how many words is a 5 minute presentation

How to Create an Engaging 5-Minute Presentation

Published: September 15, 2023

A 5-minute speech can feel both incredibly short and infinitely long.

While this short format encourages audiences to pay more attention, presenters often struggle to fit everything into five minutes even as they navigate nervousness that seems to stretch out each second.

As a result, preparation is key for 5-minute speech success.

But how can you ensure your presentation accomplishes everything it needs to within just five short minutes? We’ve put together an (appropriately condensed) guide on five-minute presentations to help you get started.

How many words are in a 5-minute presentation?

A five-minute presentation is approximately 700 words long. The average person speaks 120 to 160 words a minute, which means the average five-minute presentation is 600 to 800 words.

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To calculate your own personal speaking speed (words per minute, or WPM):

• Make an audio recording of yourself speaking for one minute.
• Use a free transcription service to generate a text version of your speech.
• The number of words you spoke in that minute is your personal WPM.

When constructing a longer presentation, you might be more concerned about transitions and keeping the audience engaged with more extensive narrative elements.

In a short presentation, everything you say should directly tie back to your central premise and further advance your main point.

Keeping a tight scope and using your words carefully ensures your time isn't wasted and the audience leaves with a clear, singular takeaway.

How many slides are in a 5-minute presentation?

Five or six slides, or about one per minute, is a good baseline for a 5-minute presentation. Depending on your subject matter, however, you might use up to 20 slides and spend about 10 or 15 seconds on each.

More important than your slide count is what each slide contains. It‘s a good rule of thumb to keep your slides simple and focused on visuals instead of text for a presentation of any length.

This becomes especially important when you’re dealing with a condensed presentation window.

Trying to cram in as much information as possible within a short time frame can be tempting. Resist the urge. Instead, focus on simple, clean visuals that all tie back to your central premise.

You can also use these free presentation templates to arrange your slides in a way that makes the most sense for your delivery and the content of your presentation.

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Home Blog Presentation Ideas How to Create a 5 Minutes Presentation

How to Create a 5 Minutes Presentation

Giving a 40-60-minute speech isn’t a synonym for success. Sticking to shorter presentation formats can increase the impact of large-format events. Among its many advantages, allowing multiple speakers to give their insights rises above everything. Still, presenters often struggle to be concise, as they aim to disclose as much content as possible, ending up overdoing the allotted time or delivering rushed-up presentations.

In this article, we’ll share our experience on how to master the art of 3-5 minute presentations, keeping your speech concise while using powerful graphics to connect with the audience.

Table of Contents

What is a 5 Minutes Presentation?

What are the requirements of 5 minutes presentations, how many slides for a 5 minute presentation, 5 minute presentation ideas, how to make a 5 minute presentation, common mistakes to avoid in 5-minute presentations, recommended templates for 5 minute presentations, final words.

A 5-minute presentation is a short talk designed to convey a specific message, idea, information, or argument within a limited timeframe, between three to five minutes – the latter being the average duration. Due to the brevity, these presentations require careful planning and preparation to ensure the content is concise, focused, and impactful. 

We can define a five-minute presentation’s must-have(s) in seven different categories.

Objective Definition

The purpose of your talk has to be clear from the presentation planning phase. This implies acknowledging whether you intend to inform, persuade, inspire, or instruct your audience on a given topic.

On this behalf, we made a list of frameworks to help you pinpoint the core objective of your presentation:

• SPIN (Situation, Problem, Implication, Need-payoff): Intended for sales strategy or customer-driven presentations. The focus is set on understanding the audience’s situation, presenting the problems, implications, and potential benefits of a proposed solution.
• AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action): The AIDA framework is extremely popular in marketing campaigns and sales presentations. You can learn more about this approach for engaging presentations by checking our guide on the AIDA model .
• SCQA (Situation, Complication, Question, Answer): Intended for problem-solving meetings and business presentations. The SCQA framework establishes a context and its challenges, raises a question, and provides solutions for it.
• Minto Pyramid Principle: This unconventional approach is used for business presentations and reports, and was developed by Barbara Minto at McKinsey & Company in the 1970s . We start by stating the conclusion or core recommendation, then organize the information that supports your statement in a logical flow. By implementing this approach, you inspire the audience to think critically about the presented scenario, while discussing complex ideas in an easier-to-digest format due to its hierarchical organization of ideas.
• Monroe’s Motivated Sequence: A framework with a focus on persuasive presentations. It is structured by five pillars recognized by its author, Alan H. Monroe : Attention, Need, Satisfaction, Visualization, and Action. 

Concise Content

“How many words in a 5-minute speech” is a commonly asked question by beginner presenters. The average range for seasoned speakers is 130-150 words per minute in a fluent speech, and depending on the topic, that can go slower (technical-based presentations) or faster (motivational presentations, like the ones delivered by Tony Robbins ). 

Therefore, for a 5-minute speech, you might aim for:

• At 130 words per minute: 130×5=650 words
• At 150 words per minute: 150×5=750 words

That calculation can help you curate the script for your speech. In general lines, our expertise tells us that selecting a topic that can be covered within 5 minutes is roughly 60% of the job. After effectively selecting a topic, you must restrict the content to 2-3 main points to remain within the time limit and end your presentation in style. 

Presentation Structure

In more laid-back scenarios, presentations can lean toward a conversational mode rather than a strict agenda. Still, we ought to ensure the presentation structure contains an Introduction, a Body, and a Conclusion. 

The Introduction helps us familiarize the audience with what’s expected out of your presentation. Additionally, it is our chance to make a good first impression . Knowing how to start your presentation guarantees audience engagement from the initial moments of your delivery.

Moving to the Body, this is where facts are laid out and backed up using evidence or examples to support your view. Visual aids can contribute to minimizing the need for lengthy text walls. 

Finally, the Conclusion summarizes the key takeaways and, when applicable, brings a call to action in the format of thought-provoking statements, data shared, an irresistible offer, and plenty of other scenarios.

Audience Engagement

Connecting with the audience is vital, especially in short formats like Pecha Kucha presentations . Your speech pace and body language are significant factors that contribute to how the audience perceives your interest in their time. 

Aim for a relaxed but confident attitude, as if you were passionately talking about a topic with a group of acquaintances. This reinforces your authority in the topic you deliver, as being anxious or rushing through the presentation only speaks of a lack of interest.

Apply professional presentation techniques like storytelling for presentations or harnessing the power of visual communication strategies to make your message memorable. 

Audience Acknowledgement

Tailoring your presentation for the audience’s interest is the first step every presenter must take to guarantee success, especially if we’re another speaker in large-scale events. In some niches, like academic presentations, it is vital as some of the audience may not feel connected with your research topic. 

Based on information gathered from our customer’s feedback, a good recipe to connect with your audience is to work with a sales approach in mind and create your “ideal audience persona.” This would be your attendee who’s 100% connected with what you intend to share. Compare and contrast demographics with the public you know will attend, and find the common points and where you need to adjust your expectations to meet the audience’s interest.

If the event format allows for it, be ready to present questions at the end of your presentation that may drive the interest of a Q&A session.

Visual Aids

Slides featuring infographics , dashboards , or storytelling-based illustrations help to attract the spectator’s interest and increase the retention rate, as research proves it’s easier to recall pictures than words . As previously mentioned, leveraging graphics helps us reduce our slides’ word count.

Other presentation aids , like videos, audio, and even sensory elements such as smells, can drive a broad range of emotional responses within the audience. It’s worth exploiting this route if your presentation aims to persuade or motivate the spectators. 

Time Management

Last but not least, time management is an etiquette rule of respect for fellow presenters. Your content has to fit within the 5-minute limit, including transition times and variations in your delivery speed.

A good presenter is an adaptable one. Be ready to adjust your speech on the fly if you find yourself running short or long on time or if the audience’s interest drives the conversation briefly away from your intended destination.

Defining how many slides is a 5 minute presentation isn’t an automatic task. Some topics can be quickly resolved following the premises of the 1-2-3 rule for presentations, applying:

• One main message: Your presentation should center around a single, clear main message or idea. This ensures focus and helps your audience grasp the core of your presentation without getting lost in details. 
• Two supporting points: Support your main message with two strong, relevant points or arguments. This structure helps provide depth to your presentation without overwhelming your audience with too much information. 
• Three examples or pieces of evidence: For each supporting point, provide three examples, pieces of evidence, or data points to substantiate your arguments. This reinforces your message and helps in making your case more convincing.

In short, implementing this practice can result in a range between 5 and 10 slides in your 5-minute presentation. More complex topics, like medical presentations or scientific conferences, cannot be summarized easily, as graphs require one full slide for accurate data visualization. In this case, weigh the critical points your presentation must cover, assign a maximum of 3 slides per crucial point, and avoid filler content.

Googling around you can come across lists with 200, 60, 40, and plenty other title combinations referring to 5 minute presentation ideas. Despite it being a good starter to brainstorm potential topics or angles for your presentation, we shall introduce our method to implement AI tools to come up with 5 minute presentation topics. The following instructions apply to ChatGPT , Gemini (Bard) or Bing.

• Consider the niche in which you want to deliver a 5 minute presentation. 
• Gather the main keywords around the topic you intend to present. For example, if you want to deliver a presentation about artificial intelligence, the following keywords may suit your needs as well: AI, artificial intelligence chatbot, types of artificial intelligence, artificial intelligence solutions, what is artificial intelligence.
• Open your AI tool of preference and write the following prompt: “Give me a list of 20 5-minute presentation ideas in the IT niche that fit these keywords: AI, artificial intelligence chatbot, types of artificial intelligence, artificial intelligence solutions, what is artificial intelligence.”

And this is the list generated by ChatGPT-4

• Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Basics of AI, its history, and evolution.
• Exploring AI Technologies: A dive into machine learning, neural networks, and deep learning.
• Types of Artificial Intelligence: From narrow (or weak) AI to general (or strong) AI, and superintelligence.
• AI Chatbots: Revolutionizing Customer Service: How chatbots are changing the customer service landscape across industries.
• Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: Discussing AI solutions for diagnostics, treatment recommendations, and patient care.
• The Role of AI in Autonomous Vehicles: Examining how AI technologies power self-driving cars.
• Ethical Considerations in AI: The moral implications of AI in decision-making and privacy concerns.
• AI in Cybersecurity: Using artificial intelligence to predict, detect, and respond to cyber threats.
• The Impact of AI on Job Markets: How AI is reshaping employment opportunities and the workforce.
• Machine Learning Algorithms Explained: An overview of popular algorithms and their applications in AI.
• AI and Big Data: How AI algorithms process and analyze large datasets to extract meaningful insights.
• Natural Language Processing (NLP) in AI: Understanding how AI interprets, understands, and generates human language.
• AI in Finance: The use of artificial intelligence in fraud detection, algorithmic trading, and personalized banking.
• Artificial Intelligence for Environmental Sustainability: Exploring AI solutions for climate change, conservation, and sustainable energy.
• AI and Robotics: How AI is applied in robotics for automation, exploration, and manufacturing.
• Deep Learning and Neural Networks: An introduction to the architecture of neural networks and their significance in AI.
• Implementing AI Solutions in Small Businesses: Practical AI applications for improving efficiency and productivity in SMEs.
• The Future of AI: Predictions and emerging trends in artificial intelligence technologies.
• AI in Education: Personalized learning, automated grading, and AI’s role in educational institutions.
• Ethics and Bias in AI: Addressing the challenges of bias in AI algorithms and ensuring ethical AI development.

In this section, we will apply the explained suggestions earlier, approaching a real use case of a motivational speaker addressing an audience of marketing professionals. The speaker has to deliver a 5 minute presentation for a large onsite event.

Defining the Objective & Core Message

Our presenter is faced with the challenge of highlighting the importance of data analysis in marketing these days, and why marketing professionals should be adaptable to the latest trends. Therefore, using Minto’s Pyramid Principle, the presenter who already knows the answer – that hunch-based decisions need to be turned into data-driven decisions – plans how to convey the importance of that statement into the presentation’s flow.

Then, a powerful hook comes to mind on how to start this presentation: “Today, I want to share why embracing change isn’t just necessary; it’s our most powerful tool for growth in the marketing world.” Since that statement can sound somewhat vague, the presenter opts for a quote to impact the audience. A definition of what Social Listening is, indicating the connection between data and consumer behavior analysis.

Concise Content Tailored for the Audience

Research or inquire about the audience’s background in marketing. Are they novices or seasoned professionals? What challenges are they facing? Use this information to shape your presentation content.

In our presenter’s case, the event’s organizer gave some basic information about the demographics and audience’s background. Returning to the “ideal audience persona” concept, this presenter’s audience consists of mid-level marketing professionals facing rapid industry changes. Some already have experience working with data analytics but couldn’t extract the full potential. Therefore, rather than losing time with basics, the presenter prepares a compelling dashboard slide showing metrics of how working with data helped a client grow its revenue rate by 19% in three months.

The time limit for this presentation is 6 minutes in total, as a 1-minute Q&A session is contemplated. Therefore, using our word-per-minute calculation, the presenter opts for a 5 minute speech word count of 600 words, as it’s best to impact with powerful visuals and data storytelling rather than to rush the speech. As the recommended slide deck length for this presentation format is between 5 and 10 slides, the presenter opts for 3 extra slides, totaling 13 slides, since the two main points require 2-3 slides each.

