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Speech Time Calculator

Paste your script or enter a word count and see how long the speech, pitch or presentation runs at a slow, average or fast speaking pace. Or turn it around: see how many words fit in a 5-minute slot.

Your script

0 words. The script stays on this page and is not sent to ParrotNotes.

sec

Speaking time

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Words
0
Pace
140 words a minute
Speaking
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The same script at each pace

Slow (110 a minute)
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Average (140 a minute)
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Fast (170 a minute)
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Time = words ÷ words a minute, plus pauses. The paces are rules of thumb; time a rehearsal for yours.

The word count runs in your browser. What you type or paste is not sent to ParrotNotes and is not put in the page address; only the numbers are, so you can share the result.

How it works

  1. 1

    Paste or count

    Paste the script and the words are counted as you type, or enter a word count. Working backwards? Switch to Time to words.

  2. 2

    Pick a pace

    Slow, average or fast, or your own words-a-minute figure from a timed rehearsal. Add pauses for slides or a demo.

  3. 3

    Read the time

    See the running time in minutes and seconds, and the same script at each pace, so you know the range.

Words per minute at a glance

How many words fit in a speech of each length, at a slow, average and fast pace.

Words for speeches of 1 to 20 minutes at three speaking paces
Speech lengthSlow (110)Average (140)Fast (170)
1 minute110140170
2 minutes220280340
3 minutes330420510
5 minutes550700850
10 minutes1,1001,4001,700
15 minutes1,6502,1002,550
20 minutes2,2002,8003,400

Words = minutes × words a minute, before pauses.

How fast do people speak?

As a rule of thumb, most people speak somewhere around 120 to 160 words a minute in a presentation; slower for a speech with pauses, faster in conversation. Nerves usually push the pace up, and a room that laughs or asks questions pulls it down.

This page uses 110 words a minute for a slow, deliberate delivery, 140 for an average presentation and 170 for a fast one. They are working numbers, not measurements of you: the only pace that counts is yours, so time a rehearsal and enter your own figure as a custom pace.

How to time a talk

  • Rehearse out loud. Reading silently is two or three times faster than speaking. Say it out loud, standing up if you will stand on the day.
  • Time it, then check your pace. Record or time one full run. Divide the word count by the minutes it took and use that as your custom pace here.
  • Cut 10 percent. Aim to finish with room to spare. If the slot is 10 minutes, write for 9, and leave the last minute for a question or a slow start.
  • Count the pauses. Slide changes, a demo loading, applause, a story that lands: add them as pauses so the total is the time you really need.

Preparing a sales presentation? Read Sales pitch examples for in-person meetings and Sales QBR agenda and template.

Rehearse it out loud

Pace on paper is a guess. Rehearse it out loud with ParrotNotes recording: you get the transcript of what you actually said and a summary, free for 100 minutes a month.

Get ParrotNotes free

Related tools

Speech time calculator FAQ