words table
| Minutes | Words at 102 wpm | Words at 117 wpm | Words at 130 wpm |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 204 | 234 | 260 |
| 3 | 306 | 351 | 390 |
| 4 | 408 | 468 | 520 |
| 5 | 510 | 585 | 650 |
| 6 | 612 | 702 | 780 |
| 7 | 714 | 819 | 910 |
| 10 | 1,020 | 1,170 | 1,300 |
| 15 | 1,530 | 1,755 | 1,950 |
| 20 | 2,040 | 2,340 | 2,600 |
102 is the slower quarter of the speeches we measured, 117 the median including pauses, 130 the median while speaking. The recordings are US presidential speeches, so this is a guide, not a rule. Method and data: speaking pace in 25 famous speeches.
How to use the number
- Time it out loud. A word count is an estimate. Read the script aloud with a timer and compare it with the figure here; the speaking rate calculator finds your own words per minute.
- Add a laughter allowance. Jokes, applause and toasts take time you did not script. Enter the seconds you expect above and the tool subtracts them from your word budget.
- Cut a story, not a sentence. If you are over, drop a whole anecdote rather than trimming every line, so the pace stays natural. See the wedding speech length guide and best man speech practice for worked examples.
Speech length FAQ
How many words is a 5 minute speech?
About 585 words at the 117 words per minute median we measured across 25 recorded speeches, counting pauses. At the 130 words per minute median while actually speaking it is about 650, and at the slower-quarter pace of 102 it is about 510. If your speech has jokes, a toast or audience reaction, plan on the lower figure.
How many words is a 10 minute speech?
About 1,170 words at 117 words per minute, 1,300 at 130 and 1,020 at 102. These are straight arithmetic on the paces from our study of 25 recorded speeches, so they hold only as far as your delivery matches those paces. Read it aloud with a timer to find out.
Why are there three paces?
They come from EchoPitch's pace study of 25 US presidential speeches. The median was 130 words per minute while speaking and 117 once pauses were counted, and the slower quarter of speeches ran at about 102 or below. The study found roughly one pause every 4 seconds, so the lower figures are the realistic ones for a live room.
Is this accurate for my own speech?
It is an estimate. The study recordings are presidential speeches, not weddings, pitches or eulogies, and your own pace may differ. Use the optional box to enter your own words per minute, then time the speech out loud to confirm.