Words to minutes calculator
Find out how long a speech, presentation, or voice-over script takes to say out loud. Paste your text or enter a word count, choose a speaking pace, and get the time instantly. You can also work backwards from a time limit to a word budget.
Quick answer: divide words by words per minute. At a typical presentation pace of 130 wpm, 500 words take about 3 min 51 sec and a 5-minute speech is about 650 words.
Or type a number of words
Speaking time at 130 wpm
3 min 51 sec
500 words · about 2 pages double-spaced
| Pace | Time |
|---|---|
| Slow 110 wpm | 4 min 33 sec |
| Presentation 130 wpm | 3 min 51 sec |
| Conversational 150 wpm | 3 min 20 sec |
| Voice-over 160 wpm | 3 min 8 sec |
| Fast 180 wpm | 2 min 47 sec |
| Reading aloud, average 183 wpm | 2 min 44 sec |
| Silent reading 238 wpm | 2 min 6 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.
Words to minutes chart
Speaking time for common word counts at four paces. Select a row for the full breakdown, examples, and tips.
| Words | Slow (110 wpm) | Presentation (130 wpm) | Conversational (150 wpm) | Fast (180 wpm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 words | 27 sec | 23 sec | 20 sec | 17 sec |
| 75 words | 41 sec | 35 sec | 30 sec | 25 sec |
| 100 words | 55 sec | 46 sec | 40 sec | 33 sec |
| 150 words | 1 min 22 sec | 1 min 9 sec | 1 min | 50 sec |
| 200 words | 1 min 49 sec | 1 min 32 sec | 1 min 20 sec | 1 min 7 sec |
| 250 words | 2 min 16 sec | 1 min 55 sec | 1 min 40 sec | 1 min 23 sec |
| 300 words | 2 min 44 sec | 2 min 18 sec | 2 min | 1 min 40 sec |
| 350 words | 3 min 11 sec | 2 min 42 sec | 2 min 20 sec | 1 min 57 sec |
| 400 words | 3 min 38 sec | 3 min 5 sec | 2 min 40 sec | 2 min 13 sec |
| 450 words | 4 min 5 sec | 3 min 28 sec | 3 min | 2 min 30 sec |
| 500 words | 4 min 33 sec | 3 min 51 sec | 3 min 20 sec | 2 min 47 sec |
| 600 words | 5 min 27 sec | 4 min 37 sec | 4 min | 3 min 20 sec |
| 700 words | 6 min 22 sec | 5 min 23 sec | 4 min 40 sec | 3 min 53 sec |
| 750 words | 6 min 49 sec | 5 min 46 sec | 5 min | 4 min 10 sec |
| 800 words | 7 min 16 sec | 6 min 9 sec | 5 min 20 sec | 4 min 27 sec |
| 900 words | 8 min 11 sec | 6 min 55 sec | 6 min | 5 min |
| 1,000 words | 9 min 5 sec | 7 min 42 sec | 6 min 40 sec | 5 min 33 sec |
| 1,200 words | 10 min 55 sec | 9 min 14 sec | 8 min | 6 min 40 sec |
| 1,500 words | 13 min 38 sec | 11 min 32 sec | 10 min | 8 min 20 sec |
| 2,000 words | 18 min 11 sec | 15 min 23 sec | 13 min 20 sec | 11 min 7 sec |
| 2,500 words | 22 min 44 sec | 19 min 14 sec | 16 min 40 sec | 13 min 53 sec |
| 3,000 words | 27 min 16 sec | 23 min 5 sec | 20 min | 16 min 40 sec |
| 4,000 words | 36 min 22 sec | 30 min 46 sec | 26 min 40 sec | 22 min 13 sec |
| 5,000 words | 45 min 27 sec | 38 min 28 sec | 33 min 20 sec | 27 min 47 sec |
| 10,000 words | 1 hr 30 min | 1 hr 16 min | 1 hr 6 min | 55 min 33 sec |
Minutes to words chart
How many words fit in a timed speech or script.
