How many words in 10 minutes of speech?
About 1,180 to 1,820 words: 1,180 at a slow pace, 1,500 at an average pace and 1,820 at a fast one. Those are speeds 2, 3 and 4 in AnyCue’s online prompter, about 118, 150 and 182 words per minute. The prompter starts at the average, so it scrolls through 1,500 words in 10 minutes.
Words in 10 minutes at each pace
| Pace | Speed in AnyCue | Words per minute | Words in 10 min |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slow | 2 | 118 | 1,180 |
| Average | 3 | 150 | 1,500 |
| Fast | 4 | 182 | 1,820 |
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 10-minute slot has them, write closer to 1,180.
Time your own script
Paste it below. The time limit is already set to 10 minutes, 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 1 minute, about 118 to 182 words
- 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
Questions
How many words in 10 minutes of speech?
About 1,180 to 1,820 words: 1,180 at a slow pace, 1,500 at an average pace and 1,820 at a fast one. Those are speeds 2, 3 and 4 in AnyCue’s online prompter, about 118, 150 and 182 words per minute. The prompter starts at the average, so it scrolls through 1,500 words in 10 minutes.
How long does it take to read 1,500 words?
About 10 minutes at an average 150 words per minute. Read slowly, at 118, it takes about 12:44; read fast, at 182, about 8:14.
What speed should I set in the prompter for a 10-minute speech?
Start at speed 3, about 150 words per minute. If your script runs longer than 1,500 words, paste it into the timer on this page. It shows the speed that fits 10 minutes.
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