The Introduction for this presentation is a powerful statement, as we mentioned above, taking one full minute to deliver the phrase and share the information that backs up such a statement.

The Body will take 3 minutes to be presented, and it shall cover a three-tier structure with the following premises:

• Challenge: “The digital marketing landscape is evolving faster than ever before, leaving many behind.”
• Strategy: “Yet, some marketers are thriving by adopting agile methodologies and data-driven strategies.”
• Success Story: “Take, for example, a small business that doubled its online engagement and grew its revenue rate by 19% in three months just by simply listening to its audience through social media analytics.”

The Conclusion takes another minute, using a powerful slide to leave a lasting thought that the audience can dwell on.

As the format is brief, the presenter will use powerful graphics to boost audience engagement. Additionally, there’s a short exercise at the beginning of the presentation where the speaker promptly says: “Turn to the person next to you and share one change you’ve embraced in your marketing strategy this year that made a difference.” This is a fine example of how to implement interactive presentation techniques to boost audience engagement.

Leveraging this kind of strategy helps the audience to connect with the importance of making changes in the marketing strategy of their work environments, but not just any change, something that’s measurable and has a significant impact. The presenter expects that not many members can successfully relate to change with results due to their inexperience in marketing data analytics – a piece of information disclosed by the event’s organizer – so the remaining of the presentation consists of ‘wowing’ the audience on the importance of data and how to measure that impact to stay tuned with the latest trends.

Although it seems an easy-to-adapt format, presenters working under 5-minute presentation can face some challenges that affect the overall outcome of their presentation delivery. Most of these presentation mistakes apply to any kind of presentation. In particular, we consider the following list as beginner mistakes we can easily prevent.

• Using Jargon or Complex Language: This can alienate your audience. Use clear, accessible language.
• Reading from Slides: This is literally “death by PowerPoint.” Use slides as a visual aid, not a script.
• Overuse of Animations or Transitions: While they can be engaging, too many can be distracting and appear unprofessional.

Check the following slide decks and PPT templates to maximize your performance in 3-5 minute presentations.

1. 5 Minute Business Marketing Presentation Template

Create eye-catching marketing presentations by using this best PPT template with a clean layout and wavy backgrounds. The information can be structured around the included icons, maximizing the retention rate by giving an area to focus on just the core information to be disclosed.

Use This Template

2. Business Executive 5-Minute Presentation Template

Geared toward business presentations, this slide deck layout contains cutting-edge graphics that grab your audience’s interest. It can be easily customized to speak about your company’s growth process, reach out to potential investors, or even for non-business topics.

3. Modern Hexagon 5-Minute Pitch Deck PowerPoint Template

Another clean layout template with vivid colors to highlight the information shared. This professional PPT slide deck helps us discuss data or compare features between competitor products in the blink of an eye. The color palette uses gradients to transition between sections smoothly.

4. Kaleidoscope 5-Minute Company Profile PowerPoint Template

Although it is intended for company profiles or company overview presentations, this highly visual PPT template can be repurposed for many niches. Due to its limited-space placeholder text areas, the 5 minute speech word count can be significantly reduced, aiming for concise content.

5. Academic 5-Minute Presentation Template

An ideal template for presenting thesis dissertations, this slide deck features designs to introduce the scope of our research, problem statement, methodology used, outcomes, and their significance while preserving a cohesive aesthetic.

As we can see, concise presentation formats like the 5 minute presentation have their own challenges when we strive for quality. Consider rehearsing your presentation multiple times, opting for the slideshow mode , to spot any areas where you can trim the speech or change text for graphics. 

Speak reasonably, and remember it’s best to fall short some seconds and allow for a Q&A session rather than rushing and not giving a proper closure to your speech.

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• How many words per minute in a speech

How many words per minute in a speech?

A quick guide for slow, average and fast rates of speech.

By:  Susan Dugdale  

If you're preparing a speech or presentation with a strict time limit it’s useful to have an estimate of the number of words you’ll need to fit the number of minutes you've been given.

And it's even more useful to have those guidelines before you rush into writing, only to discover when you’re done, you’ve written far too much. Something I used to do on a regular basis! (And then, I had the tedious job of pruning to fit.)

What's on this page:

How many words are there in a 1-minute speech, how many words are there in a 2-minute speech, how many words are there in a 3-minute speech, how many words are there in a 4-minute speech, how many words are there in a 5-minute speech, how many words are there in a 6-minute speech, how many words are there in a 7-minute speech, how many words are there in an 8-minute speech, how many words are there in a 9-minute speech, how many words are there in a 10-minute speech, how many words are there in a 15-minute speech, how many words are there in a 20-minute speech, how many words are there in a 25-minute speech, how many words are there in a 30-minute speech.

• How to calculate your own speech rate: 2 easy methods
• How many pages is a 4, 7 or 20-minute speech?     

About this quick reference guide

The following table (below) shows the average number of words spoken per minute for speeches from 1 to 30 minutes long. It's a quick reference guide: one only intended to provide general information.

Who, and what, is truly average?

An average word count for any timed speech (one minute, two minutes, three, four, five, six...or more, minutes) is impossible to give. As there really is no such thing as an average person, who uses an average rate of words per minute when they speak.

We are individuals: each of us different. Speech patterns and speech (speaking) rates vary considerably between person to person for a great many reasons. The best you’ll ever get is an educated guess.

Use as an estimate: test yourself to be sure

That aside, the following estimates will give you a handy indication of the number of minutes it takes to say x number of words depending on whether you talk at a slow speed, a medium speed or you're one of the world's fast talkers.

(And, no, it's never a good idea to gabble at a mile a minute to fit everything you've prepared into the length of time you've been given!)

To be absolutely sure what you've done will fit the time allocation you've been given it's a good idea to test yourself to establish your own speaking rate or speed of speech .

How many pages is a 'x' minute speech?

Multiple variations on the question how many pages are needed for a speech are frequently asked. For instance:

• How many pages is a 4-minute speech?
• How many pages is a 7-minute speech?
• How many pages is a 20-minute presentation?

Unfortunately, the answer is not simple. Calculating the number of A4 pages of text you need for a speech of any number of minutes long is tricky for two reasons.

How many words are on an A4 page?

The first reason is that the number of words on an A4 page depends on how the page has been formatted. The answers to the questions below make a very big difference to the total number of pages needed to print a speech.

• What is the font family being used? (Different fonts take up differing amounts of space because of the shape/design of their characters.)  
• What is the size of the font? (The font size you're reading right now is 20px.)
• What is the spacing between each of the letters in a word?
• What is the spacing between each line of text? Is it single spacing, 1.5 or double line spacing?
• What spacing has been set for paragraphs?
• What size have the margins of the page been set at?
• Are there headings? Sub-headings or lists?

On average if the font is plain, (sans-serif, without embellishment), like Arial or Verdana, its size is set for 12px, and the line spacing is set for 1.5, then a page may have between 400-500 words on it.

Speech rate changes how we calculate the number of words we need

The second reason why using the number of pages to gauge how long a speech will take to deliver is problematical is because we speak at different rates. 

A 500-word page may take someone speaking at very slow rate 4 minutes to get through.

Another person, who has a much faster speaking rate, may take about 2.5 minutes to deliver exactly the same text.

Using the number of pages as a guide for a speech that has to fit a time limit is completely unreliable.

If you need to use a 'guesstimate' use the speech rate table below. Forget about counting the pages! 

If you are a slow speaker, less than 120 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 120 - 160 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 160 - 200 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 240 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 240 - 320 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 320 - 400 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 360 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 360 – 480 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 480 - 600 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 480 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 480 – 640 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 640 - 800 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 600 words,

If you speak at an average speed between: 600 – 760 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 760 - 1000 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 720 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 720 – 960 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 960 - 1200 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 840 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 840 – 1120 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 1120 - 1400 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 960 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 960 – 1280 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 1280 - 1600 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 1080 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 1080 – 1440 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 1440 - 1800 words.

If you are a slow speaker a little less than 1200 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 1200 – 1600 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 1600 - 2000 words.

If you are a slow speaker, a little less than 1,800 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 1,800 - 2,400 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 2,400 - 3,000 words.

If you are a slow speaker, a little less than 2,400 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 2,400 - 3,200 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 3,200 - 4,000 words.

If you are a slow speaker, a little less than 3,000 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 3,000 - 4,000 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 4,000 - 5,000 words.

If you are a slow speaker, a little less than 3,600 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 3,600 - 4,800 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 4,800 - 6,000 words.

Return to Top

Find out more about speech rate

• How to calculate your own words per minute speech rate - two easy methods
• The factors influencing a faster rate or slower rate of speech
• How to develop an ideal rate of speech : one matching content, speech purpose and your audience: six exercises for flexible speaking rate

Words per minute calculator

Lastly here's the link to a useful online words per minutes calculator . Once you've completed your speech enter the total number of words, and select whether you want it to give you an average for a minute of your speech at a slow rate, average or fast rate. Again, it's a 'guesstimate'. ☺

The only really safe way to find out whether your speech fits your time allocation is to say it aloud at an ideal rate or pace: one taking into account the content, and the audience who is going to listen to it, while timing it.

(Use the record function on your phone. It will assist in lots of other ways too! You'll hear where you need more vocal variety, where your pronunciation is blurred ...and, so on. It's super helpful.)

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How Many Words are in a Five-Minute Speech?

How many words are in a five-minute speech.

Presenting a speech in front of a crowd of people can be scary. If you’re someone unaccustomed to giving big speeches, your palms may start to sweat and your body may shake, all before you ever utter your first word. It’s normal to experience stage fright. Most expert speakers agree, preparing well can be your best protection against nervousness. If you’re going to speak in public, it may help to write down the words you want to say.

Let’s imagine you need to give a 5-minute speech at a wedding. How much text should you prepare? In order to give that wedding toast, you should probably write 625-750 words. We arrived at that figure by taking the number of words per minute (WPM) that the average person speaks and multiplying it by the number of minutes you’ll need to speak, which is 5. The average person speaks 125-150 WPM.

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It’s easy to do this math on your own. For a 3-minute speech, you would just multiply 125 by 3 to get the minimum number of words you’d need. The answer is 375. Now, picture a scenario where you have to give a 20-minute speech. What’s your maximum word count? Just take the high end of the WPM range and multiply it by 20. 

150 x 20 = 3,000

So, for a 20-minute speech, you’d be well-prepared by writing something with less than 3,000 words. Remember, if you prepare a text that’s too lengthy, you could get cut off before you reach your conclusion. 

A Note on Accuracy

Keep in mind, the average reading speed that’s cited above is just an average. You may find that you tend to talk faster or slower than other people. If you know you speak very quickly when you’re nervous, you may want to write an 850-word speech for your 5-minute toast, just to be safe. Someone who speaks slowly might only need 600 words to fill five minutes. 

In order to calculate your own speaking speed with precision, you should record yourself. That way, you’ll get an accurate personal WPM count, which reflects your true speaking pace. Once you have that figure, you can use it to calculate the word count for any speech you plan to give. It can also be helpful to rehearse with a stopwatch, whenever you’re working within a time limit. By timing yourself, you can see exactly how many seconds you need to cut or add to your speech. 

Advice for All Public Speakers

Excellent speakers practice their  presentation skills , so that they feel confident in their ability to make it through a speech without stumbling. It’s common for a speaker to write a phrase that looks good on the page. Then, when they present the speech, the phrase proves difficult to say out loud. By practicing your actual speech before going onstage, you’ll be able to identify your own speech patterns. If there’s a better way to say something, you can rewrite the words to make things flow more organically. 

Writing out a speech is a good idea; however, as you get more comfortable with speech writing, you may find yourself improvising more often. Someone very comfortable with  public speaking  can go “off script,” adding extemporaneous content, while still paying attention to the passage of time. Until you develop that advanced-level ability, it’s best to write out your speeches. Preparing something, even a simple outline with the key topics you want to discuss, can help you stay organized and calm.

Remember, the most important part of giving a speech is connecting with your audience . If you can do that, you’ll succeed no matter what subject matter you’re discussing.

• Seven-ways-to-write-a-better-speech
• https://wordcounter.net/blog/tag/5-minute-speech
• http://www.speechinminutes.com

The Word Counter  is a dynamic online tool used for counting words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, and pages in real time, along with spelling and grammar checking.

Kari Lisa Johnson

I’m an award-winning playwright with a penchant for wordplay. After earning a perfect score on the Writing SAT, I worked my way through Brown University by moonlighting as a Kaplan Test Prep tutor. I received a BA with honors in Literary Arts (Playwriting)—which gave me the opportunity to study under Pulitzer Prize-winner Paula Vogel. In my previous roles as new media producer with Rosetta Stone, director of marketing for global ventures with The Juilliard School, and vice president of digital strategy with Up & Coming Media, I helped develop the voice for international brands. From my home office in Maui, Hawaii, I currently work on freelance and ghostwriting projects.

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How Many Words is a 5 Minute Speech?

You’re preparing to write a speech but there’s a 5-minute time limit. Now, you’re faced with the big question: How many words should you use then?

Any resource will tell you that you can only approximate the number of words it would take to write a 5-minute speech.

Publication coach Daphne Gray-Grant says that the average person speaks about 125-150 words per minute—meaning 5 minutes of talking would entail about 625-750 words. That’s about the typical length of a blog article!

