Speaking time calculator
Give it your script and your slot length. It tells you how many words are in the way.
Your text stays in your browser.
Fit your talk into the time you have.
Your text at a glance
Reading and speaking times are estimates.
Presentation timing
Enter a target duration to see how many words to add or cut.
Timings assume a steady pace with no pauses for questions, slides or laughter. Rehearse with a clock.
Running over time is the most avoidable presentation failure there is, and it is almost always decided before you walk in — by the length of the script.
Set your target duration and this tool reports the gap in words. It reports the gap and stops there: which words to cut is your call, and this product does not write or rewrite anything for you.
How this tool counts
Duration is words divided by a speaking rate. The presets are 100 wpm for a slow, deliberate delivery, 130 wpm for a conversational presentation pace, and 160 wpm for fast or energetic speech. Set a custom rate if you have timed yourself.
Most people speak faster under pressure than they do in rehearsal. If you have never timed yourself, assume you will be nearer the fast preset on the day and script for the slow one.
The estimate covers continuous speech only. Pauses for slide changes, demos, laughter and questions are on top, and on a ten-minute slot they can easily be a minute and a half of it.
A worked example
You have a 10-minute conference slot and a 1,400-word script.
- At 130 wpm
- 10:46
- Words that fit 10 minutes at 130 wpm
- 1,300
- Words to remove
- 100
- Suggested buffer for pauses (10%)
- ~130 more words
Cutting 100 words puts you exactly on the line, with no room to breathe. Cutting 230 gets you off stage on time.
Frequently asked questions
How many words is a 5-minute speech?
About 650 words at a conversational 130 words per minute, or roughly 500 if you speak deliberately. Enter 5 as your target duration to see the number at your own pace.
What is a normal speaking rate?
Conversational English tends to sit between 120 and 150 words per minute. Presentation coaching often aims a little slower, around 120 to 130, because a slower pace is easier to follow and gives you room to emphasise.
Should I plan for the full length of my slot?
No. Leave 10 to 15 percent for pauses, slide transitions and the sentence you will inevitably repeat. Ending two minutes early is a courtesy; ending three minutes late is remembered.
Does it tell me what to cut?
No, and it will not. It tells you how many words are over. Deciding which ones can go is the part that requires knowing what you are trying to say.