Speech time calculator
How long will your speech take?
Paste your script and instantly see how long it takes to say aloud — at slow, average, and fast speaking speeds. Perfect for talks, videos, and presentations. No microphone needed.
Estimated speaking time
0 sec
0 words at 130 words per minute
Slow
0 sec
100 wpm
Average
0 sec
130 wpm
Fast
0 sec
160 wpm
Estimates are a guide — your real pace depends on pauses, emphasis, and delivery. Conversational speech averages roughly 130 words per minute.
Words to speaking time, at a glance
Speaking time depends on how many words you have and how fast you say them. As a rule of thumb, an average speaker covers about 130 words per minute, so a 650-word script runs roughly five minutes. Paste your text above to get an exact estimate for your wording, and compare slow, average, and fast delivery side by side.
Handy reference points
- 1-minute talk ≈ 130 words
- 3-minute pitch ≈ 390 words
- 5-minute presentation ≈ 650 words
- 10-minute talk ≈ 1,300 words
- TED-style 18-minute talk ≈ 2,300 words
Tips for timing a talk
- Add time for pauses, audience reactions, and slide changes.
- Read aloud once and adjust the words-per-minute slider to match your real pace.
- Build in a buffer — most people speed up when nervous.
- Drafting by voice instead of typing? Dictate your script first, then paste it here.
Frequently asked questions
- How many words is a 5-minute speech?
- At an average pace of about 130 words per minute, a 5-minute speech is roughly 650 words. Slower delivery (~100 wpm) is about 500 words; faster (~160 wpm) is about 800.
- How many words per minute do people speak?
- Conversational and presentation speech is typically 120–150 words per minute. This calculator defaults to 130 and lets you adjust the pace.
- Does this need my microphone?
- No. The speech time calculator is pure text math — it never asks for microphone access and nothing is uploaded.
- Is reading time the same as speaking time?
- No. Silent reading is much faster (around 240 words per minute), while speaking aloud is slower. This tool estimates spoken delivery time.
- Is it free?
- Yes — completely free, with no account and no limits.
More free tools
- Microphone test
- Mic test — record & playback
- Online voice recorder
- Speech to text
- Text to speech
- Speaking speed (WPM) test
- Background noise test
- Speaker & headphone test
See all free voice & audio tools, or learn about OpenBroca.