Here’s a fun exercise for you—we’re keeping this blog article to 750 words so you can read it out loud to see if it would fit into the 5-minute time limit. How’s that for an experiment?

When you do this oral exercise, keep in mind that there are other factors which might affect the results. People speak in varying speeds—some speak slowly, others do the exact opposite. The good news is, it is easier to adjust the speed of delivery as compared to the number of words used. Beyond the word count, being able to communicate the essence of your speech clearly and eloquently is more important.

Pace Yourself

Pacing yourself helps you articulate better and emphasize the most salient parts of your speech. You’re not just putting yourself out there to say something — retention is key. You have to make your message (or at least the crux of it) memorable to your audience.

Just like a novel, the content needs to pack a punch in order to sustain the audience’s interest. If you think about it, a speech should work even harder because (1) it’s shorter and (2) it’s purely an aural experience which requires the full attention of your audience.

Before you start writing, Jeff Schmitt of Forbes advises keeping these two objectives in mind: “Make a good impression and leave your audience with two or three takeaways.”

Schmitt also highlights the importance of “striking the right tone.” Know your audience well, their reasons for wanting to listen to your speech, and what they want out of it.

Matt Eventoff of YPO elaborates on several “memorable ways to open a speech or presentation.” A quote, “what if” scenario, or statistic are some of the methods you can utilize to captivate your audience.

To make your speech more interesting, Gray-Grant advises “to tell stories or give examples” because stories “stick” and people actually recall them. Another approach is to use humor to break the monotony, but only when it serves an “organic” and relevant purpose for your topic or message. Try not to detract from the flow and coherence of your speech or from the essence of your message.

Just like what chapter breaks are to a novel, remember to integrate cues for pauses or breaks in between points of your speech in order to signal the end of one topic and to smoothly transition to the next.

Keep your language simple and conversational to maximize engagement with your audience. Scholastic gives some tips like using short sentences, contractions, and colloquialisms in your speech.

Avoid tongue-twisters or big words that are difficult to articulate in one breath. You will only subject yourself to potential blunders. This will deflate your confidence in delivering the speech effectively.

Most importantly, get your facts straight. Any speech can be engaging and witty, but people look for truthfulness and credibility more than anything. Citing concrete examples to prove a point is a persuasive method as well. Real-life actualizations are truths in the minds of your listeners. Thus, they will remain engaged on what else you have to say.

Toss a question or two for a bit of introspection. Some people actually do this either at the beginning or at the end of a speech. Making your audience think brings your message across more effectively because it opens up the opportunity for them to contemplate on an application of your insight into their daily lives.

After writing your speech, review the entire material for clarity and brevity. Simplify and tighten the language if need be.

Attention spans are shorter these days (8.25 seconds, according to a study made by the Static Brain Research Institute) so the more succinct you are, the better.

If you can, divide the word count equally among each salient point of your speech. For example, 750 words with 4 key topics would mean around 187 words dedicated for each topic.

Be concise yet comprehensive—and remember to use our word counter to keep it brief.

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How Many Words in a Five-Minute Speech?

Five minutes can seem like five hours when you haven’t prepared a speech properly. It seems so easy in front of the mirror, reciting the key points, throwing in a few jokes.

But then the big day arrives, the nerves kick in, and you drone through your speech in a monotone, forget half the information, and anxiously fiddle with your notes. No one wants to hear an audience snoring.

So just how much should you try to fit into a five-minute speech? Presentation Magazine put the question to readers. The responses were varied.

Most estimated the number of words per minute around 80-150, but some said it could be as high as 180.

Some advised a slow, measured speech with pauses for effect, whilst others simply said that more words would equal more information, provided your speech isn’t too fast to understand. We’ve collected the best hints and tips from readers and included them below.

Settling on a word limit is less important than taking time to prepare and practise a structured presentation. Melvin Vu said:

“It is up to you. I don’t think we should set the number of pages or even the number of words a five-minute speech should contain. Know your audience. Know your material. Write it down. Even if it’s 10 pages (the font may be size 38 or something) so be it. You will know it is too long once you have practised out loud.”

Another strategy is to work out exactly what information you want to present, and divide it into clearly defined points. Sarah Liddle said:

“It’s not about the quantity but the quality. I wouldn’t be focusing so much on the number of words but on the points that you want to put across. In five minutes you should be able to get across 2 points (3 max) for the audience. It’s all about the audience, remember, words are insignificant. It is how you use and deliver those words that makes the difference between good and great.”

It is important not to try to cram too much into five minutes. Don’t over-complicate ideas either, the presentation may sound robotic as you try to remember everything. A Toast Master said:

“If you are focused on ‘writing’ a speech, then go ahead and worry about the number of words. If you are truly focused on ‘giving’ a speech then you really shouldn’t write a full speech. If you are, you write it, then read it. Check the time. Then outline it. Then practise giving it with the outline 2-3 times. Then you break the outline down to index cards, but only as much as you need.

Usually a key word to help remember the introduction, all the points you are making, and then the conclusion is the simplest way to go. Try presenting a speech which you hold passion for, the time will pass much more smoothly. Only pause if it is calculated to dramatise your point or lead someone along in anticipation of a pay-off line at the end.”

The best approach might simply be to become so familiar with the subject matter that the presentation can become more like something you’re explaining to a colleague in conversation. Eulogy website remembrance-book.com gave this advice:

“Sort out what you want to say, get a beginning, middle and end. Practise it until you know it by heart. Keep practising it until you are passionate about what you’re saying. Then time yourself. Alter it by cutting things out or add things until it’s the right length. Keep practising. Throw your notes away (or keep the briefest of notes on a card). On the day, you will know your subject, you will know how long your talk will last, you will be passionate about what you’re saying, and it’ll go fine.”

With a little preparation and practice, that five minutes of hell will become a great opportunity to impress your audience.

Matthew Brown

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thx a lot =)

this is really nice and informative!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11111111

It tink it wil help me a lot hey… Tx l0l

im only eleven and i need a speech. What do I do?

thank you so much for these inportent informaitogn

very useful ……….

thanks for the help

Sometimes it can even be more than 180 words

Thank you for the useful info. I love to public speak(I’ve been public speaking for 4 years) and I am doing an illustrated talk this year and I’m getting into the higher public speakers(Im 14)and people come to me for help. I always have to keep tooking for new and helpful tips and ideas. THanks so much, this will help my speech a lot. 🙂

Nice experience

Thanks a lot!

Great advice. I’m preparing my second toastmasters speech now and was trying to figure out how many words I should write.

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Speech Length: How Many Words Is A 5 Minute Speech

• October 21, 2023

Table of Contents:

Word count metrics for memorable speeches, a comprehensive guide to writing and delivering impactful 5 minute speeches, 1- dynamics of speech length, 2- the importance of timing in speeches, 3- engagement and audience attention, 4- timing tips for keeping audience engagement, 5- decoding the 5 minute speech, 6- word count guide for a 5 minute speech, 7- factors influencing speech speed, 8- examples of 5-minute speeches, 9- how to write a 5 minute speech, 10- planning and structuring your speech, 11- speech writing tips and techniques, 12- perfecting your 5 minute speech delivery, 13- practice makes perfect, 14- speech delivery techniques, use a conversational tone, maintain eye contact with your audience., modulate your voice, faqs about 5 minute speech, how many pages is a 5 minute speech, how many words per minute in a speech, how much does it cost to write a five minute speech, conclusion:.

Experience the whole article by listening!

When it comes to public speaking or presentations, understanding the concept of speech length is critical. The common question is, “How many words in a 5 minute speech?” It’s an interesting query, pointing towards the essence of timing and pace in speeches. 

In this article, we’ll delve into the intricacies of length, including factors that influence it and how to gauge the ideal number of words for a five-minute discourse. Whether preparing for a business presentation, a school debate, or a toast at a wedding, knowing how to manage your length effectively can be a game-changer.

Speech length isn’t just about counting words but also understanding the speech rate. According to various studies, the average speaking speed ranges from 125 to 150 words per minute (wpm). But this isn’t a hard and fast rule. Several factors can influence the speed at which a person speaks, including their natural speaking style, comfort level, and type of communication. For instance, a nervous speaker might rush through their points, while an experienced speaker might take their time, utilizing pauses for effect.

One might wonder why we stress timing in speeches. The answer lies in engaging and keeping the audience’s attention. We live in an era of short attention spans, where every second counts. A speech that drags on can lose its impact, leaving listeners bored or disinterested. In contrast, a speech that’s too rushed might leave the audience confused and unable to keep up. Therefore, balancing the timing and pacing of your speech is essential in delivering an effective presentation. The optimal length allows for a comfortable pace that aligns with the listeners’ attention span.

Understanding your audience’s attention span is paramount when it comes to speeches. It is reported that the human attention span is about 10-20 minutes long, depending on interest, distractions, and individual variations. Therefore, a 5-minute speech is an excellent duration to maintain audience engagement. If you’re looking for techniques on how to memorize a speech fast , we have resources that can help. It is short enough to keep the audience from losing interest and long enough to allow the speaker to deliver a compelling argument or tell a captivating story. 

Crafting an engaging speech isn’t just about the content; it’s also about managing your speech length. Breaking your speech down into digestible segments can help maintain audience engagement. Instead of providing an information overload, deliver your points concisely, and take regular pauses. This gives your audience time to process and absorb the information. Furthermore, using a conversational tone can make your speech more relatable, helping to keep your audience engaged throughout.

A 5-minute speech, given the average speech speed, can fit approximately 625 to 750 words. But remember, this is just an approximation. Each speaker is unique, and so is their rate of speech. Some people naturally speak faster, while others prefer a slower pace. Your comfort level, the complexity of your topic, and your audience can all impact your speaking speed.

An effective way to plan your 5-minute speech is to estimate the number of words it should contain. Here’s a rough guide:

• Slow speakers: 100 wpm, approximately 500 words in 5 minutes.
• Average speakers: 125-150 wpm, about 625-750 words in 5 minutes.
• Fast speakers: 200 wpm, nearly 1000 words in 5 minutes. Remember that these numbers are approximate and can vary based on several factors.

Speech speed can vary significantly from person to person due to language fluency, nervousness, and the nature of the communication. A speaker might talk faster due to nervousness or excitement, or they might speak slowly to emphasize points or create suspense. Moreover, a speaker might adjust their pace based on audience reactions. Knowing these factors can help you manage your length and deliver a successful presentation.

Examples of impactful 5-minute speeches abound in history. For instance, Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic ‘I Have a Dream’ speech lasted just over 5 minutes, as did Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. These speeches show you can deliver powerful messages within a brief period, provided you manage your speech length effectively.

Writing a 5-minute speech might seem challenging, but it’s a skill you can master with some practice and guidance. If you’ve ever considered taking your skills to a professional level and want to become a speech writer , there are steps you can take to make it a reality. Begin with a clear objective for your speech, and make sure every word you pen down serves that goal. 

Be concise and straight to the point. Also, consider your audience when crafting your speech. A complex topic might require simpler language to ensure comprehension, while an educated audience might appreciate the use of technical terms or industry jargon. Moreover, you can always have the option of speech writers for hire and get help from them.

Structuring your speech correctly is critical to effectively managing length. If you’re intrigued by the art of speech and its potential career paths, learn about how to become a speech therapist . Start with a strong and engaging opening, followed by your main points, and conclude with a powerful ending reinforcing your message. A well-structured speech keeps the audience engaged and helps you stay within your time limit. Remember, every word counts in a 5-minute speech, so avoid unnecessary fluff and focus on the message you wish to convey.

• Keep your sentences short and clear.

Short sentences are easier to speak and understand. They keep your speech crisp and to the point.

• Use bullet points to organize your thoughts.

Bullet points can help you break down complex ideas into digestible pieces, making it easier for your audience to understand and for you to speak.

• Avoid jargon or complex language.

Unless it’s necessary for your topic or audience, avoid complex language. Simple, everyday language makes your speech more relatable and easily understood.

Creating an impactful 5-minute speech isn’t just about the words you write – it’s also about how you deliver them. If you need assistance in creating impactful written pieces, you can always hire a book writer or explore our professional ghostwriting services . Speech delivery can make or break your presentation, regardless of how well-written your speech might be.  Therefore, understanding and perfecting the art of speech delivery is crucial.

The key to perfecting your 5-minute speech? Practice. And lots of it. Rehearsing your speech multiple times helps you get comfortable with the words and also helps you understand how to manage your speech length effectively. By practicing, you can gauge whether you need to slow down or speed up, take more pauses, or emphasize certain points more.

Here are some tips to improve your speech delivery:

This makes your speech sound natural and engaging. It also helps manage your speech length, as you’re less likely to rush or slow down too much.

This helps keep the audience engaged and gives you feedback on how well your speech is being received.

This helps keep your audience interested and makes your speech more dynamic. Changing your pitch, tone, and volume can emphasize certain points and manage the overall speech length.

The number of pages in a 5-minute speech depends on your speaking pace and formatting choices. Here’s a breakdown:

• Average speaking pace: 100-120 words per minute
• 5-minute speech word count: 500-650 words
• Pages at 12pt font, single-spaced:  1-1.5 pages

Remember, this is just an estimate. Consider these factors for more precise results:

• Your actual speaking speed:  Time yourself delivering your speech to gauge your pace.
• Font size and spacing:  Larger fonts or double spacing will increase page count.
• Visual elements:  If you include slides or images, they won’t add to page count but affect delivery timing.

