Speech length calculator
Speech Length Calculator: How Long Will Your Speech Take?
Paste your speech or type in a word count and see how many minutes it runs. Choose a speaking pace and compare the result with the usual length for a wedding toast, best man speech, retirement or eulogy.
Speaking pace
Most people speak a prepared speech at 120 to 140 words a minute. Slow it down for a eulogy, or when you plan to pause for laughs.
Estimated speaking time
0:00
0 words at 130 words a minute
Wedding toast: 2 to 4 minutes, about 260 to 520 words at your pace. Short enough that the glasses stay up.
Rules of thumb
How long should it be?
A shorter speech usually lands better than a long one. These are the lengths people most often aim for.
Wedding toast
2 to 4 minutes
About 260 to 520 words at an average pace. Short enough that the glasses stay up.
Best man or maid of honor
4 to 6 minutes
About 520 to 780 words at an average pace. Room for one story and a toast at the end.
Retirement
3 to 5 minutes
About 390 to 650 words at an average pace. A career highlight, a thank you, a send-off.
Eulogy
5 to 10 minutes
About 650 to 1300 words at an average pace. Slower delivery and pauses mean fewer words than you expect.
Birthday toast
1 to 3 minutes
About 130 to 390 words at an average pace. One good memory and a raised glass.
How the estimate works
Time is the word count divided by your words per minute. A 520 word speech at 130 words a minute takes four minutes. Words are counted by spaces, so numbers and hyphenated words each count once.
Going over time
Cut the stories first and keep the ending. Drop the second joke before the first, and trim anything the room already knows. Read it aloud once against a timer, since a speech always runs longer out loud than it looks on the page.
Questions
Common questions
- How many words is a 5 minute speech?
- About 650 words at an average pace of 130 words a minute. At a slow 110 it is about 550 words, and at a brisk 150 it is about 750.
- How fast should I speak when giving a speech?
- Most people land between 120 and 150 words a minute when reading a prepared speech. Conversation runs faster, closer to 150 to 170. Slow down for anything emotional, and leave room for laughs and pauses.
- How long should a wedding toast be?
- Two to four minutes for most guests, which is roughly 260 to 520 words at an average pace. A best man or maid of honor speech can stretch to four to six minutes if the stories are good.
- Does the calculator count pauses and laughs?
- No. It measures straight talking time. If you expect applause, laughter or a long pause, add 15 to 30 seconds for each big moment, or choose the slow pace.
- How do I find out my own speaking pace?
- Read a paragraph of a hundred words or so aloud while timing yourself, the way you plan to deliver it on the day. Divide the words by the minutes, then enter that number under Custom.