Speaking time calculator
Paste a speech, script or presentation to see how long it takes to say out loud and how long it takes to read. Below that, work out words per minute from a word count and a time.
0 words
Speaking time
- Slow 130 WPM
- 0 s
- Average 150 WPM
- 0 s
- Fast 170 WPM
- 0 s
- Silent reading 238 WPM
- 0 s
Typing it vs saying it
- Typing
- 0 s
- Speaking
- 0 s
Paste some text to compare.
Find your typing speedThe calculator runs in your browser, and your text is never sent anywhere.
Words per minute calculator
Enter how many words were spoken, read or typed, and how long it took.
Words per minute
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Enter a word count and a time.
How the times are worked out
- Speaking time
- Your word count divided by a speaking rate. 130 words per minute is a slow, deliberate talk with pauses, 150 is everyday conversation and most presentations, and 170 is a fast, energetic speaker.
- Reading time
- Silent reading uses 238 words per minute. That is the average for adults reading non-fiction in English, from Marc Brysbaert's 2019 review of 190 reading studies with 18,573 participants, published in the Journal of Memory and Language.
- Typing time
- 40 words per minute unless you enter your own speed, the figure most often quoted for an average typist. Take the typing speed test to use your real number.
- Words
- Anything between spaces that contains a letter or a number. Hyphenated words count once, and stray punctuation doesn't count. Chinese, Japanese and Thai, which aren't written with spaces, are split into words by your browser.
How many words in a speech
The number of words that fit in a speech of each length. Writing to a time limit? Aim for the middle column and rehearse with a timer.
| Length | Slow130 WPM | Average150 WPM | Fast170 WPM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 minute | 130 | 150 | 170 |
| 2 minutes | 260 | 300 | 340 |
| 3 minutes | 390 | 450 | 510 |
| 5 minutes | 650 | 750 | 850 |
| 10 minutes | 1,300 | 1,500 | 1,700 |
| 15 minutes | 1,950 | 2,250 | 2,550 |
| 20 minutes | 2,600 | 3,000 | 3,400 |
| 30 minutes | 3,900 | 4,500 | 5,100 |
Common questions
- How many words is a 5 minute speech?
- About 750 words at an average pace of 150 words per minute. A slow, deliberate speaker gets through about 650 words in 5 minutes, and a fast one about 850.
- How long does it take to say 1,000 words?
- About 6 minutes and 40 seconds at 150 words per minute. At a slow 130 words per minute it takes 7 minutes 42 seconds, and at a fast 170 it takes 5 minutes 53 seconds.
- What is a normal speaking rate?
- Around 150 words per minute for conversation and most talks. Presentations with pauses run slower, around 130, and energetic speakers and podcast hosts often reach 170 or more.
- How do I calculate words per minute?
- Divide the number of words by the number of minutes. 450 words in 3 minutes is 150 words per minute. For a time like 2 minutes 30 seconds, use 2.5 minutes, or enter minutes and seconds in the calculator above.
- How long does it take to read 1,000 words?
- About 4 minutes and 12 seconds of silent reading at 238 words per minute, the average adult rate for non-fiction in English. Reading aloud is slower: the same review puts it at 183 words per minute, about 5 minutes 28 seconds for 1,000 words.
- Is dictating faster than typing?
- Usually by a wide margin. At 150 words per minute, saying 1,000 words takes under 7 minutes. Typing them at an average 40 words per minute takes 25 minutes, before any corrections.
Write at the speed you speak
If speaking 1,000 words takes 7 minutes and typing them takes 25, dictation gives you the difference back. Try Dictation Daddy in your browser, then download it for Mac, Windows, Android or Chrome.
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