The average English speaker utters approximately 130 words per minute. A brisk speaker may reach up to 160 words per minute, while a more deliberate speaker might use around 100 words. Understanding your natural pace is key to delivering a well-timed and engaging speech.

A five minute speech would be around 500 words to 650 words.” Writing a 5 minute speech typically ranges from $250 to $300, influenced by factors such as complexity, writer experience, and customization

Understanding speech length and managing it is a valuable skill in public speaking. If you need to have your skills or achievements documented, Wikipedia writers for hire can help. Keeping your speech within the optimal length can maintain audience engagement and effectively convey your message. 

Whether you’re a fast speaker or slow, a seasoned orator, or a novice speaker, mastering the art of the 5-minute speech is a skill that can be honed with practice and understanding. Remember, it’s not just about the number of words but how you use them that counts.

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How to Make a 5 Minute Presentation | 30 Killer Ideas in 2024

Leah Nguyen • 20 May, 2024 • 15 min read

5 minute presentation – intriguing to the audience (no one likes to sit through a one-hour-feels-like-a-decade kind of talk), but a big nuisance to the presenters to decide what to put in. If not handled properly, everything will slip away from one’s mind in the blink of an eye.

The clock is ticking, but you can keep your panic attack at bay with our step-by-step guide with free topics and examples. Get the full lowdown on how to make a 5 minute presentation for a team meeting, college class, sales pitch, or wherever else you need it!

Table of Contents

• Present better with AhaSlides
• 5-Minute Presentation Topic List

How to Make a 5-Minute Presentation

• 5 Common Mistakes

5-Minute Presentation Examples

Present better with ahaslides.

• Types of presentation
• 10 20 30 rule in presentations
• Top 10 office games
• 95 fun questions to ask students
• 21+ icebreaker games

5 Minute Presentation Ideas

First thing first, you should come up with a 5 minute presentation idea that’s intriguing. Think about what makes the general audience, even you jump out of their seat and eagerly hear. What topic can you elaborate on better that’s your niche? Get some sparks with our list below:

• The danger of cyberbullying
• Freelancing under the gig economy
• Fast fashion and its environmental impacts
• How podcast has evolved
• Dystopian society in George Orwell’s literature
• Common health disorders you might have
• What is aphasia?
• Caffeine myths – are they real?
• The perks of having a personality test
• The rise and fall of Genghis Khan 
• What happens to the brain when you’re in long-distance relationships?
• Is it too late to care about the environment?
• The consequences of relying on Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• The ways anxiety disorders disrupt our life
• 6 economic terms you need to know 
• Gods in Greek mythology versus Roman mythology
• Origins of Kungfu
• Ethics of genetic modification
• The supernatural strength of cockroaches
• Is social media detox necessary?
• The history of the Silk Road
• What is the world’s most dangerous disease in the 21st century?
• Reasons to do self-journaling everyday
• New trends in careers
• Five reasons to get some quality time for yourself
• The best food to cook when you’re in a hurry
• How to order the best Starbucks drink ever
• Ideas and practices that you follow and would like others to know about
• 5 ways to make a pancake
• Introduction to blockchain 

Start in seconds.

Get any of the above examples as templates. Sign up for free and take what you want from the template library!

Bonus Video ▶ How to make a 10-minute presentation

If you feel like a 5-minute presentation would be too stifling, stretch it to 10! Here’s how to do that…

Remember, less is more, except when it comes to ice cream. 

That’s why amid hundreds of methods to use, we’ve boiled it down into these four simple steps to make a killer 5-minute presentation.

Let’s jump right in!

#1 – Choose your topic  

How do you know if that topic is “the one” for you? For us, the right topic ticks everything on this checklist:

✅ Stick to one key point. It’s unlikely you’ll have time to address more than one topic, so limit yourself to one and don’t go over it! 

✅ Know your audience. You don’t want to waste time covering information they already know. Everyone knows 2 plus 2 is 4, so move on and never look back.

✅ Go with a simple topic. Again, explaining something that requires time should be off the checklist since you can’t cover it all.

✅ Don’t dwell on unfamiliar topics to minimise the time and effort you spend preparing the presentation. It should be something you already have on your mind.

Need some help finding the right topic for your short presentation? We’ve got 30 topics with different themes to captivate your audience.

#2 – Create your slides 

Unlike the long presentation format in which you can have as many slides as you want, a five-minute presentation typically has significantly fewer slides. Because imagine each slide would take you roughly 40 seconds to 1 minute to go through, that’s already five slides in total. Not much to think about, eh? 

However, your slide count doesn’t matter more than the essence each slide contains . We know that it’s tempting to pack it full of text, but keep in mind that you should be the subject your audience focuses on, not a wall of text. 

Check these examples below.

Make the text bold to highlight important parts and use italics primarily to denote titles and the names of particular works or objects to allow that title or name to stand out from the surrounding sentence. The underlining text also helps draw attention to it, but it is most commonly used to represent a hyperlink on a webpage.

You obviously saw the second example and thought there’s no way you’re going to read through this on the big screen.

The point is this: keep slides straight, concise, and short, as you’ve got 5 minutes only. 99% of the info should come from your mouth.

When you’re keeping text minimal, don’t forget to befriend visuals , as they can be your best sidekicks. Startling statistics, infographics, short animations, pictures of whales, etc., all are great attention grabbers and help you sprinkle your unique trademark and personality on each slide. 

And how many words should be there in a 5-minute speech script? It mainly depends on the visuals or data you show in your slides and also your speech speed. However, a 5-minute speech is roughly 700 words long. 

Secret tip: Go the extra length by making your presentation interactive. You can add a live poll , Q&A section , or quiz that illustrates your points and leaves a lasting impression on the audience.

Get Interactive, Fast 🏃‍♀️

Make the most of your 5 minutes with a free interactive presentation tool!

#3 – Get the timing right

When you’re looking at this, we only have one thing to say: STOP PROCRASTINATING! For such a short presentation, there’s virtually no time for “ah”, “uh” or short pauses, because every moment counts. So, plan the timing of each section with military precision. 

How should it look? Check out the example below: 

• 30 seconds on the introduction . And no more. If you spend too much time on the intro, your main part will have to be sacrificed, which is a no-no.
• 1 minute on stating the problem . Tell the audience the problem you are trying to solve for them, i.e., what they are here for. 
• 3 minutes on the solution . This is where you deliver the most essential info to the audience. Tell them what they need to know, not what is “nice to have”. For example, if you’re presenting how to make a cake, list each item’s ingredients or measurement, as that’s all essential information. However, additional information like icing and presentation is not essential and can be cut.
• 30 seconds on the conclusion . This is where you reinforce your main points, wrap up and have a call to action.
• You can end with a small Q&A .  Since it isn’t technically a part of the 5-minute presentation, you can take as much time as you want to answer the questions. 

How many times should you practice a 5-minute speech? To nail these timings down, make sure you practice religiously. A 5-minute presentation requires more practice than a regular one, as you won’t have as much wiggle room or chance for improvisation.

Also, don’t forget to check your equipment to ensure everything runs smoothly. When you’ve only got 5 minutes, you don’t want to waste any time fixing the mic,  presentation, or other equipment.

#4 – Deliver your presentation 

Imagine you’re watching an exciting video but it keeps.lagging.every.10.seconds. You’d be super annoyed, right? Well, so would your audience if you keep confusing them with abrupt, unnatural speech. 

It’s normal to feel pressured to talk because you feel every minute is precious. But crafting the convo in a way that makes the crowd understand the assignment is so much more important. 

Our first tip for delivering a great presentation is to practice flowing . From the introduction to the conclusion, every part needs to connect and link with each other like glue.

Go between the sections repeatedly (remember to set the timer). If there’s any part in which you feel the urge to speed up, then consider trimming it down or articulating it differently.

Our second tip is for reeling in the audience from the first sentence .

There are countless ways to start a presentation . You can get factual with a shocking, on-topic fact or mention a humorous quote that gets your audience laughing and melting away their (and your) tension.

Secret tip: Don’t know if your 5-minute presentation makes an impact? Use a feedback tool to collect the audience’s sentiment right away. It takes minimal effort, and you avoid losing valuable feedback along the way.

5 Common Mistakes When Giving a 5-Minute Presentation

We overcome and adapt through trial and error, but it’s easier to avoid rookie mistakes if you know what they are👇

• Going way past your allotted time slot. Since the 15 or 30-minute presentation format has long dominated the scene, keeping it brief is difficult. But unlike the long format, which gives you a bit of flexibility on time, the audience knows exactly what 5 minutes feels like and, therefore will expect you to condense the information within the time limit.
• Having a decade-long introduction. Rookie mistake. Spending your precious time telling people who you are or what you’re going to do isn’t the best plan. As we said, we’ve got a bunch of beginning tips for you here . 
• Don’t dedicate enough time to prepare. Most people skip the practice part since they think it’s 5 minutes, and they can quickly fill that up, which is an issue. If in a 30-minute presentation, you can get away with “filler” content, the 5-minute presentation doesn’t even allow you to pause for more than 10 seconds.    
• Devote too much time explaining complicated concepts. A 5-minute presentation doesn’t have room for that. If one point you’re explaining needs to link to other points for further elaboration, it’s always a good idea to revise it and dig deeper into only one aspect of the topic.
• Putting too many complex elements. When making a 30-minute presentation, you might add different elements, such as storytelling and animation, to keep the audience engaged. In a much shorter form, everything needs to be straight to the point, so choose your words or the transition carefully.

To help you grasp how to make a 5-minute presentation, check these short presentation examples, to nail any message!

William Kamkwamba: ‘How I Harnessed the Wind’ 

This TED Talk video presents the story of William Kamkwamba, an inventor from Malawi who, as a kid experiencing poverty, built a windmill to pump water and generate electricity for his village. Kamkwamba’s natural and straightforward storytelling was able to captivate the audience, and his usage of short pauses for people to laugh is also another great technique.

Susan V. Fisk: ‘The Importance of Being Concise’

This training video offers helpful tips for scientists to structure their talk to fit the “5 Minute Rapid” presentation format, which is also explained in 5 minutes. If you plan to create a “How-to” quick presentation, look at this example.

Jonathan Bell: ‘How to Create a Great Brand Name’

As the title refers to itself, the speaker Jonathan Bell will give you a step-by-step guide on how to create a lasting brand name. He gets straight to the point with his topic and then breaks it down into smaller components. A good example to learn from.

PACE Invoice: ‘5 Min Pitch at Startupbootcamp’

This video shows how PACE Invoice , a start-up specialising in multi-currency payment processing, was able to pitch its ideas to investors clearly and concisely.

Will Stephen: ‘How to Sound Smart in Your TEDx Talk’

Using a humorous and creative approach, Will Stephen’s TEDx Talk guides people through the general skills of public speaking. A must-watch to craft your presentation into a masterpiece.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why a 5-minute presentation is important.

A 5-minute presentation shows the ability to manage time, grab the audience’s attention, and mirror-like clarification as it requires lots of practice to make it perfect! Besides, there are various suitable speech topics for 5 minutes that you can refer to and adapt to your own.

Who gave the best 5-minute Presentation?

There are lots of impactful presenters over time, with the most famous man named Sir Ken Robinson’s TED talk titled “Do Schools Kill Creativity?”, which has been viewed millions of times and has become one of the most-watched TED talks of all time. In the talk, Robinson delivers a humorous and engaging presentation on the importance of nurturing creativity in education and society.

Leah Nguyen

Words that convert, stories that stick. I turn complex ideas into engaging narratives - helping audiences learn, remember, and take action.

Tips to Engage with Polls & Trivia

More from AhaSlides

Speaking time calculator

Type or paste your speech to instantly calculate your speaking time

How does this speech timer work

To begin, delete the sample text and either type in your speech or copy and paste it into the editor.

The average reading speed and speech rate is 200 words per minute and is the default setting above. Once you paste your speech, click “Play” and Speechify will analyze your speech by the number of words and generate a time to speak it at the default rate.

You can listen to your speech in various accents or languages. If you are aiming for a specific timeframe for your speech, click edit to either increase or decrease the number of words to see how long it would take to speak them.

You can also increase or decrease the speaking rate to gauge how fast or slow you should speak in order to get to a specific time with the number of words you have in your speech.

To get to that perfect word count to fit with the speech length time, you’ll have to keep editing between words per minute (WPM) and number of words.

The best part is that you can share your speech in audio format to your friends, relatives, or peers to review it. They can simply click play and listen to your speech.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many words are there in a 1 minute speech.

Based on the average speed of speech, there are 150 words in a 1 minute speech.

How many words are there in a 2 minute speech?

There are 300 words per minute in a 2 minute speech. 2 minutes isn’t a long time so when you speak, you could endure the average speaking rate.

How many words are there in a 3 minute speech?

On average there are 450 words in a 3 minute speech. This is based on the average speech rate of 250 words per minute. At the 3 minute mark, even a novice speaker could keep going at the rate they started – with some practice.

How many words are there in a 4 minute speech?

