What is my speaking time?
Type how many words your speech has and how fast you speak. The speaking time calculator shows how long it takes in minutes and seconds; fill the time instead to find how many words fit.
- Speaking time
- 3.85 min
500 words at 130 words per minute take 3.85 min (3:51).
- Minutes and seconds
- 3:51
- Words per second
- 2.17
Speaking time: 3.85 min. 500 words at 130 words per minute take 3.85 min (3:51).
How to calculate
Works out how long a speech or script takes to say from its word count and your speaking rate in words per minute, or how many words fit in a time.
Example with the default inputs (Words 500, Speaking rate (words per minute) 130): 500 words at 130 words per minute take 3.85 min (3:51).
Formula: Speaking time (minutes) = words ÷ words per minute; words = minutes × rate; rate = words ÷ minutes.
- The rate is an average over the whole speech, pauses included; it does not change from one part to the next.
- Typical rates: about 150 words per minute in US English conversation, 125 to 150 in a speech (Lumen Learning).
Worked examples
Each example is checked against the calculator on every build.
- Words 750, Speaking rate (words per minute) 150 gives Speaking time 5 min, Minutes and seconds 5:00, Words per second 2.5.Source: Lumen Learning, Public Speaking, Articulation, Pitch, and Rate (average US English rate about 150 words per minute), https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-publicspeaking/chapter/articulation-pitch-and-rate/, retrieved 2026-10-02
- Words 500, Speaking rate (words per minute) 130 gives Speaking time 3.85 min, Minutes and seconds 3:51.
- Speaking time 10 min, Speaking rate (words per minute) 125 gives Words 1,250.
- Words 2,600, Speaking time 20 min gives Speaking rate (words per minute) 130.
How it works
Fill any two of words, speaking rate, and speaking time, and leave one empty. With w the number of words, r the rate in words per minute, and T the time in minutes:
- T = w ÷ r
- w = T × r
- r = w ÷ T
The calculator also shows:
- Minutes and seconds: T in whole seconds, rounded half up (T × 60 + 0.5, cut to a whole number), written
m:ss, orh:mm:ssfrom one hour (3,600 s), with the minutes and seconds in two digits after the first part. - Words per second: r ÷ 60.
The words and the rate are more than 0 (words up to 1,000,000,000, rate up to 1,000 words per minute); the time is more than 0. The rate is an average over the whole speech, with pauses, and it stays the same throughout.
Typical rates: about 150 words per minute in US English conversation, and 125 to 150 words per minute for a speech (Lumen Learning).
Worked examples by hand
750 words at 150 words per minute. 750 ÷ 150 = 5 minutes (300 s), shown as 5:00; 150 ÷ 60 = 2.5 words per second.
500 words at 130 words per minute. 500 ÷ 130 = 3.846 minutes = 230.77 s, which rounds to 231 s: 3:51.
10 minutes at 125 words per minute. 10 × 125 = 1,250 words.
2,600 words in 20 minutes. 2,600 ÷ 20 = 130 words per minute.
Other questions people ask
How do I work out how long my speech is?
Divide the number of words by your speaking rate in words per minute. A 750-word speech at 150 words per minute takes 750 ÷ 150 = 5 minutes.
How many words per minute do people speak?
In US English conversation, about 150 words per minute. For a speech, a slower 125 to 150 words per minute is easier to follow. Time yourself reading one page aloud to find your own rate.
How many words is a 5-minute speech?
At 130 words per minute, 5 × 130 = 650 words. At 150 words per minute it is 750 words. Fill the time and the rate, and leave the words empty, to get your own number.
How long is a 1,000-word speech?
At 130 words per minute, 1,000 ÷ 130 = 7.69 minutes, which is 7 minutes 42 seconds. At 150 words per minute it is 6 minutes 40 seconds.
Do pauses count?
Yes, if you measure your rate the same way. A rate found by timing a full read-through, pauses included, gives a time that includes them too. Add extra time for slides, questions, or applause.
How do I find my speaking rate?
Read a passage of known length aloud and time it. Words ÷ minutes is your rate: 2,600 words in 20 minutes is 130 words per minute. The calculator does this when you fill the words and the time.