Words to Time Calculator
How long will your speech, script, or presentation take? Paste your text or enter a word count.700 words is about 5 minutes at an average 140 words per minute.
Speaking time at 140 words per minute
5 min
700 words
≈ lightning-talk length
Minutes to words
Writing to a time limit? See how many words fit your slot.
550
words at slow pace (110 wpm)
700
words at average pace (140 wpm)
850
words at fast pace (170 wpm)
Speech length cheat sheet
Words needed for common speech lengths, by speaking pace.
| Speech length | Slow (110 wpm) | Average (140 wpm) | Fast (170 wpm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 minute | 110 words | 140 words | 170 words |
| 2 minutes | 220 words | 280 words | 340 words |
| 3 minutes | 330 words | 420 words | 510 words |
| 5 minutes | 550 words | 700 words | 850 words |
| 10 minutes | 1,100 words | 1,400 words | 1,700 words |
| 15 minutes | 1,650 words | 2,100 words | 2,550 words |
| 20 minutes | 2,200 words | 2,800 words | 3,400 words |
| 30 minutes | 3,300 words | 4,200 words | 5,100 words |
| 1 hour | 6,600 words | 8,400 words | 10,200 words |
How long does it take to say 100 to 5,000 words?
Speaking time by word count. Pick a row to load it into the calculator.
| Words | Slow (110 wpm) | Average (140 wpm) | Fast (170 wpm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 55 sec | 43 sec | 35 sec | |
| 1 min 22 sec | 1 min 4 sec | 53 sec | |
| 1 min 49 sec | 1 min 26 sec | 1 min 11 sec | |
| 2 min 16 sec | 1 min 47 sec | 1 min 28 sec | |
| 2 min 44 sec | 2 min 9 sec | 1 min 46 sec | |
| 3 min 38 sec | 2 min 51 sec | 2 min 21 sec | |
| 4 min 33 sec | 3 min 34 sec | 2 min 56 sec | |
| 5 min 27 sec | 4 min 17 sec | 3 min 32 sec | |
| 6 min 22 sec | 5 min | 4 min 7 sec | |
| 7 min 16 sec | 5 min 43 sec | 4 min 42 sec | |
| 9 min 5 sec | 7 min 9 sec | 5 min 53 sec | |
| 10 min 55 sec | 8 min 34 sec | 7 min 4 sec | |
| 13 min 38 sec | 10 min 43 sec | 8 min 49 sec | |
| 15 min 27 sec | 12 min 9 sec | 10 min | |
| 18 min 11 sec | 14 min 17 sec | 11 min 46 sec | |
| 22 min 44 sec | 17 min 51 sec | 14 min 42 sec | |
| 27 min 16 sec | 21 min 26 sec | 17 min 39 sec | |
| 36 min 22 sec | 28 min 34 sec | 23 min 32 sec | |
| 45 min 27 sec | 35 min 43 sec | 29 min 25 sec |
How we calculate
Speaking time = word count ÷ pace. Most people hold 120–150 words per minute in conversation; we use 140 wpm as the average. Formal speeches run slower (100–130 wpm) because of pauses and emphasis, which is why the slow preset exists. Reading aloud averages about 183 wpm, and adults silently read non-fiction at roughly 238 wpm.
A tip from a dictation app
The fastest way to draft a speech is to say it, not type it. You speak around 140 words per minute but probably type 40. Speakmac turns your voice into text on your Mac, in any app, so you can draft at talking speed and check the timing here. Curious how fast you talk? Take the speaking speed test.
Common questions
How long does it take to say 700 words?
About 5 minutes at an average speaking pace of 140 words per minute. A slow, formal delivery at 110 wpm takes 6 minutes 22 seconds; a fast 170 wpm delivery takes 4 minutes 7 seconds. 700 words is the classic 5-minute speech.
How long is a 500 word speech?
A 500 word speech runs about 3 minutes 34 seconds at 140 words per minute. Plan on 4 minutes 33 seconds if you speak slowly (110 wpm) and just under 3 minutes if you speak fast (170 wpm).
How long is a 1,200 word speech?
About 8 minutes 34 seconds at 140 words per minute. At a slow 110 wpm it stretches to almost 11 minutes; at a fast 170 wpm it is closer to 7 minutes.
How long does it take to say 1,500 words?
Roughly 10 minutes 43 seconds at 140 words per minute. Slow speakers need about 13 minutes 38 seconds; fast speakers finish in about 8 minutes 49 seconds.
How long does it take to say 1,700 words?
About 12 minutes at an average 140 words per minute, 15 minutes 27 seconds at a slow 110 wpm, and 10 minutes flat at a fast 170 wpm.
How long does it take to read 1,000 words out loud?
Reading aloud is faster than speaking from memory. At the typical read-aloud pace of 183 words per minute, 1,000 words takes about 5 minutes 28 seconds. Spoken conversationally at 140 wpm it takes just over 7 minutes.
How many words is a 3 minute speech?
A 3 minute speech is about 420 words at an average speaking pace of 140 words per minute. If you speak slowly (110 wpm) plan for around 330 words; at a fast pace (170 wpm) you can fit roughly 510 words.
How many words is a 5 minute speech?
A 5 minute speech is about 700 words at an average pace of 140 words per minute. Slow speakers should plan for around 550 words, fast speakers can fit about 850.
How many words is a 10 minute speech?
A 10 minute speech is about 1,400 words at an average pace of 140 words per minute. At a slow, deliberate pace it is closer to 1,100 words; at a fast pace around 1,700 words.
How many minutes is 1,000 words?
Speaking 1,000 words takes about 7 minutes at an average pace of 140 words per minute. Reading 1,000 words silently takes roughly 4 minutes at a typical 238 words per minute.
What is the average speaking speed?
Most people speak at 120-150 words per minute in conversation. Formal presentations tend to run slower at 100-130 wpm, while podcasters and energetic speakers often reach 160-180 wpm.
Is reading faster than speaking?
Yes. Adults silently read non-fiction at around 238 words per minute on average - roughly 1.7x faster than conversational speech. Reading aloud sits in between at about 183 words per minute.
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