On average there are 600 words in a 4 minute speech. This is based on the average speech rate of 250 words per minute. Still, even a novice speaker could maintain the 150 words per minute rate. Try it in the Soundbite above. Set your words per minute and speak along to see if you could endure consistency over 4 minutes.

How many words are there in a 5 minute speech?

On average there are 750 words in a 5 minute speech. This is based on the average speech rate of 250 words per minute. While this is simple math, we after all are humans and 5 minutes can be pushing the boundaries of a consistent speech tempo and words per minute.

How many words are there in a 10 minute speech?

In a 10 minute speech aim for 1000 words. The math might tell you 1,500 words but consider your speech. You might need pauses, rest for your voice, dramatic effects, and perhaps even audience interaction. Also, it becomes quite difficult to endure a consistent 150 words per minute speech rate for 10 minutes. Consider your listeners. We doubt very few people would want to listen to a precisely 150 words per minute speech for 10 minutes. It wouldn’t be engaging. And in a speech, you should engage and communicate.

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Introducing Speech Time Calculate

Estimate how many minutes your speeches, presentations, and voice-over scripts will take based on your words per minute rate!

How To Speech Time Calculate Using This Tool?

If you have a certain number of words or a piece of text you want to time, you can either type in the word count or paste the text into the provided area. This tool will then calculate how long it would take to read that text out loud.

The talk time estimate is calculated using the average speaking speed of adults, which is determined to be 183 words per minute based on scientific studies. If you’re interested in how long it would take to read silently, it’s estimated at 238 words per minute ( This data is also backed by research )

You can adjust the slider to change the words per minute value, which will affect the talk time estimate. However, the silent reading time estimate remains fixed at 238 words per minute.

For ease of use, we’ve also provided reference points for slow, average, and fast reading rates below the slider.

To begin anew, simply click the ‘clear text’ button to erase the content and restore the slider back to its original setting of 183.

Who is This Words to Minutes Converter Tool For?

If you are a student wondering how long is my essay or you’ve been tasked with writing a speech and need to know how many words to aim for and how many minutes will it take to deliver or perhaps you are a podcaster, just starting out, who wants the ability to easily synchronize music and spoken word without having to painstakingly calculate seconds between them, then this Speech Time Calculate is precisely for you!

From now on, instead of spending long hours in front of the computer trying to figure out how many seconds it takes for one phrase or section of dialogue to end and another to begin, you can let our innovative tool do all the work and convert your text to time quickly and accurately. With this powerful tool at your disposal, whether you’re giving a TED talk or just need to nail a business presentation, your life will become a little bit easier.

So keep reading to learn more about what this fantastic words to minutes converter has in store for public speakers, aspiring students, and professional radio producers alike!

Whether you want to read the text silently or speak aloud, you can use this tool as both:

• Reading time calculator
• Talk time calculator

Explanation of the Reading Time

Reading time refers to the duration it takes for an average person to read a written text silently while still comprehending its content. Based on an extensive analysis of 190 studies that involved 18,573 participants , research conducted by Marc Brysbaert in 2019 suggests that the typical silent reading speed for an adult individual is approximately 238 words per minute .

To convert word count to read time for a specific text, you can do so by dividing the total word count of the text by this established value of 238. Here is the mathematical equation for determining the duration of reading time in minutes:

Reading Time = Total Word Count / 238

Explanation of the Speech Time

Speech time refers to the duration it takes for an average person to read a text out loud. Based on data from 77 studies involving 5,965 people , it’s been found that most adults read aloud at a speed of approximately 183 words per minute ( research conducted by Marc Brysbaert in 2019 ). To figure out how long it will take to read a specific piece of text aloud, you can divide the total number of words in the text by this average rate of 183 words per minute.

Of course, it’s important to note that talk time can vary depending on factors such as clarity of speech, pauses for emphasis, and use of visual aids. However, using this tool for converting the number of words to minutes can still provide a helpful guideline for planning and practicing your presentation. By having a better understanding of speech rates, you can ensure that your message is delivered effectively and efficiently.

Benefits of Using a Speech Time Calculate

Time management in presentations.

Effective time management during presentations is crucial to ensure the audience remains engaged and the information is accurately conveyed. This is where our words to speaking time converter comes in handy. By using this tool, presenters can easily determine how many words they need to include in their presentation to stay within the allotted time frame.

Not only does it help with time management, but it also ensures that the pacing of the presentation is consistent, making it easier for the audience to follow. With the use of this presentation time calculator, presenters can confidently deliver their presentations without the worry of running over time or rushing through it.

Estimated speech time for public speaking

Public speaking can be nerve-wracking, especially when you have too little or too much information to fill your time slot. You wonder only if there were an accurate public speaking time calculator available so that you could be able to allocate the appropriate amount of time to each section of your presentation, ensuring that you cover all the necessary points without rushing or going over time.

Effective pacing is key in ensuring your message is delivered with clarity and impact.

Most public speakers target an average of 130-150 words per minute for their spoken content, meaning you should aim to limit your speaking time to roughly one minute per 130-150 words. While this may take some practice to achieve, the end result is a confident, well-timed delivery that keeps your audience engaged from start to finish.

Remember, in public speaking, less is often more—take your time to breathe and emphasize key points. Your audience will appreciate your thoughtful and measured approach. For that, you can use this tool and adjust your words to speech time.

Accurate estimations for audiobooks and podcasts

As more and more people turn to audiobooks and podcasts for their entertainment and information needs, accurate estimations of listening time have become more important than ever. After all, there’s nothing worse than settling in for a quick listen only to find yourself trapped in a story that goes on for hours longer than you anticipated.

That’s why it’s great to see publishers and podcast producers taking estimated reading time seriously, providing listeners with the information they need to choose the right content for their schedule. Whether you’re looking for a quick listen on your daily commute or a lengthy distraction for a lazy Sunday afternoon, accurate estimations using this words to speak time calculator make it easier than ever to find the perfect content.

Some Popular Speech Times

how many words in a 2 minute speech

Almost 300 words

how many words in a 3 minute speech

Almost 450 words

how many words in a 4 minute speech

Almost 600 words

how many words in a 15 minute speech

Almost 2250 words

The speech time is calculated taking 150 words per minute as reference value

Common conversions (average speed)

How long does it take to read 500 words?

3.8 minutes

How long does it take to read 750 words?

5.8 minutes

How long does it take to read 1000 words?

7.7 minutes

How long does it take to read 1200 words?

9.2 minutes

How long does it take to read 1500 words?

11.5 minutes

How long does it take to read 1800 words?

13.8 minutes

How long does it take to read 2000 words?

15.4 minutes

How long does it take to read 3000 words?

23.1 minutes

As the world becomes more fast-paced, time is a precious commodity. Determining how long your script will take to read, whether for a presentation or a video, can make a significant difference in engaging and retaining your audience’s attention.

That’s where our Words to Time Converter comes in handy. It’s a valuable tool for anyone working in various professions, from broadcast journalists to teachers to executives. No matter the industry, time is of the essence, and knowing how long your speech or presentation will take is crucial for effective communication.

How Many Words in a 5 Minute Speech (Word Count)?

December 22, 2022

It’s helpful to write the script of a speech before delivering it live. However, it’s normal to be unsure of what number of words is enough. This article explains how many words to include in 5 minute, 3 minute, 7 minute speech, 10 minute speech and the formula behind it. We’ll also cover how quickly or slowly to speak in different situations.

How to Use AI to Figure Out How Many Words Are in a 5 Minute Speech

One of the ways you can figure out how many words are in a 5 minute speech is through an AI speech coach like Yoodli . You can record or upload a video of yourself speaking for 5 minutes and Yoodli takes care of the rest.

This speech coach gives you a personalized report of all your speaking analytics, from your word choice to your speaking pace and filler word usage. It’ll use these metrics to give you actionable feedback on not just your speaking abilities, but your speech content as well.

Included in your individualized report is a transcript, which you can then use to calculate how many words are in a 5 minute speech. Just copy and paste the transcript into a word count calculator (and edit the transcript however you feel fit) and you can find out how many words were in your 5 minute speech. It’s that easy!

Plus, this method works for any length of speech, from 5 to 10 minutes and beyond.

How to Calculate Number of Words in a Speech

Most native English speakers speak at 140 words per minute (this varies across cultures). The typical conversational pace lies in the range from 130 to 170 words per minute. While average numbers for speaking rates are helpful, note that the variation in pace is what makes a speech interesting — you want to go fast in sections that convey excitement and slow down to pause in areas where you want the audience to think.

Software to Calculate Number of Words in a Speech

Try Yoodli’s free AI speech coaching app to see how quickly you speak. Yoodli will instantly generate your pacing analytic and compare how you did relative to celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Barrack Obama. You’ll also see an instant transcript of your speech to help you count the number of words. Here are typical speaking rates for speeches run through Yoodli:

• Steve Jobs: 170 words per minute (WPM) ( analytics )
• Barrack Obama: 129 WPM ( analytics )
• Oprah Winfrey: 134 WPM ( analytics )
• Elon Musk: 172 WPM ( analytics )

Examples of Words per Minute Depending on Speaker Type

It may not always be appropriate to speak at a conversational pace. For instance, if you’re speaking at a eulogy , you might want to come across as somber and speak more slowly.

In the same vein, you might consider speaking slower when addressing an audience that may not speak your language or won’t understand your topic (speaking more slowly gives them an opportunity to internalize what’s being said).

Alternatively, if you’re trying to demonstrate passion and excitement you might want to speak much faster than conversational pace. Think of the soccer broadcaster celebrating a World Cup goal. If they spoke at an average pace, we wouldn’t know that the goal is a crucial moment or something to celebrate.

We’ve listed some average speaking rates below:

Average speech rates

• Presentations : Between 120 and 150 WPM for a comfortable pace
• Conversational : Between 120 and 170 WPM
• Audiobooks : Between 150 and 160 WPM, which is the upper range that people comfortably hear and vocalize words
• Radio hosts and podcasters : Between 150 and 160 WPM
• Auctioneers : Can speak at about 250 WPM
• Commentators : Between 250 and 400 WPM

How Many Words Are in a 5 Minute Speech?

Most speakers have 650 to 850 words in a 5 minute speech, with the average at around 700 words.

How Many Words Are in a 3 Minute Speech?

Most speakers have 390 to 510 words in a 5 minute speech, with the average at around 420 words.

How Many Words Are in a 6 Minute Speech?

Most speakers have 780 to1,020 words in a 7 minute speech, with the average at around 840 words.

How Many Words Are in a 7 Minute Speech?

Most speakers have 910 to 1,190 words in a 7 minute speech, with the average at around 980 words.

How Many Words Are in a 10 Minute Speech?

Most speakers have 1,300 to 1,700 words in a 7 minute speech, with the average at around 1,400 words.

Start practicing with Yoodli.

Getting better at speaking is getting easier. Record or upload a speech and let our AI Speech Coach analyze your speaking and give you feedback.

Speech calculator:  how long does it take to deliver your speech?

With this speech calculator, you can easily calculate how long it will take you to deliver a speech.

How many words per minute?

In the English language, people speak about 140 words per minute. A fast speaker will get to 170 words per minute, a slow speaker will use around 110 words.

Professional speechwriters use this speech calculator to find out how long a speech takes.

Copy your full text and paste it in the box below:

The entire analysis happens within your browser. The text will NOT be stored and NOT be sent over the web.

Word count:

Your speech rate:

Speech duration:

FAQ’s

How many words is a 3 minute speech  .

A speaker with an average speaking speed will need 420 words for a 3 minute speech. A fast speaker will need 510 words while a slow speaker will only need 330 words.

How many words is a 5 minute speech?  

A speaker with an average speaking speed will need 700 words for a 5 minutes speech. A fast speaker will need 850 words for the same speech length. A slow speaker will only need 550 words.

Is this a word count calculator?  

The speech calculator is a word count calculator. Insert your text and the tool will automatically calculate the word count.  It will then also calculate the speech length depending on the selected talking speed.

How to best select the right speaking speed?

Fast, average or slow? The answer depends on the speaker, the speech type and the speech setting.

The speaking speed of the speaker

Some speakers are natural fast or slow speakers. The best speakers keep a variance during their speeches. They speed up to keep momentum and slow down to put special emphasis on other parts.

The speech type

The type of speech matters a lot in selecting the right speech speed. If you read the whole speech word for word from paper then your average speech speed will be lower. If you intend to use the written speech as speaker notes then your average speaking speed will be much higher.

The speech setting

An informal setting will have a faster average speaking speed compared to a more formal setting.

Keeping all three factors in mind you will able make a better judgement about selecting the right speech speed in the speech calculator.

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How Many Words is a 5-Minute Speech

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Published Date : February 16, 2024

Reading Time :

Giving a speech is not as easy as you may think. After all, being in front of many people will surely give you pressure.  You can feel all sweaty and nervous. Fortunately, giving a speech is usually planned, so you can still prepare before it happens. 

That’s why if you present something or give a speech , you should first know how many words per minute of a speech .

It is crucial, especially if you are asked to do a speech in a limited time, for instance, a 5-minute speech . Will you be able to finish the task perfectly? 

You might ask yourself how to compose a speech with that time limit, or more importantly, how many words is a 5-minute speech ? 

Here is some information to guide you to ensure you can do your job flawlessly while looking and sounding smart. Please read on.

How many words per minute of speech?

