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Words to Minutes Calculator

Paste your speech or script to see how long it takes to say out loud at a slow, average or fast pace, and how long it takes to read. Or turn minutes into a word count.

  • Speaking and reading time
  • Minutes to words
  • Custom pace
  • Nothing uploaded
Speaking pace

Speaking time0 secat 130 words per minute

Slow (110 wpm)
0 sec
Average (130 wpm)
0 sec
Fast (160 wpm)
0 sec
Reading (238 wpm)
0 sec

0 words · 0 characters

Your text is counted in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.

How to convert words to minutes

Divide the number of words by your speaking rate in words per minute. At an average pace of 130 words per minute, a 1,000-word speech takes 1,000 ÷ 130 ≈ 7.7 minutes, or about 7 min 42 sec. This speech time calculator does the sum for you as you type.

  1. Paste your text

    Paste your speech, presentation or script into the box, or type the word count if you already know it.

  2. Pick a speaking pace

    Choose slow, average or fast, or enter your own words per minute if you know how fast you speak.

  3. Read the speaking time

    See how long your speech takes at every pace, plus how long the same text takes to read silently.

How many words is a 5-minute speech?

A 5-minute speech is about 650 words at an average pace. Use this minutes to words chart to plan a speech of any length.

Speech lengthSlow (110 wpm)Average (130 wpm)Fast (160 wpm)
1-minute speech110 words130 words160 words
2-minute speech220 words260 words320 words
3-minute speech330 words390 words480 words
4-minute speech440 words520 words640 words
5-minute speech550 words650 words800 words
7-minute speech770 words910 words1,120 words
10-minute speech1,100 words1,300 words1,600 words
15-minute speech1,650 words1,950 words2,400 words
20-minute speech2,200 words2,600 words3,200 words
30-minute speech3,300 words3,900 words4,800 words

Words to minutes chart

How long it takes to say common word counts out loud, and to read them silently.

WordsSpeaking, slowSpeaking, averageSpeaking, fastReading
100 words55 sec46 sec38 sec25 sec
250 words2 min 16 sec1 min 55 sec1 min 34 sec1 min 3 sec
300 words2 min 44 sec2 min 18 sec1 min 52 sec1 min 16 sec
500 words4 min 33 sec3 min 51 sec3 min 8 sec2 min 6 sec
750 words6 min 49 sec5 min 46 sec4 min 41 sec3 min 9 sec
1,000 words9 min 5 sec7 min 42 sec6 min 15 sec4 min 12 sec
1,500 words13 min 38 sec11 min 32 sec9 min 22 sec6 min 18 sec
2,000 words18 min 11 sec15 min 23 sec12 min 30 sec8 min 24 sec
2,500 words22 min 44 sec19 min 14 sec15 min 38 sec10 min 30 sec
3,000 words27 min 16 sec23 min 5 sec18 min 45 sec12 min 36 sec
5,000 words45 min 27 sec38 min 28 sec31 min 15 sec21 min 1 sec

Script timer for videos, voice-overs and presentations

The same word count to speech time conversion works for anything you read from a script.

Video scripts

YouTube, TikTok and Reels scripts are usually read at a fast pace. Check that a script fits a 60-second limit before you film.

Voice-overs and ads

Time radio spots, explainer videos and narration so the voice-over matches the length of the footage.

Talks and presentations

Fit a keynote, class presentation or wedding toast to its time slot, and leave room for slide changes and applause.

Average speaking rate: how fast do people talk?

Speaking rates vary with the speaker and the occasion. These are typical ranges in words per minute.

SituationTypical pace
Speeches and presentations110 to 150 words per minute
Everyday conversation120 to 160 words per minute
Audiobooks and podcasts150 to 160 words per minute
Silent reading (adults)About 238 words per minute

Find your own speaking pace

Record a practice run, transcribe it free with TranscribeText, and divide the number of words by the minutes of the recording. Enter the result as your custom pace for an exact speech time.

Transcribe a recording

Words to Minutes FAQ

How do I convert words to minutes?

Divide the word count by the speaking rate in words per minute. At an average pace of 130 words per minute, 1,000 words take 1,000 ÷ 130 ≈ 7.7 minutes, or 7 min 42 sec. Paste your text or type the word count into the calculator above and it does the maths for you.

How many words is a 5-minute speech?

About 650 words at an average pace of 130 words per minute. A slow, deliberate speaker needs about 550 words and a fast one about 800. A 2-minute speech is about 260 words, a 3-minute speech about 390 and a 10-minute speech about 1300.

How long does it take to say 1,000 words?

About 7 min 42 sec at 130 words per minute. At a slow pace it takes 9 min 5 sec and at a fast pace 6 min 15 sec. Reading the same 1,000 words silently takes about 4 min 12 sec.

How many words per minute do people speak?

Most people give speeches and presentations at about 110 to 150 words per minute and talk a little faster in conversation. Audiobooks and podcasts are often 150 to 160 words per minute. This calculator uses 110 words per minute for slow, 130 for average and 160 for fast, and you can enter your own pace.

How is the reading time calculated?

Reading time assumes 238 words per minute, the average silent reading speed of adults found in a large 2019 review of reading research. Reading aloud is much slower, which is why the speaking time is longer.

Can I use it as a script timer for videos and voice-overs?

Yes. Paste the script to see how long the video or voice-over will run. Short-form videos and ads are usually read at a fast pace of about 160 words per minute, so a 30-second ad fits about 80 words and a 60-second video about 160.

How long should a wedding or best man speech be?

Most wedding toasts land well at 3 to 5 minutes, about 390 to 650 words, and a best man speech at 5 to 7 minutes, about 650 to 910 words. A eulogy is usually 5 to 10 minutes.

Does the speech time include pauses?

The pace already includes the normal short pauses between sentences. Add extra time for slide changes, demonstrations, laughter or applause, and pauses you plan for effect. Timing a practice run is the most reliable check.

How can I find my own speaking rate?

Record yourself giving the speech, transcribe the recording with TranscribeText, and divide the number of words in the transcript by the length of the recording in minutes. Enter the result as a custom pace in the calculator.

Is my text uploaded anywhere?

No. Words are counted in your browser and nothing you paste is sent to our servers.

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Times are estimates. Your real speaking time depends on your pace, pauses and delivery.