How Many Words for a 5, 10 or 15 Minute Speech?
A reverse lookup table for speechwriters — target duration to word count.
Quick answer: at a conversational 150 WPM, a 5-minute speech needs about 750 words, a 10-minute speech about 1,500 words, and a 15-minute speech about 2,250 words.
Word count by target speech length
| Duration | Slow (130 WPM) | Conversational (150 WPM) | Fast (190 WPM) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 minute | 130 | 150 | 190 |
| 2 minutes | 260 | 300 | 380 |
| 5 minutes | 650 | 750 | 950 |
| 10 minutes | 1,300 | 1,500 | 1,900 |
| 15 minutes | 1,950 | 2,250 | 2,850 |
| 20 minutes | 2,600 | 3,000 | 3,800 |
Why 150 WPM is the safest planning assumption
Nervous speakers and those unfamiliar with the material tend to speak slower than their natural conversational pace, and pauses for emphasis, audience reaction and slide transitions all add real time not captured by a raw WPM figure. Plan at 150 WPM (Conversational) and add a 10-15% time buffer for a first-time delivery of unfamiliar material — see our speaking rate guide for the full range of speaking speeds.
Checking your draft against a target
Paste your written speech into the calculator's Speaking Time tab to see your actual estimated duration at your chosen delivery pace, then trim or expand until it matches your slot.