Aren’t you curious how many words a person can say in a minute? How about in a speech ? Have you ever thought about why it’s essential to know how many words per minute of speech speakers can use?

How about longer speeches? How many words is a 3-minute, 5-minute, or 10-minute speech ? These are questions that might confuse speakers, especially those who are new to public speaking .

Theoretically, a person can talk up to 100 to 150 words in a regular conversation, but this still depends on how people deliver their words. After all, some people talk fast while others are slower than average.

Those who talk fast can put more words in their speech , while the average or slower should follow the standard or minimum prescribed words. 

A table shows how many words per minute of speech an average speaker can do.

How do you estimate your spoken words?

Now that you know the average number of words a person can say, you surely want to estimate how many words you can say. The number of words you speak depends on your pacing or how fast or slow you talk. 

• Timing yourself while giving a speech is the easiest way to estimate it. Use a timer to count how many words per minute of speech you can do. 
• There is also an app that can count how many words you speak in a speech . These apps can even determine the speech ’s pacing, diction, or filler words. Use these applications to make estimating the number of words you will use in your speech easier.
• You can also use your phone to record your voice and then manually count each word you say.
• A video can also do the trick. You can take a video of yourself while doing a speech to count how many words you said. You can even see your appearance with the video when giving a speech .

Choose any of the above ways so you know how many words you can say. Once you have the estimated count, you can reference how many words per minute of speech you can do.  

However, this number can change depending on your situation. 

For example, an impromptu speech can make you nervous, affecting your pacing. With the change of pace,  you can talk faster or slower than usual. 

Changing the pacing is sometimes useful to show dynamics in your speech . However, ensure that your pacing will not distract your listeners, and they won’t feel your nervousness.

How many words are in a 3-minute speech?

As mentioned earlier, the average number of words a person can say in a minute of speech is around 100 to 150, but this can change depending on the speaker’s pace and situation. That is why if you want to know how many words are in a 3-minute speech , the short answer is about 300 to 450 words.

However, would that be enough for you to say everything you want to say in your speech ? Although you can say many things within 3 minutes, it might not be enough to fully explain your subject to your listeners.

Here are some tips that can help you finish your 3-minute speech with ease with that kind of problem.

• First, you need to focus on your subject. Since you’re constrained with time, you must limit your speech by directly attacking the topic. Do not be vague on your points to convey your ideas within the time limit.
• After that, choose one main key point on your subject. It should be something you are very familiar with or good at. It is vital to leave a striking impression on your listener. Ensure you sound smart when discussing the subject; you can only do that if you master the topic. 
• Revolve your speech on that particular point so you can quickly and confidently speak about it with your audience.

With this, you will not have difficulty adjusting the words you need to say in your speech . You can also convey your thoughts better and attract your audience’s attention. By knowing how you can emphasize your subject, you won’t have a problem estimating how many words per minute of speech you need to use. You can also learn more about public speaking by visiting this site .

How many words do I need for a five-minute speech?

If you have given a time limit for a speech , then it means that you need to adhere to it. You may ask yourself how many words are in a 5-minute speech .

Based on the table above, it should be around 500 to 750 words. With this amount of words and time, you can convey many things to your audience. 

However, it doesn’t mean you can bombard your audience with much information. You can’t be like a robot in front of them and spew out information.

If this is your first time giving a speech , let this guide help you. Here are some do’s and don’ts when giving a speed to an audience.

How many words do I need for a ten-minute speech?

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In a 10-minute speech , you can say about 1000 to 1500 words. But this number can change depending on how many words per minute of speech you can do.

Some people tend to talk fast, while others speak slower than average. However, there are also times when a person’s pacing or speaking rate changes because of their situation. Just like estimating how many words a 5-minute speech is, you can take a video of yourself to evaluate your pacing when giving the speech . 

It’s also good to plan your 5-minute speech since you have ample time to expound on your topic. Planning your speech will also help you sound coherent, especially when explaining a difficult subject.  You must also make your discussion relevant so your listeners will not get bored.

Several factors can affect a person’s speaking rate or pacing.

• Regular pacing/speaking rate 

Your standard speaking rate is influenced by the environment you have. These factors include where you grew up, the culture, how your parents or family speaks, and mannerisms.

• Nervousness

When people feel tense or jittery, they tend to talk faster than their regular speaking rate, affecting how many words per minute of speech they can do.

• Urgent or emergency matter

When you need to say something hurriedly, you tend to speak fast to convey your thoughts swiftly to the listener. You can change your pacing when you show dynamics in speech , but make sure your listener can still understand what you’re saying.

Tiredness is also a factor that can affect people’s speaking rates. When you are tired, your mind will function slower, which makes you speak slowly.

• Pauses/fillers

Your pauses and fillers can occupy your speaking time, so find ways to avoid it . Some listeners are also very sensitive when hearing a lot of fillers. Hence, too many fillers and pauses can disrupt your flow of discussion and bring discomfort to your listeners. 

• Use of complex words

If the subject is a bit complicated, you might need to speak slowly and consider how many words per minute of speech so your audience can slowly digest everything you say 

How to prepare a 5-minute speech for public speaking?

Now that you know how many words per minute of speech you can do and how many words is a 5-minute speech , you can easily prepare a speech .

Here are some ideas on how to prepare yourself for your speech .

• Quality over quantity – Ensure you prioritize your speech ’s quality instead of the number of words in your speech . Make sure that you convey all important and necessary information to your listeners.
• Crack a joke – Don’t be afraid to say jokes , but ensure they relate to your topic. After all, you don’t want to make your audience feel awkward, but you don’t make it boring.
• Do your research – Ensure you are prepared and ready before your speech . Do your research and study well to provide credible information to your listeners.
• Keep it simple – You will avoid getting sidetracked on your topic by keeping the speech simple . It will also prevent you from rambling, unnecessary things to make your speech better. You can expound on the subject but always remember to know how many words are in a minute of speech .
• Tell a related story – People will understand you better if you tell them relatable things. You don’t need to say everything about yourself, but enough for them to get hooked and hear you out until the end. 
• Practice, practice, practice! Even if you know how many words a 5-minute speech is, your performance might still not be successful if you don’t practice. By practicing your address, you can fluently convey all facts and information to your listeners. It will also prevent you from making mistakes and improve the whole thing.

This video can also help you practice your public speaking :

What are some tips for writing a 3-minute speech?

Giving a speech within 3 minutes may seem very fast, but you can convey many things within that time as long as you plan. First, you must know how many words is a 3-minute speech before writing anything.

Depending on how many words per minute of speech you have to convey your topic even with a limited time.

Here are some tips on putting an informative and useful speech within 3-minutes to help you.

• Research 

Before knowing how many words a 3-minute speech is, researching your topic to create a good speech is imperative.

• Create an Outline 

Break down what you need to say in your speech . Create a structure and a step-by-step procedure you need to follow when giving the speech .

• Write an opening statement. 

The opening statement is crucial when you are giving a speech . It lets you get your audience’s attention and engage them to listen.

• List down the main points. 

Don’t also forget to list down 1 to 3 main points. This central point has all the essential facts and information you must convey to the audience. As long as you know your main points, it’s easy to assess how many words per minute of speech you will do.

• Don’t forget to memorize 

Remember to practice and memorize the speech that you have written. This way, you can confidently stand before your audience and finish your speech .

Methods on How You Can Improve When Giving Speech

Are you going to give a 5-minute speech at the next event you’re going to? Are you nervous, and do you know how many words is a 5-minute speech ?

If not yet, then let this help you out. A 5-minute speech has 500 to 750 words; if you are still not ready to give a speech , here are some methods to help you.

• Make sure that you practice before you give a speech . You can ask someone to help you or video yourself to know what you need to change to deliver a better speech .
• Listen to how other speakers do their speech . You will surely get some ideas on how to make your speech better.
• Experiment on your own and try different pacing to get the right speaking rate you want to have when you give your speech .
• Read books or news and familiarize yourself with the information. See how it flows and try to say it aloud. Repeat it several times, and try changing your pacing on each repetition. 
• You can also visit sites that can help you develop your speaking skills.

How can you tailor your speech to resonate with your specific audience?

Captivate your audience by tailoring your speech ! Understand their age, interests, and knowledge. Research their values and speak their language. Use relatable examples and address their specific needs. Visuals and clear structure keep them engaged, while feedback helps you refine them for future success. Speak effectively and resonate deeply.

Why is it important to know your audience when crafting a presentation?

Knowing your audience unlocks presentation magic! Customize content, language, and examples to fit their age, interests, and knowledge. Adapt your tone, address potential questions, and maximize impact. Craft a message that resonates and leaves a lasting impression. Remember, presentations thrive on audience understanding!

How can you engage your audience throughout your speech?

Captivate your audience! Hook them with a surprising fact, story, or question. Share relatable stories and examples. Use visuals and encourage participation. Speak naturally and clearly, and keep it concise. Engaging audiences is your presentation superpower!

How does the type of speech you’re giving affect its length?

The ideal speech length depends on its type and purpose. Persuasive speeches, rich in evidence, may need a quicker pace to fit everything in. A few hundred words and a slower delivery suffice for introductions or thank-yous. Informative speeches with technical details might be longer. Tailor your speech ’s duration and pace to its goals for maximum impact.

How can you ensure you don’t ramble or rush through your points in a 5-minute speech?

This blog delves into public speaking , offering diverse resources – from presentation software options to inspiring speech analysis. Explore their content spanning different aspects like delivery tips, unique elevator pitches, and even tool recommendations. They emphasize confident, engaging delivery and welcome you to their community on social media to learn and connect!

How should you practice your delivery for an effective speech?

To nail your speech delivery, practice is key! Focus on clarity and comfortable pacing, allowing your audience to follow easily. Speak with inflection and use natural body language for emphasis. Consider tools like Speeko for feedback, and remember, practice makes perfect! Don’t rush or ramble, and your 5-minute speech will resonate!

What should you focus on in your speech’s core message?

A 10-minute speech is 1000-1500 words, but don’t get hung up on length. Prioritize a concise, focused core message. Build a clear outline with key ideas that support it. Remember, quality over quantity! Ditch unnecessary tangents and practice for confident delivery. Your audience will appreciate a focused, impactful speech that resonates.

How can you maximize your 5 minutes for a powerful speech?

Master your 5-minute speech ! Prepare and rehearse beforehand, then focus on engaging your audience. Balance info with conciseness , use an outline for focus and find the sweet spot between energy and composure. Speak, project your voice, and stick to the word count. Most importantly, practice! Speak to mirrors, friends, or anyone receptive – the more you do, the better you’ll be! Be prepared, engage your audience, and confidently deliver your powerful message.

What should you consider when writing a powerful 5-minute speech?

Craft a strong 5-minute speech by staying focused! Pick a clear, concise topic, choose a key point you shine in, and tailor your words to revolve around it. This ensures smooth flow and audience connection and helps estimate your pace. Remember practice and engagement; your impactful message will resonate within the time limit.

Knowing how many words per minute of speech you can say is essential, especially when making a speech . It will give you an estimate of how many words you can say with a speech that has a time limit. 

Knowing how many words are in a 5-minute speech will give you a limit on how many words you can convey. You can also quickly outline what you must say since there is a time limit. 

With these tips and information, you can easily do your speech without any problem. Remember everything you read here; it will help you ace the public speaking task. Download the Orai app at the App Store today to start your free trial with your AI speech coach ! 

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10-Minute presentations: How to Write, Design & Deliver (Complete Guide)

Hrideep barot.

• Presentation , Public Speaking

Presentations are an interesting way to introduce a new topic, perspective, or study to your audience. 10-minute presentations serve the same purpose but they come with a specified restriction on time.

When we see the word presentation, we instantly think of PPTs and while PPTs are used in many cases, some presentations are completely oral as well.

The number of speakers is another variable while presenting. It can be done individually like in the case of a job interview presentation or in a group setting like in the case of a college assignment. 

How long should a 10-minute presentation be?

Ideally, for 10-minute presentations, you should focus on adding 5-10 effective, crisp slides. And a speech of about 1000-2000 words should be enough to complete the presentation within 10 minutes.

However, there are no set rules while making a presentation which means that you are free to increase or decrease the number of slides in your presentation depending upon your pace of presenting.

Now when we talk about the pace of presenting, we mean the number of words you can speak in an understandable manner per minute. So, if you can speak 100-120 words per minute (adding the usual pauses), then a 1000–1200-word speech would be enough for your 10-minute presentation.

While we cannot point out an exact word count specifically catered for you in this blog, we can surely suggest you take up any piece of long article and go on reading it out loud while taking necessary pauses and timing it. It might give you an idea of your speed which in turn would help you gauge the perfect word count for your presentation.

Another factor that would define the way you present your topic is whether you are presenting it individually or in a group.

Individual Presentations

In Individual presentations, you are the one to shoulder your entire presentation’s responsibility. You can make use of effective PowerPoint presentation skills or use props to keep the audience engaged and interested in your presentation.

Further, it becomes extremely important for you to have sufficient knowledge about your topic, as in case of any doubts you are the only one to be questioned by the audience members.

Group Presentations

On the other hand, in group presentations, the responsibility to carry out an effective and good presentation falls on all group members. This calls for a lot of coordination which would require a ton of practice.

In groups, you can make use of skits to explain a certain phenomenon. Or maybe the use of coordinated props per speaker can also make your presentations more eye-catchy.

