How many words in 1 minute of speech?
About 118 to 182 words: 118 at a slow pace, 150 at an average pace and 182 at a fast one. Those are speeds 2, 3 and 4 in AnyCue’s online prompter, which starts at the average.
Words per minute at each pace
| Pace | Speed in AnyCue | Words per minute |
|---|---|---|
| Slow | 2 | 118 |
| Average | 3 | 150 |
| Fast | 4 | 182 |
Average words per minute when speaking
Speaking speed is counted in words per minute (wpm). A careful, slow read is about 118 wpm, a calm talking pace about 150 and a quick one about 182. To size a script, multiply your pace by the minutes you have, or paste the text into the script timer.
Why it’s a range
Nobody talks at one fixed speed. The low and high numbers here are speeds 2 and 4 on AnyCue’s scale, the same Slow and Fast as in the timer below. Slides, demos and questions from the audience take time without adding words, so if your 1-minute slot has them, write closer to 118.
Time your own script
Paste it below. The time limit is already set to 1 minute, so you’ll see the speed that fits, or how much to cut.
0:00
Paste a script and the reading time shows up here.
The timer works in this browser. Your script isn’t uploaded.
Other speech lengths
- Words in 2 minutes, about 240 to 360 words
- Words in 3 minutes, about 350 to 550 words
- Words in 5 minutes, about 590 to 910 words
- Words in 10 minutes, about 1,180 to 1,820 words
Questions
How many words in 1 minute of speech?
About 118 to 182 words: 118 at a slow pace, 150 at an average pace and 182 at a fast one. Those are speeds 2, 3 and 4 in AnyCue’s online prompter, which starts at the average.
How long does it take to read 150 words?
About 1 minute at an average 150 words per minute. Read slowly, at 118, it takes about 1:16; read fast, at 182, about 0:49.
What speed should I set in the prompter for a 1-minute speech?
Start at speed 3, about 150 words per minute. If your script runs longer than 150 words, paste it into the timer on this page. It shows the speed that fits 1 minute.
Rehearse it out loud
Paste your speech into the free online prompter and read it at the pace you picked. It scrolls on a laptop, tablet or phone, and the time left counts down as you go.
Try the online prompter The iPhone app is coming soon