Ijharul Islam
A 5-minute speech is about 750 words at an average pace of 150 words per minute, or 600 to 800 words depending on how fast you talk. A 1-minute speech is about 150 words, a 3-minute speech 450, a 10-minute speech 1,500 and a 20-minute speech 3,000. The same numbers work for video scripts and voiceovers.
More on this topic: Video formats, codecs and numbers, every guide in one place.
Below is the full table from 1 to 60 minutes at four paces, which pace to choose for your situation, and how to land on time.
The short answer
Multiply the minutes by your pace. At 150 words per minute: 1 minute = 150 words, 2 minutes = 300, 3 minutes = 450, 5 minutes = 750, 10 minutes = 1,500, 20 minutes = 3,000. Use 120-130 wpm for a slow, clear delivery with slides and 160 wpm for a fast, conversational one.
Key takeaways
- 150 words a minute is the planning average; slow is 120-130, fast is 160.
- 5 minutes: 600 words slow, 750 average, 800 fast.
- Write 10% under the target if you'll pause, use slides or expect laughter.
- Check the real length by reading aloud with a timer, or paste the draft into a words to minutes calculator.
How many words per minute of speech? The table
| Length | 120 wpm (slow) | 130 wpm | 150 wpm (average) | 160 wpm (fast) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 minute | 120 | 130 | 150 | 160 |
| 2 minutes | 240 | 260 | 300 | 320 |
| 3 minutes | 360 | 390 | 450 | 480 |
| 4 minutes | 480 | 520 | 600 | 640 |
| 5 minutes | 600 | 650 | 750 | 800 |
| 7 minutes | 840 | 910 | 1,050 | 1,120 |
| 10 minutes | 1,200 | 1,300 | 1,500 | 1,600 |
| 15 minutes | 1,800 | 1,950 | 2,250 | 2,400 |
| 20 minutes | 2,400 | 2,600 | 3,000 | 3,200 |
| 30 minutes | 3,600 | 3,900 | 4,500 | 4,800 |
| 45 minutes | 5,400 | 5,850 | 6,750 | 7,200 |
| 60 minutes | 7,200 | 7,800 | 9,000 | 9,600 |
QuickVeed's free words to minutes calculator gives the words for any target length at slow, average and fast pace, and works the other way round when you paste a draft. It is free, runs in your browser and never uploads your text or file.
How many words is a 1, 2 or 3-minute speech?
Short speeches are where people overwrite most, because 150 words looks like very little on the page.
- 1 minute: about 150 words. One idea, one example, one closing line. An elevator pitch or a short video intro.
- 2 minutes: about 300 words. A toast, a self-introduction, a short update at a meeting.
- 3 minutes: about 450 words. A three-minute thesis, a class presentation, a best-man speech. Leave room for laughs.
For a video of the same length, the script can be shorter still, because pictures carry part of the message. See words per minute for a video script.
How many words is a 5 or 10-minute speech?
A 5-minute speech is 650 to 800 words for most people, with 750 as the middle. A 10-minute speech is 1,300 to 1,600, with 1,500 as the middle. At these lengths, structure matters more than word count:
| Part | Share of time | 5-minute speech (750 words) | 10-minute speech (1,500 words) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening | 10% | about 75 words | about 150 words |
| Main points (two or three) | 75% | about 560 words | about 1,125 words |
| Close and call to action | 15% | about 115 words | about 225 words |
How many words is a 20, 30 or 60-minute talk?
Long talks are rarely read word for word, but the count still helps with planning. A 20-minute talk is about 3,000 words at 150 wpm, a 30-minute lecture about 4,500 and an hour about 9,000. Slides, questions and demos usually slow the real pace to 120-130 wpm, so a 20-minute slot with slides fits about 2,400 to 2,600 words of notes.
For comparison, ACX, Amazon's audiobook marketplace, says most narrators read about 9,300 words per finished hour (about 155 wpm). That's a professional reading with no audience, so treat it as the upper end for a live talk.
Which pace should you plan for?
| Situation | Plan with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Presentation with slides | 120-130 wpm | You pause for people to look |
| Wedding or event speech | 130-140 wpm | Laughter, emotion, a room to project to |
| Meeting update, pitch | 150 wpm | Conversational |
| Video voiceover or ad | 150-160 wpm | Tight, edited delivery |
| Audience in a second language | 120 wpm | Easier to follow |
These are planning ranges, not measured averages; average speaking rates has the sourced figures and how to find your own.
Hitting the time on the day
- Write to 90% of the target: 675 words for 5 minutes.
- Mark one optional paragraph you can drop if you're running long.
- Rehearse twice with a timer, once at full volume.
- On the day, glance at a clock at the halfway mark.
If the speech will be filmed or turned into a video, you can also narrate it with QuickVeed's AI voice generator (up to 10,000 characters a job, roughly 1,600-1,800 English words) or have one of the AI avatars present a short version of up to 30 seconds. To see how long your finished text takes, read how long a 1,000-word speech is. For explainer scripts specifically, see how to make an explainer video.
Frequently asked questions
How many words is a 5-minute speech?
About 750 words at 150 words per minute. A slow speaker fits 600-650 words and a fast one about 800.
How many words is a 1-minute speech?
About 150 words at an average pace, 120 if you speak slowly and 160 if you speak quickly.
How many words is a 3-minute speech?
About 450 words at 150 wpm, or 360 to 480 depending on pace.
How many words is a 10-minute speech?
About 1,500 words at 150 words per minute, or 1,200 to 1,600 by pace.
How many words is a 20-minute speech?
About 3,000 words at 150 wpm. With slides and pauses, 2,400 to 2,600 is often enough.
How many pages is a 5-minute speech?
It depends on font and spacing, so count words instead: about 750 words at 150 wpm.
Try it with your own video
Check your word count in the free calculator, then narrate the script or turn it into a captioned video. Paste your script, pick a voice, and judge the first take for yourself. QuickVeed plans start at $18/month, and new accounts get a 14-day trial with 250 credits, no card needed. Sign up or see pricing.
Sources
Competitor details in this post were checked against these public pages in October 2026. Products and prices change, so confirm with each vendor before you decide.