| Length | Slow (110 wpm) | Presentation (130 wpm) | Conversational (150 wpm) | Fast (180 wpm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 sec | 28 | 33 | 38 | 45 |
| 30 sec | 55 | 65 | 75 | 90 |
| 45 sec | 83 | 98 | 113 | 135 |
| 1 min | 110 | 130 | 150 | 180 |
| 1 min 30 sec | 165 | 195 | 225 | 270 |
| 2 min | 220 | 260 | 300 | 360 |
| 3 min | 330 | 390 | 450 | 540 |
| 4 min | 440 | 520 | 600 | 720 |
| 5 min | 550 | 650 | 750 | 900 |
| 6 min | 660 | 780 | 900 | 1,080 |
| 7 min | 770 | 910 | 1,050 | 1,260 |
| 8 min | 880 | 1,040 | 1,200 | 1,440 |
| 10 min | 1,100 | 1,300 | 1,500 | 1,800 |
| 12 min | 1,320 | 1,560 | 1,800 | 2,160 |
| 15 min | 1,650 | 1,950 | 2,250 | 2,700 |
| 20 min | 2,200 | 2,600 | 3,000 | 3,600 |
| 30 min | 3,300 | 3,900 | 4,500 | 5,400 |
| 45 min | 4,950 | 5,850 | 6,750 | 8,100 |
| 1 hr | 6,600 | 7,800 | 9,000 | 10,800 |
How the calculation works
Minutes = words ÷ words per minute. The calculator counts words the way a speaker says them: hyphenated words and contractions count once, and numbers count as one word each. Read numbers, dates, and web addresses aloud separately, because they take longer to say than ordinary words.
Silent reading and reading-aloud figures come from Marc Brysbaert's 2019 meta-analysis of 190 reading studies. Page estimates assume about 250 words per double-spaced page and 500 per single-spaced page in a 12-point font.
Speaking rates by situation
- Slow 110 wpm
- Ceremonies, eulogies, sermons, dramatic reads, and listeners who are new to the language
- Presentation 130 wpm
- Keynotes, lectures, wedding toasts, and talks with pauses for slides or laughter
- Conversational 150 wpm
- Podcasts, YouTube voice-overs, interviews, and everyday speech
- Voice-over 160 wpm
- Commercial, explainer, and audiobook narration (ACX plans on 9,300 words per finished hour, about 155 wpm)
- Fast 180 wpm
- High-energy ads, sports-style reads, and quick read-alouds
How long should your speech be?
Recommended lengths and word counts by occasion.
Common speech and script lengths
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Frequently asked questions
How many words per minute does the average person speak?
Conversational English is commonly estimated at about 150 words per minute, and prepared presentations are usually slower, around 120 to 140 wpm. Adults reading text aloud average about 183 wpm in research studies, and silent reading of non-fiction averages about 238 wpm (Brysbaert, 2019).
How do I convert words to minutes?
Divide the word count by your speaking rate in words per minute. For example, 600 words ÷ 150 wpm = 4 minutes. To go the other way, multiply minutes by words per minute: a 3-minute speech at 130 wpm is about 390 words.
How many words is a 5-minute speech?
About 650 words at a 130 wpm presentation pace, or 750 words at a conversational 150 wpm.
How long is a 1,000-word speech?
About 7 min 42 sec at 130 wpm, 6 min 40 sec at 150 wpm, and 9 min 5 sec at a slow 110 wpm.
How accurate is a words-to-minutes estimate?
It's a planning estimate. Pauses, audience reaction, slides, numbers, and nerves all change the real time, often by 10 to 20 percent. For an important speech or a timed voice-over, read the script aloud with a timer. This calculator's stopwatch measures your actual pace.
What is a good speaking pace for a voice-over?
Most commercial and explainer reads land between about 140 and 170 wpm, but the script and the client's direction decide. Audiobook narration is commonly planned at around 9,300 words per finished hour (about 155 wpm), the figure ACX uses.
Sources
- Brysbaert (2019), How many words do we read per minute? Journal of Memory and Language 109: Meta-analysis of 190 studies: average silent reading of English non-fiction is 238 wpm; reading aloud averages 183 wpm.
- ACX: How long will my narrated audiobook be?: ACX estimates audiobook runtime at roughly 9,300 words per finished hour.
Updated November 7, 2026 by the SceneDub Editorial Team.