How Many Words Is a 5-Minute Speech (and Other Lengths)?

Speech length chart

One double-spaced page of 12-point text is roughly 250 to 300 words, or about two minutes of speaking. A 5-minute speech is therefore about two and a half pages double-spaced.

Why your pace may differ

Everyday conversation often runs faster, at 150 to 170 words per minute or more, but a speech should be slower. Nerves speed most people up, and audiences need pauses to absorb ideas. Audiobooks are usually narrated at around 150 to 160 words per minute; slow, deliberate speakers sit nearer 110 to 120.

Content changes pace too. A story with dialogue moves quickly. Numbers, technical terms and a speech in a second language move slowly. Planned pauses, laughter and slides you need to wait for all take time without adding words, so a speech with lots of them needs fewer words than the chart suggests.

Find your own words per minute

• Pick about 300 words of your speech, or any text you would read in a similar style.
• Start the stopwatch and read it aloud at the pace you would use on stage, with pauses.
• Stop when you finish and divide the word count by the minutes. 300 words in 2 minutes 15 seconds (2.25 minutes) is 133 words per minute.
• Multiply that number by your time limit to get your target word count, then cut about 10 % for safety.

Rehearsing to the clock

Once the draft is close, rehearse it standing up with a countdown running. The 5-minute speech timer counts down from your limit and rings when time is up, so you can see where you run long. Press Lap on the stopwatch at each section change in a second run-through to see which part is eating your time.

For the real thing, Presentation Mode shows a large, chromeless countdown you can put on a second screen or a laptop at the back of the room, so you can glance at it without reaching for your phone.

Common speech time limits

• Elevator pitch: 30 to 60 seconds, about 75 to 150 words.
• Wedding toast: 2 to 4 minutes, about 300 to 550 words. Shorter is almost always better.
• Eulogy: 3 to 5 minutes, about 400 to 750 words.
• Toastmasters prepared speech: usually 5 to 7 minutes, about 650 to 1,000 words, with green, amber and red signals at the minimum, midpoint and maximum.
• Class presentation: often 5 to 10 minutes, 650 to 1,500 words.
• Conference talk: 15 to 20 minutes, 2,000 to 3,000 words. Many well-known talk formats cap talks at 18 minutes.

Speech structure by time

Knowing the word count is the first step. Deciding where those words go is the second. A simple split that works for most speeches:

Three main points is the most a short speech can carry. In a 5-minute speech that gives each point a little over a minute, enough for one idea and one example. If you have five points, choose the best three.

Signals and timing on the day

• Ask whether there is a timekeeper and what signals they will use. In Toastmasters, green means you have reached the minimum, amber means you are in the middle of your window and red means time is up.
• If you are your own timekeeper, put a countdown where you can see it without turning your head. Presentation Mode shows a large timer on any screen.
• Mark two checkpoints in your notes, for example "should be here at 2:00" and "start closing at 4:00".
• If you are running late, skip to your close. Ending on time with a strong last line is better than finishing every point.

If you are over time

Cut whole sections rather than speeding up. Speaking faster to fit everything in is the most common mistake, and audiences notice. Look for a second example that makes the same point as the first, background the audience already knows, or a list that could be one sentence. Keep your opening and your ending intact; they are what people remember.

If your talk has a strict limit, plan for 90 % of it. A 5-minute slot should be rehearsed at four and a half minutes, which leaves room for a pause, a laugh or a slow start. For focused writing time on the draft itself, try the 52/17 rule.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

• The 52/17 Rule: 52 Minutes On, 17 Minutes Off
• How Long Should Homework Take Each Night?

See all guides.