Further, involving your entire group to present rather than just 2 people doing it with beautifully placed content, will easily stand out to the audience.

The placement of your content could be in a para format wherein one person speaks a para followed by another one. Or one person can explain one subtopic followed by another; whatever suits best for your group.

A beautiful example of group presentations is the one by The minimalists .

It is a beautiful presentation because we see that while one person is speaking, the other enacts what is being said, thus making it an interesting presentation involving both speakers.

Tips for your 10-minute presentations

1. avoid information overload.

While it can be very tempting to add all the relevant information in your presentation, limiting it will turn out to be one of the best decisions taken by any presenter.

The reason is very simple, every individual has a very limited attention span and capacity to take in new information . 10-minute presentations exceed the average duration of attention span among humans which is 7 minutes.

If you bombard them with tons of information, chances are that they might feel exhausted and detached from your topic and presentation altogether.

2. Avoid reading from your slides

We know you might have heard this a gazillion times but here we are to say it again because it is very important. Avoid reading from your slides. As it might indicate your lack of understanding of the topic . It can also end up being a little boring for the audience to listen to something present in front of them that they can easily read themselves.

3. Give your audience an incentive to listen to you

It is always better to assume that your audience is not innately motivated to listen to your presentation and hence to give them a reason why listening to your presentation would be worth it.

Are you planning on discussing a new perspective on a widely-spoken topic? Are you trying to introduce new findings? Is your presentation trying to motivate the audience?

Whatever goal you wish to achieve through your presentation, make it known to the audience.

4. Try to offer something new

The very essence of presentations is to offer some new idea, perspective, or study to your audience. This holds especially true when your presentation is on a generic or widely-spoken topic like climate change.

5. Avoid exceeding the time limit

This goes without saying, avoid exceeding your time limit. If you know you have been given 10 minutes, either finish it by the time it hits the limit or better yet, finish it before time.

Everyone would appreciate you for finishing your presentation before time for sure.

6. Make it easy to understand

Another point that goes without saying is to make your content very easy for everyone in the audience to understand.

Try to tweak your presentation in a manner that is convenient for the youngest and the least experienced member to understand easily.  For if your presentation doesn’t reach your audience, it might not fulfill its very purpose.

Structuring 10-minute presentations

Just like we structure any speech, with a beginning, a middle, and an end, structuring your presentation follows a similar pattern.

In the initial few minutes or even seconds of your presentation, the audience might have decided whether they should listen to your presentation or will it be more fruitful to dive deep into their thoughts.

This is the reason why starting 10-minute presentations on a strong foot is emphasized so much. But again, there is no need to stress out about it.

Here are a few tips on how you can start your presentation:

1. Provocative statements

Provocative statements are the ones that try to shake some strongly held views of the audience. Reggie Rivers make use of a provocative statement in his TED talk that might help you understand its use better.

He begins by saying

If you want to achieve your goals, don’t focus on them.

The statement clearly goes against a belief we have grown up with; the idea that we should chase and focus on our goals in order to achieve them.

2. Hypothetical scenario

Starting with a hypothetical scenario includes the use of words like “Imagine” or “what if.” It gives your audience a chance to put themselves in a situation that you are about to address in your presentation.

An example of the same is given below.

Imagine you are going out for a drive with your friends. It is a little late and the roads are wet from the heavy shower that had surrendered only a few minutes ago. You are all singing and laughing. But then you look to your left only to realize two giant lights come close to you at lightning speed and you know at that moment you are going to die. That you are going to die in that crash. Then you hear a screech and *pause* the truck halts 5 cm from your car. That is exactly what someone with anxiety feels but unlike you, it doesn’t end within a few minutes; it persists for hours or even days.

3. Hard-hitting questions

While questions are one of the most widely used ways to open any speech or presentation, the task here is to open with a hard-hitting question.

A question that your audience probably doesn’t have an answer to, which you plan on providing them through your presentation.

Some examples of these would be:

• Is there anyone here who can give me the exact amount of microplastics they consumed during this week?
• Did you know that with the advancement in technology, there is a possibility that the organ transplanted to you in 20 years would not be from another human but from an animal?

Starting your presentation with props is the easiest and most creative way to start a presentation. The reason why it is creative is that you can use absolutely anything as a prop. Be it a plastic bottle, a jar full of waste, or even some hula hoops.

Once you have introduced yourself and your topic, you can go on to the next step: the main content of your presentation.

However, it isn’t just about presenting your points but how you present them that we will take a look into.  Presenting your topic in a more structured manner makes it easier for your audience to stay in tune with your presentation.

One of the formatting ways is the 3-pointer format . The idea behind using a 3-pointer structure is to divide your main content into 3 huge chunks or points. And while you are free to add more points, having 3 points makes it a tad bit easier to recall the information and to maintain a flow among the listeners.  

An example of using a three-pointer structure is this 5 slide presentation by Ashley Stahl where she talks about 3 key questions to unlock your authentic careers.

• What are you good at?
• What do people tell me I am good at?
• What is holding you back?

The closing remarks like the opening lines are quite important.

There are several ways in which you can close your presentation. But it takes more than a mere thank you to make it an effective closing remark for your presentation.

A few ways in which you can close 10-minute presentations are:

1. Fitting remark

A fitting remark or in simple terms a summary is where you revise what you just spoke in a couple of lines. It is better to keep it as short as possible as 10-minute presentations don’t give you enough tie to elaborate.

2. Calling for action

You can end your speech by instilling a sense of action and purpose among the audience members to make a difference. An amazing example of this is the speech by Leonardo DiCaprio. While it is a speech, you can observe his way of delivering the last couple of lines and inculcate the same in your presentation.

For more ways in which you can close your presentation check out our video on 5 Powerful Speech Closing Remarks for your next Presentation.

Designing 10-minute presentations

Designing your PowerPoint is as important as presenting your topic confidently and effectively.

A few dos and don’ts of designing your PPTs are:

Some amazing websites that will help you in making effective and aesthetically pleasing presentations are canva , Prezi , and more.

Best PowerPoint presentations on TED 

Some of the most innovative PowerPoint presentations we came across on Ted were the ones given by Tim Burton and Adam Grant.

1. Tim Burton

I can not emphasize how absolutely wonderful the Presentation by Tim is. A mix of information with tons of humor coupled with very entertaining visuals.

His confidence makes the presentation quite engaging and interesting to watch.

2. Adam Grant

Adam Grant like Tim Burton has made use of animated cartoons to make the statistical data quite entertaining. However, the way he presents his topic is a little different.

His presentation is filled with images and cartoons . When he states quantitative data, the font size and color are something that must be taken a look into. Further, the language that he includes in his PPT is very candid and informal.

Delivering 10-minute presentations

While you are trying to make your content crisp, 10 minutes may seem way too little; But when it comes to presenting it and speaking, 10 minutes is not that short of a time.

There are a few things that you can do so as to deliver your presentation in its most effective way.

1. Practice your presentation in chunks.

Chunks are the division of your main content into small parts. 5-to-9 chunks are easy to remember.

We are not encouraging you to memorize or rote learn your presentation. However, it is important to remember the flow in which you are supposed to be presenting. And for this dividing, your presentation into chunks to practice can help navigate you through your entire presentation.

This also raises the question that,

How Long Should You Practice for a Presentation?

It is advisable to practice your presentation at least 3 times and a maximum of 10-12 times . But as the old saying goes “Practice makes a man perfect,” you can practice as long as you feel you have perfected your presentation.

If you are looking for a specific time duration for which you should practice then, for a 10-minute presentation, 30 minutes to about An hour and a half should suffice.

For some amazing tips on how you can rehearse your presentations, check out 13 Tips For Rehearsing A Presentation .

2. Add a story or share a personal experience

Stories are a very binding way to let your point across. It adds a personal touch, especially if you are sharing your personal experience. It also gives the audience a chance to understand where you come from and maybe even relate to you.

The TED by Jarret J. Krosoczka is a wonderful presentation where he illustrates his story while talking about it to the audience.

The creative bend makes it a presentation worth remembering, don’t you think?

3. Engage the audience.

While it isn’t mandatory for you to add elements that would ensure that the audience stays engaged, adding it will only help in enhancing your and your audience’s experience (if time permits).

You can add a quiz , or a small game like spot a difference between the two pictures. you can also ask a question and take a poll by asking the audience members who agree to raise their hands.

4. Add humor to your presentations

Humor can be your friend or your enemy while presenting a topic. If you get it right, it can make your presentation an unforgettable one. At the same time, if you end up making jokes that the audience might not find funny or worst even derogatory, It may land you in some trouble.

One of the funniest and most energy-filled presentations I have come across was the one by Alexis Nikole Nelson and her take on Veganism. The way in which she makes use of the prop is another thing you must take a look into.

Add elements of credibility

Elements of credibility include stating facts and figures . You can also quote some renowned personalities . All these things would build the confidence of the audience in your presentation. It also works best to give a reality check. How do you ask?

Simple, when you state figures, you give them a clear picture of the situation.

An example of this is the use of statistics used by Randy Palisoc in his Ted talk “Math isn’t hard, it’s a language.”

26%..Thats is the percentage of US 12 graders who are proficient in math

Find the full video of the same below.

Famous 10-Minute Presentations

1. bill gates.

We might have all heard about Bill Gates and his talks or speeches on Climate Change. But this presentation was a little different.

Here, Bill Gates goes on to explain how teachers have not been receiving sufficient feedback which could’ve led to drastic changes in their teaching patterns.

He explains the wide disparity in feedback given to teachers through charts , thus providing a way to easily compare and evaluate one’s country’s performance to that of others.

His bidding statement ends on a positive note as it is filled with optimism. He says,

I am excited about the opportunity to give all our teachers the support they want and deserve. I hope you are too.

2. Vishaan Chakrabarti

Renowned Architect Vishaan Chakrabarti gives an insight into the need for sustainable housing to provide a roof over the head of additional 3 billion people who are expected to be born by 2100.

The presentation is particularly interesting for the way in which he has used the visuals and animations . The language is kept simple which makes it easy to understand even if you have no degree in architecture.

Topics for 10-minute presentations

Presentation topics for college students.

• Population explosion
• The increasing gap between Rich and Poor
• Virtual money as the next evolution in monetary exchange
• Diversification and blending of cultures
• Change in seeking entertainment post-pandemic
• Data is the new oil
• Are we prepared for the next pandemic?
• Electric Vehicles: Future of Transportation
• E-learning and the shift in the education system
• Veganism and sustainability
• Evolution of the fashion industry in the metaverse
• Legalization of cryptocurrencies
• Need for immediate action toward climate change
• Do your degrees define your success in life?
• Evolution in careers across the years

Presentation Topics for Interviews

• Overcoming fears can lead to success
• Diversification in the workplace and its impact on better decision making
• Right to work is a fundamental right
• Can a few jobs permanently start working from home?
• Women as leaders
• The rise in startup culture
• The increasing threat of data breach
• Influencer marketing and its advantages
• Employee motivation and its relation to monetary rewards
• Should employees be paid for working overtime
• Paternal leave and its benefits
• Building skills is more important than degrees
• The efficiency of a 4 day work week
• Benefits of going paperless to the organizations

Funny 10-minute presentation topics

• 11 ways to order a pizza
• Why you don’t need success
• Why be excellent when you can be mediocre?
• World’s worst Disaster: Crocs Heels
• Evolution of Dance: from Bellydance to TikTok dance
• Being an Adult: The Most challenging task
• Struggles of Being a Planned Child
• Alcohol fixes relationships
• How autocorrect ruins your life
• LOL: Only Socially Acceptable way to Avoid laughing
• If only I had the life I do on My Instagram
• 5 easy ways to make it out of the friendzone
• 3 Totally useless professions
• 6 ways to do absolutely nothing
• The Rise of Family Whatsapp Groups

You can also find more speech topics depending on the type of your speech. Check out Demonstrative Speech Topics , Informative Speech Topics , and Persuasive Speech Topics on our website to get some inspiration for your speech.

10-Minute presentation sample

Presentation on Sustainable Fashion

I want you to imagine the amount of water you drink in a day. Now imagine and tell me if you can do the math, how much water would you have consumed in 3 years?

Let me help you.

2720 liters of water.

Now how would you feel if I tell you that this also equal to the amount of water that went into making the t-shirt you quite stunningly adorn right now?

*Imitates mind being blown*

With a 4-fold increase in the production of clothes over the last 20 years, we cannot even imagine the extent to which it has penetrated the pollution index across the world. Every year, fast fashion brands release several micro collections against the ideal 2. So if you ever wondered how the store has a very different collection every time you step into H&M or Zara, you know now. In fact, In the US per person, approximately 35 kgs of textile waste are generated every year.

If this wasn’t enough, the extent of water pollution caused by Fast fashion is beyond imaginable. 22,000 toxic waste is released into rivers by tanneries in Bangladesh,

Every. Single. Day.

So, what is the most immediate action that you can take to switch to more sustainable styling?

I am going to introduce a mantra that has worked wonders for me when I felt overwhelmed about switching to sustainable fashion. The 4 Rs and No it isn’t Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

The 4 Rs for sustainable fashion are

Reduce your consumption of clothes. Has it ever happened that you end up buying a shirt only to realize you don’t a perfect pair of pants to wear with it? Or bought something that you found super cute but never touched once you got home? It’s okay! Don’t feel guilty, I have done that too.

