How Many Words Is a 5-Minute Speech? Chart for 1 to 20 Minutes

A 5-minute speech is about 650 words at a steady speaking pace of 130 words per minute. Most speakers land between 600 words (at 120 words per minute) and 750 words (at 150). To check a draft, paste it into the speech length calculator: it shows how long your text takes to say at a slow, steady and brisk pace.

Speech length chart: words for 1 to 20 minutes

Words = minutes x words per minute. The chart uses three paces: 120 (slow and deliberate), 130 (a steady speech pace) and 150 (brisk, close to everyday conversation).

Why plan at 130? Everyday conversation in American English runs at about 150 words per minute, according to the National Center for Voice and Speech. A speech is usually delivered a little slower than conversation, with pauses for emphasis and for the room to react, so 130 is a safer number to plan with. Your own pace can be faster or slower, and the only way to know it is to time yourself. Words per minute: average speaking rate covers pace in more depth.

How many words is a 3-minute speech?

About 390 words at 130 words per minute, or 360 to 450 depending on your pace. Three minutes is a common length for a toast, a short class presentation or an update at work. Short speech examples has full 1, 2 and 3 minute samples with their word counts.

How many words is a 2-minute speech?

About 260 words at 130 words per minute (240 to 300). That is room for one point, one example and a clear close.

How many words is a 10-minute speech?

About 1,300 words at 130 words per minute (1,200 to 1,500). At this length, plan three main points with a story or example for each, and pause between sections so the audience can follow the turns.

How long is a 1,000-word speech?

About 7 minutes 42 seconds at 130 words per minute. At 150 words per minute it takes 6 minutes 40 seconds, and at 120 it takes 8 minutes 20 seconds.

What changes how long your speech takes

• Nerves. Most people speed up when they are nervous, so a speech that took 5 minutes at your desk can come in shorter on the day. Rehearse at a pace that feels slightly slow.
• Pauses. Planned pauses add time without adding words. Keep them: they are what makes a speech easy to follow.
• Laughter and applause. Toasts and award speeches need room for the audience to react. Leave a buffer for it.
• Hard material. Numbers, names and technical terms take longer to say clearly. Slow down for them.

A simple rule: write your draft for about 90% of your time slot. For a 5-minute slot, that is about 585 words at 130 words per minute.

How to time your speech

Read it out loud with a stopwatch

1. Stand up and read the whole speech out loud at the pace you will use on the day.
2. Time it with your phone's stopwatch.
3. Divide your word count by the minutes it took. That is your speaking rate.
4. Cut or add words using the chart above, then time it again.

Test your speaking rate first

Read a short passage out loud with the speaking rate test to see your words per minute, then plan your draft with your own number instead of 130.

Record a full run-through

Record yourself giving the speech, then listen back. You will hear where you rush and where you lose energy, which a stopwatch alone cannot tell you.

Mic Buddy does this on iPhone and iPad: after each take it shows your pace in words per minute, your filler words, your pauses and your clarity, keeps the length of every take in your history, and lets you listen back. Its Steady pace drill aims for about 130 to 160 words per minute. Mic Buddy is free to download. Using it takes a subscription: a yearly, monthly or weekly plan.

A 5-minute speech structure, with word counts

At 130 words per minute, 5 minutes gives you about 650 words. Here is one way to spend them.

For a wedding toast, swap the three points for one story and a toast. For a class presentation, keep the three points and give each one an example.

Common timing mistakes

• Writing right up to the limit. If your slot is 5 minutes and your draft is 750 words, you will likely run long. Leave room.
• Timing it silently. Reading in your head is much faster than speaking. Always time it out loud.
• Cutting pauses to fit. If you are over time, cut words, not pauses.
• Timing only the first run. Your time changes as you learn the speech. Time your last few run-throughs, not the first one.

When the draft fits, rehearse it with a 7-day practice plan so the timing holds on the day.