02 / PREPARE YOUR TALK

Words to minutes

Find out whether your draft fits the time you have. Set your own speaking pace and leave a little room for pauses.

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Enable JavaScript to use the interactive tool. The method and worked example are available below.

Plan your speaking time

Example: 900 words, 150 words per minute, and 30 seconds of pauses.

Enter a whole number from 0 to 100,000. An empty field is not treated as zero.

150 is an editable example, not a measured average. Range: 10 to 1,000.

Include breaks, slide changes or audience questions. Enter 0 for none.

How script words are counted

Latin-script words and numbers count as words. Contractions such as “don’t”, hyphenated words such as “well-known”, abbreviations with dots such as “U.S.”, and numbers such as “3.5” each count as one. Other punctuation separates words; emoji are not counted.

This is a written-word count for timing estimates. It does not know how you will say names, abbreviations or numbers. For a script in another writing system, enter your own count and pace.

Estimated speaking time

6m 30s

including planned pauses

Word count
900
Speaking at 150 words/min
6m
Planned pauses
30s

6m of speaking + 30s of pauses = 6m 30s estimated total.

Rehearse aloud to check your actual pace. Numbers, audience reactions and delivery can change the timing. Displayed times are rounded to the nearest second.

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HOW IT WORKS

An estimate you can rehearse against.

01

Use your script or a known word count

Paste the words you plan to say, or enter a word count. Remove stage directions and text that will only appear on screen. The count follows the language of this page: words in English and most other languages, characters in Chinese and Japanese, and syllables in Korean.

02

Set a pace that sounds like you

Speaking time = word count ÷ words per minute, plus your planned pauses. The starting pace is an editable example, not a universal speaking speed.

03

Make room for the parts between the words

Add time for pauses and questions. If you set a target duration, the calculator subtracts pauses before working out your word budget. Rehearse aloud to check the final timing.

A WORKED EXAMPLE

A short project update

900 words ÷ 150 WPM + 30 seconds = 6 min 30 sec

For a five-minute slot at the same pace, with 30 seconds set aside for pauses, there is room for 675 words. The numbers change with your pace and your delivery.

Put it into practice

Give the talk a clear point.

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