But that can be avoided. A simple method is to ask yourself “Do I need this Now?” and “Will I be able to use it in the long run?” The answer to the second question will immediately direct you away from fast fashion brands that offer cheap quality clothing at a very affordable rate.

If the clothes you own can be repaired in any way, it is better to do that than jump on to buy a new one. There were many times when I repaired or redesigned my outfits. For example. this one time when I slipped in my yard and tore my jeans a little from the knee area. Guess the ground was desperate for me to own another pair of ripped jeans and so I did exactly that. The other time a friend of mine, an amazing artist got some splashes of paint on her pants, Any guess what we did with those pants?

Exactly! Splashed more paint over it. Now I know it may sound bizarre but that was a time when that was in trend.

The third option is to Resell your stuff or give it to someone else.

This is where our popular thrift stores come into the picture. You’ve got a piece of clothing that you are never going to wear? Why let it take up the space in your closet when you can easily make money out of it and get rid of it at the same time. But if you are more altruistic, you can even consider donating your not-so-frequently used clothes to those who need them. And I know for a fact that every brown person sitting here is a pro at both lending and receiving hand-me-downs.

Lastly and the most important of all is, to rethink your consumption of fashion. It is 2022. Some brands have dedicated their entire efforts to providing you with sustainable alternatives. You can choose to buy consciously.

For instance, Adidas’s future craft loop edition shoes are one such example of big brands trying to do their part in this battle of saving our planet from our species. Further, there are brands like Baggit that use vegan leather for all their products.

Then there are completely sustainable brands like Eco India that use the clothes thrown into landfills to make fashion statements that are both iconic as well as sustainable.

While I can talk about this for as long as my voice doesn’t give in, I guess I should cut it short.

Reduce, Repair, Resell and Rethink what you can do to make the change towards a healthier fashion choice. After all the industry thrives upon you and your impulsiveness, try not to give in to it.

So the idea is simple. Maintain your style but not at the cost of the planet.

Final Thoughts

Presentations are an effective mode of presenting your topic with creativity.

10-minute presentations however come with a restriction on time which makes it important to focus on crunching the information you plan to add and thus keeping it short.

The use of visuals can be effective in carrying out successful presentations, be it PPTs or props.

Sharing personal experiences, humor, or any other element that makes your presentation stand out would enhance your presentation and make it easier for the audience to recall the information shared by you.

Lastly, there is no right or wrong way of presenting.

The only way we know is to enjoy your presentation just as much as you would want the audience to enjoy listening to it.

If you feel like you need more personalized guidance on carrying out your presentation in a more effective and confident manner, Check out Frantically Speaking .

We will be more than happy to help you!

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Average Speaking Rate and Words per Minute

November 8, 2022 - Dom Barnard

The speed at which you talk has a huge influence on how the audience perceives you and your speech. It’s important, therefore, to understand your speaking rate and how to alter it depending on the type of speech you are delivering.

In this article, you’ll learn how to calculate your speaking rate and how it compares to the average rate for popular talks to give you some context. Audio samples of speaking rates at the extremes are provided, so you can understand the difference in words per minute.

At the end of the article, exercises are provided to help you develop an adaptive speaking rate.

How to calculate your speaking rate

Speaking rate is often expressed in words per minute (wpm). To calculate this value, you’ll need to record yourself talking for a few minutes and then add up the number of words in your speech. Divide the total number of words by the number of minutes your speech took.

Speaking rate (wpm) = total words / number of minutes

You can record yourself with this  online voice recorder . Once you have the audio of your speech, there are two ways to get the number of words:

• Manually count the words as you listen back to the audio
• Upload the speech recording to a  speech-to-text platform

When you have the speech converted to text format, copy the text into a software package such as Microsoft Word, which provides a useful word count for the document.

Once you have the number of words, convert the time to minutes – for example, if your speech was 4 minutes 30 seconds, you need to divide the number of words by 4.5 (as 30 seconds is half of a minute).

John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address, where he slowed his usually very high speaking rate down to below 100 wpm (his average was well above 150 wpm).

What is the average speaking rate?

The average speaking rate changes dramatically for the purpose of your speech. According to the National Center for Voice and Speech, the average conversation rate for English speakers in the United States is about  150 wpm . However, for radio presenters or podcasters, the wpm is higher.

Here is a list of average speech rates for different activities.

Average speech rates

• Presentations : between 100-150 wpm for a comfortable pace
• Conversational : between 120-150 wpm
• Audiobooks : between 150-160 wpm, which is the upper range that people comfortably hear and vocalize words
• Radio hosts and podcasters : between 150-160 wpm
• Auctioneers : can speak at about 250 wpm
• Commentators : between 250-400 wpm

To give these speech rates some context, if the speaking pace is 130 words per minute, you’ll finish reading an A4 page (Calibri, font size 11) in 4 minutes, 51 seconds.

Extremes of speaking rate – world record pace

Steven Woodmore  is a British electronics salesman and comedian known for his rapid speech articulation, being able to articulate 637 wpm, a speed four times faster than the average person.

Woodmore was listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s fastest talker, a title which he held for five years, taking the helm from the previous record holder, John Moschitta, Jr.

A comparison of words per minute for popular TED Talks

Let’s compare different presentation styles to show you how speech rates can vary widely. We’ll use popular TED Talks to compare words per minute for different presentations.

We’ve analyzed five TED Talks, ranging from short speeches up to 22 minutes. When we were calculating the length of the presentation, we included time when the audience was clapping and when the presenter changed slides.

We tried to pick from a wide range of speech topics to get an unbiased average.

The average speaking rate was 173 words per minute. The speaking rate ranged from 154 to 201 words per minute.

Popular TED Talk speaking rates

• How great leaders inspire action (Simon Sinek) – 170 wpm
• The power of introverts (Susan Cain) – 176 wpm
• Do schools kill creativity? (Sir Ken Robinson) – 165 wpm
• Why we do what we do (Tony Robbins) – 201 wpm
• The power of vulnerability (Brené Brown) – 154 wpm

What influences your overall speaking rate?

Here are several factors that affect the overall speaking rate, most of which can be controlled by you.

• Regular speaking rate  – this is the result of your environment, where you grew up, your parents, culture, friends around you, and more.
• Nervousness  – you’ve probably noticed it yourself,  when you are nervous , you speak much quicker and take short shallow breaths as you rush through the content.
• Saying something urgent  – understandably, we speak much quicker when there is an emergency, for example calling an ambulance or explaining an incident to the police.
• Mental fatigue  – tiredness affects our thought process, making it harder for us to articulate ourselves, causing us to talk more slowly.
• Complexity of the words  – longer, more complex words will take slightly longer to say, and if you are counting words per minute, it will affect speech pace slightly (although somewhat negligible)
• Complexity of content  – if you are presenting complex content, you’ll want to speak slower than usual to give the audience time to comprehend the concepts and content.
• Verbal pauses  – pauses are a great way to break up the content and give emphasis to what you are saying. Naturally this will slow down your speaking rate. Read  10 Effective Ways to use Pauses in your Speech .
• Event driven pauses  – these are pauses caused by a change in slides, a demo of your product, checking your notes, and so on.
• Audience driven pauses  – these events are caused by your audience, for example, when they laugh and ask questions.

Example audio clips of different speech rates

Example 1 – why we do what we do (tony robbins).

Sample of ‘Why we do what we do’ speech, spoken at 201 wpm.

Example 2 – We Shall Fight on the Beaches (Winston Churchill)

Sample of ‘We Shall Fight on the Beaches’ speech, spoken at 128 wpm.

Tony Robbins giving his TED Talk, Why we do what we do, with an average speaking pace of 201 wpm.

Is speaking rate important?

In short, yes, your rate of speech does have an impact on how the audience perceive you and your message.

Generally, a slower rate is easier to understand for the audience. If you include pauses as well, you give the audience time to absorb the messages of your presentation.

However listening back to the Tony Robbins speech above, which was at over 200 wpm, you’ll probably find you were still able to understand what he was saying. This is because he clearly articulates his words and uses easy to understand language. Clarity is just as important as speech pace.

Try to vary your speaking rate

No matter what your average speaking rate is over the entire speech, you should vary it throughout the speech. Varying your speech makes it more interesting for the audience and adds emotion to the content. Without pace variation, you’re in danger of sounding monotone.

For example, you can speak faster to convey excitement, or slower to reflect sadness or importance.

When to change your speed

• Speaking fast  – indication of passion, urgency, excitement, and emotion
• Speaking slow  – indication of importance, sadness, confusion, the seriousness of a point

When you’re speaking quickly, initially it is exciting for the audience, but after a minute or two, it stops being stimulating and becomes overwhelming.

When you are speaking slowly, it can grab the attention of the audience and help them process every word, but an entire talk at a slow pace will bore your audience: while waiting for you to get to the point they will lose interest.

Remember: The rate we speak at is highly individual

This is an important point to remember. If you take some well-known speeches and change the pace of their delivery, the meaning would be lost. For example, the “ I Have a Dream ” by Martin Luther King was spoken at a slow rate.

The long pauses and carefully spoken words give us time to absorb the information and plenty of time for the audience to applaud throughout. Even if you did not understand the words, the slow pace indicates that the message is important and should be taken seriously.

Cultural differences

Culture plays a big role in the pace we naturally speak at. Even locations within the  same country  can make a difference – people in London typically speak faster than people from Yorkshire for example. Also, if English isn’t the speakers first language, they usually speak a little slower as well.

How to practice: Getting the right speaking pace

Test your speaking pace.

Practice reading a transcript aloud at different paces to better understand how different speeds sound. Learn More

Here are two ways to measure and practice your speaking pace.

Use a metronome

The metronome ticks at a certain rate depending on what you set it to. If you want to speak at 130 words per minute, set the metronome to this value and practice saying a word every tick of the metronome.

This is a good start, however when actually presenting to an audience, you’ll want to vary this pace to emphasise certain points – a speech at exactly 130 wpm throughout would sound very monotone and rehearsed.

Use practice exercises

Online exercises let you practice your speech in a variety of scenarios. Practice presenting at a conference, delivering a sales pitch, answering interview questions, and more. With  VirtualSpeech practice exercises , you can get feedback on your speaking rate after your speech and adjust it accordingly for your next speech.

Example practice exercises you can use to measure your speaking pace during a speech or presentation. See all the  practice exercises here .

5 exercises to develop an adaptive speaking rate

Tips taken from  Quick & easy tips for speaking rate

1. Reading children’s stories

Read a children’s story silently several times to familiarize yourself with the flow. Go through it again, noting which passages would suit taking more quickly and which should be slower. Then read it aloud and listen carefully to how speed alters interpretation. Repeat the exercise altering your speed over particular passages, noting the differences.

Record yourself if possible doing this and all the following exercises. Save all the versions you do. You’ll then have them to refer back to. Recording takes out the guess work as you can hear exactly what you did, rather than what you imagined you did. It doesn’t lie!

2. Read factual reports

Pick an information loaded report from a newspaper or magazine.

Go through it silently to familiarize yourself with the flow of material and then read it aloud. Make a note of which passages need careful or slow reading and which can be taken at a faster rate. Re-read aloud until you feel you have the mix of speeds right.

As an extension exercise, read the report as if you were reading for an audience who knew nothing about the subject. Note what changes you made and why.

3. Experiment with one of your own speeches

Record and time yourself delivering a speech of your own at your current ‘normal’ speaking rate.

Note the time down. Now go through again having marked passages for slower or faster treatment. Note the new time and your new insights.

4. Listen to good speakers

Listen to speakers you admire. They could be radio presenters,  commencement speeches , anybody accustomed to speaking in public. Note the different rates of speech they use over the course of their presentation and the effectiveness and experiment with them for yourself.

5. Play with material you are familiar with

Read or recite part of a text you know well quickly (or slowly). If you can record yourself, do so. If not, listen and note the effect it has on you. If you’ve recorded yourself, play it back.

Ask yourself where was the speed effective? Where was it detrimental? Mark those places on your script. Read again incorporating your changes.

Do you wonder how long it takes to deliver your speech?

This website helps you convert the number of words into the time it takes to deliver your speech, online and for free. This tool is useful when preparing a speech or a presentation. The number of minutes you will take is dependent on the number of words and your speed of speech, or reading speed.

Note: This calculator provides an indication only.

Enter details below

The overview below provides an indication of the minutes for a speech (based on an average reading speed of 130 words per minute):

• Words in a 1 minute speech 130 words
• Words in a 2 minute speech 260 words
• Words in a 3 minute speech 390 words
• Words in a 4 minute speech 520 words
• Words in a 5 minute speech 650 words
• Words in a 10 minute speech 1300 words
• Words in a 15 minute speech 1950 words
• Words in a 20 minute speech 2600 words
• How long does a 500 word speech take? 3.8 minutes
• How long does a 1000 word speech take? 7.7 minutes
• How long does a 1250 word speech take? 9.6 minutes
• How long does a 1500 word speech take? 11.5 minutes
• How long does a 1750 word speech take? 13.5 minutes
• How long does a 2000 word speech take? 15.4 minutes
• How long does a 2500 word speech take? 19.2 minutes
• How long does a 5000 word speech take? 38.5 minutes