How many words is a 5 minute speech? (Chart for 1 to 30 minutes)

So, how many words is a 5 minute speech? About 650 to 750 words. That assumes a normal, relaxed pace of 130 to 150 words a minute, which is where most people land when they present. If you speak slowly or leave long pauses, plan for closer to 600 words. If you talk fast, you can fit around 800. The chart below covers other lengths, and the 2 minute test further down tells you your own number, which is the one that really matters.

Speech length chart: words for 1 to 30 minutes

These figures use a range of 130 to 150 words a minute. Pick the lower number if you pause a lot, use slides or expect to slow down when you are nervous.

Working the other way is just as easy. Divide your word count by your pace. A 1,000 word speech takes about 7 to 8 minutes at 130 to 150 words a minute.

Why your 5 minute speech might need fewer words

The chart is a starting point. Real talks almost always run longer than the word count suggests, for a few simple reasons.

• Pauses add up. A one second pause after each key point can add 30 seconds to a 5 minute talk. That's a good thing, because pauses help people follow you.
• Slides slow you down. You wait for a slide to change, you point at a chart, you let people read a quote. Plan about 10 percent fewer words when you present with slides.
• Nerves change your speed. Most people speed up when they are anxious. Some freeze and slow right down. Practice tells you which way you go.
• The room talks back. Laughter, a nod you respond to, a quick question in the chat. Live talks breathe in a way a reading at your desk does not.
• Some words take longer. Numbers, names and technical terms take longer to say than short everyday words.

A safe rule: for a strict 5 minute slot, write about 600 words. You will finish on time with room for one stumble.

How to find your own speaking pace in 2 minutes

Your own pace beats any average. Here is a quick way to measure it.

1. Pick a passage of about 300 words. A page of your own script is best, because you will read it the way you really present.
2. Stand up, or sit the way you will on the call, and read it out loud at your presenting speed. Don't rush to beat the clock.
3. Time yourself with your phone's stopwatch.
4. Divide the number of words by the minutes it took. If 300 words took 2 minutes and 10 seconds, that is 300 divided by 2.17, or about 138 words a minute.
5. Do it twice more and take the middle result. The first read is usually the fastest.

Now multiply your pace by your time slot. At 138 words a minute, a 5 minute speech is about 690 words. Write to that number, then trim 10 percent if you plan to use slides.

How to cut a speech down to 5 minutes

Most first drafts run long. Here is how to trim without losing the point.

• Keep one main idea. A 5 minute talk has room for one message and two or three supporting points. Anything else is a different talk.
• Cut the warm up. Openings like "Thanks for having me, I'm really excited to be here" eat 15 seconds. Start with your point or a short story.
• Shorten long sentences. Spoken sentences should be shorter than written ones. If you run out of breath reading a line, split it in two.
• Replace lists with one strong example. Three quick examples often land worse than one specific one.
• Read it out loud after every edit. Your ear will catch padding that your eyes skip.

If you are writing for camera, our guide on how to write a video script walks through the same idea in more detail, with a template you can copy.

Pages, slides and other quick conversions

People often need the answer in pages or slides rather than words. These are rough guides, since fonts and layouts vary.

For slides, one slide a minute is a common rule for talks with a lot of explaining. Talks with big photos and few words can move faster.

How to keep your place and your pace while you speak

Knowing your word count is half the job. The other half is delivering it at a steady speed without losing your place or staring at your notes.

On a video call or a recording, the simplest fix is to keep your script close to the camera, so your eyes stay near the lens while you read. Lenslines does this on Windows: it shows your script in a small notch right under your webcam. Its speed setting is easy to match to your pace, since 1x is about 180 words a minute. If you measured 140 words a minute, start at about 0.8x and adjust. You can also let it scroll with your voice, so the text moves while you speak and waits when you pause.

For more on font size, line spacing and speed, see our guide to teleprompter settings for webcam recording. And if filler words creep in when you lose your place, these tips on how to stop saying um will help.