How long should a TED-style talk be?
A TED-style talk should be 10 to 18 minutes long, and TED's own guidance caps talks at 18 minutes. At a conversational 150 words per minute, that is about 1,500 to 2,700 words. TEDx events may give you a shorter slot, so confirm your time with the organizer before you write.
That's 10 min to 18 min, or roughly 1,500 to 2,700 words at 150 words per minute.
Why this length works
Eighteen minutes is long enough to make a serious argument and short enough to hold a room's full attention, which is why it works as a ceiling rather than a target. The format is built around a single idea, explained clearly and backed by stories and evidence.
Most speakers have more material than fits, and the talk improves as they cut. If your idea can be made clearly in 10 or 12 minutes, there is no need to fill the full 18.
How to structure a 14 min ted-style talk
Opening hook
~210 words
1 min 24 sec · A story, question, or surprising observation that makes the audience want the answer.
The idea
~315 words
2 min 6 sec · State the one idea your talk is built around, early and plainly.
Evidence and stories
~1,050 words
7 min · The examples, research, and experiences that make the idea convincing.
Why it matters
~315 words
2 min 6 sec · What changes for this audience if they accept the idea.
Close
~210 words
1 min 24 sec · Return to the opening or leave a clear final thought.
Tips
- Write your idea in one sentence of 15 words or fewer before you write anything else. Everything in the talk should support it.
- Rehearse with a timer until you land about a minute under your slot. Laughter, applause, and slide changes stretch delivery on the day.
- Use slides that are mostly images or a single number, so the audience listens to you instead of reading.
- Memorize your opening and closing lines word for word, and know the middle as a sequence of points so you can recover if you lose a sentence.
- Record a full run-through on video and watch it back for filler words, pacing, and moments where you lose energy.
Common mistakes
- Treating 18 minutes as a target and padding a 12-minute idea to fill it.
- Covering three or four ideas instead of one.
- Opening with a long biography or a list of thank-yous.
- Reading from slides full of bullet points.
Example opening lines
- “Three years ago I stopped answering email after 6 p.m. I expected to get fired. Instead, something else happened.”
- “Raise your hand if you've ever thrown away food you bought with the best intentions. Keep it up if you did it this week.”
- “Every night, while this city sleeps, someone is doing a job you've probably never thought about. I want to tell you about one of them.”
Time your speech
Paste your draft to check its length at your pace, then rehearse it in the teleprompter.
Or type a number of words
Speaking time at 130 wpm
16 min 9 sec
2,100 words · about 8.5 pages double-spaced
| Pace | Time |
|---|---|
| Slow 110 wpm | 19 min 5 sec |
| Presentation 130 wpm | 16 min 9 sec |
| Conversational 150 wpm | 14 min |
| Voice-over 160 wpm | 13 min 8 sec |
| Fast 180 wpm | 11 min 40 sec |
| Reading aloud, average 183 wpm | 11 min 29 sec |
| Silent reading 238 wpm | 8 min 49 sec |
Measure your own pace
Paste a script above (Words → time), press Start, read it aloud at your normal delivery, then press Stop. Nothing is recorded; this only times you.
Rehearse it
Open your script in the free teleprompter. It scrolls at the words-per-minute pace you choose and can record an audio take.
Frequently asked questions
How long is a TED talk?
TED talks are 18 minutes or less. TEDx events follow the same 18-minute maximum but may give you a shorter slot.
How many words is an 18-minute talk?
About 2,700 words at 150 words per minute. If you speak more slowly, around 130 words per minute, plan nearer 2,340 words.
Should I memorize a TED-style talk?
Many speakers do, but a talk that sounds memorized can feel stiff. Know your structure cold, memorize the opening and closing, and rehearse until the middle sounds natural.