One of the first thoughts that typically crosses the mind of anyone who is expected to deliver a speech is, “How many words is this going to be?”
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The issue is that there is no definitive response to this query. The speaker will have a significant impact on how many words are required for the speech.
When giving a speech, some people talk slowly while others talk swiftly.
Those who talk quickly will have to produce more words than people who speak more slowly for every minute of their conversation.
Nevertheless, there are several fundamental rules that can assist you in estimating the general number of words required for a speech.
It helps to estimate how many words you’ll need to squeeze into the allotted number of minutes when writing any speech with a stringent time limit.
It’s even more helpful to have these principles before you start writing quickly only to find that you’ve written way too much when you’re done. This article will serve as your guide to writing a 10 minute speech with the appropriate word count.
What Is The Average Word Count Of A 10 Minute Speech?
It is impossible to provide a timed speech’s average overall word count.
The truth is, because we are all individual in the way we deliver speeches, there is no such thing as an average reading speed, average speech rate, average conversational talk rate, or average speaking speed.
As individuals, we are all unique. For a variety of reasons, speech patterns and rates differ greatly from person to person. The best you can hope for is a guess and lots of practice.
How Do You Estimate How Many Words You Speak Per Minute?
You could use a stopwatch to time yourself while giving a speech if you would like to determine how many words you typically speak at per minute. Then, enter that figure in the settings area.
Time your speech for one minute, then paste the text into a word counter to determine how many words that you got through in that time.
This can help you determine how many words you’ll need to write for however lengthy your speech needs to be.
Regardless, the following estimations can help you get a good idea of how long it will take you to say a certain number of words based on your speaking speed—slow, medium, or fast.
And no, it’s not a good idea to talk nonstop in order to cover everything that you’ve prepared in the time allotted!
How Many Words In A 10 Minute Speech?
- Below 1200 words if you speak slowly.
- if you speak at an average speed, between 1200 and 1600 words per minute.
- If you speak quickly, aim for between 1600 and 2000 words.
Practice Your Speech To Get The Timing Right
Once you’ve finished writing your presentation’s outline or script, reading it aloud might help you identify any passages that are either too lengthy or too short or simply don’t sound right.
You might realize that you omitted a crucial detail or dwell on an issue excessively.
You’ll start to hear a few of your rough edges if you read your speech aloud a few times. After some revision, practise it once more.
Practice more after you have rounded out the jagged edges. Dogs are a terrific audience for testing, but for presentations with bigger stakes, find some human test audiences.
When reading from a script, it can be very challenging for a presenter to sound natural, and the audience may find the monotone delivery and lack of intonation to be quite dull.
It is far preferable to use a few or no notes than to take the stage while holding a complete script.
Nobody likes to have a speech read to them by someone who is too preoccupied with their notes to notice the audience.
As you practise, you get more familiar with your speech and depend less on your notes. You may not have every word memorized, but you are aware of what you intend to say when and for how long.
Tips For Practicing A Speech
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Instead of using an outline, write out your complete script. Read the script first, then use the note cards as an outline, one notecard as an outline, and last keywords.
Get to the stage where you no longer require anything gradually.
After you understand it but still need to strive to remember each component, keep practicing.
The objective is to continue moving forward through this phase until you reach a point where you can deliver your lecture regardless of your location or what you’re doing.
Assist the process by using some memory techniques such as a memory palace method. You should frequently listen to the speech you recorded yourself giving.
Tips For Writing The Perfect 10 Minute Speech
- Select the subject with care
Pick a subject that you are enthusiastic and interested in. It ought to be a subject that interests you or about which you have some knowledge.
You can still choose the angle even if a topic has been assigned to you.
Avoid attempting to cover an overly wide subject. Instead, concentrate on a certain aspect or standpoint that can be adequately covered in a short presentation.
The more focused your subject, the simpler it is to collect and arrange your information and convince the audience of your point of view.
2. Examine your audience
Analyzing your audience is crucial once you’ve decided on your topic.
This requires taking into account the audience you will be talking to in terms of their demographics and interests, as well as their size and the environment in which you will be speaking.
3. Consider the situation
Think carefully about the purpose of the audience’s attendance at your presentation.
Knowing the reason for the speech would enable you to take into account elements pertinent to the situation in which you’re speaking, and this knowledge can assist you in further improving your speech.
4. Determine the goal of your speech
Establishing your speech’s purpose upfront will help you write it more effectively.
Any presenter wants their audience to pay attention to what they have to say.
However, the objectives a speaker has when giving a speech are not necessarily the same.
So that you can organize the information to support you in achieving your goal, clearly describe the kind of speech you’re giving.
5. Utilize simple language
If you’re not convinced that everybody in the audience will understand what you’re saying right away, avoid using jargon.
Instead, use words that the visitor in the audience with the least understanding will understand.
This will help you maintain suitable, universally understandable language.
Final Thoughts
The significance of practice cannot be overstated. Without preparation, it is impossible to produce a well-planned, structured, assured, and logical speech.
How can you tell whether your timing is ideal? How will you determine if the flow of your speech makes sense?
Instead of simply reading your outline, practise giving the presentation aloud as many times as you can fit in before the big day.
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Alan Reiner
Hi, my name is Alan Reiner and I have been in the writing industry for almost seven years. I write articles that can span from 200 words all the way to 20,000 words every single day. How do I do it? With a lot of determination.
All my way through school and college, I hated long-form assignments. I could never get into the groove of working on one piece for an extended period of time. My pieces were always late because I didn’t have the motivation to type them, let alone edit them.
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- How Many Words In A 5 Minute Speech? [A Word Count Guide]
FAQs
How long will my speech be based on word count? ›
The overview below provides an indication of the minutes for a speech (based on an average reading speed of 130 words per minute): Words in a 1 minute speech 130 words. Words in a 2 minute speech 260 words. Words in a 3 minute speech 390words.
How long is a 1400 words speech? ›This means reading 1,400 words will take you around 3.5 minutes.
How do you calculate words per minute speech? ›Speaking rate is often expressed in words per minute (wpm). To calculate this value, you'll need to record yourself talking for a few minutes and then add up the number of words in your speech. Divide the total number of words by the number of minutes your speech took.
How long is a 10-minute speech script? ›Given the normal speed of speech, you should consider a 10-minute talk the same as a 1500-word paper. Rule of thumb for the number of slides is 10 slides for 10 minutes, and many speakers will vary between 20 to 30 seconds or a minute per slide. Create only 10 or 12 slides to be used during this 10-minute period.
How long does it take to speak 100 words? ›In the English language, people speak about 140 words per minute. A fast speaker will get to 170 words per minute, a slow speaker will use around 110 words.
How many word is a 15 minute speech? ›As a rule of thumb, most people talk at about 100 words per minute, so in a 15 minute conference talk, you can say only about 1500 words.
How many words is a 8 minute speech? ›How many words in an 8-minute speech? There are 1,200 words in an 8-minute speech. How many words in a 9-minute speech? There are 1,350 words in a 9-minute speech.
How many words do I need for a 12 minute speech? ›A 12-minute speech should contain between 1500 and 2400 words. How Many Words in a 13-minute speech? A 13-minute speech should contain between 1625 and 2600 words.
How many minutes is a 150 word speech? ›Based on the average speed of speech, there are 150 words in a 1 minute speech.
How long is a 2500 word speech? ›Speech and publication coach Daphne Gray-Grant found that, on average, people speak at a rate of 125 to 150 wpm so a 20 minutes long speech uses between 2,500 to 3,000 words.
How many minutes is a 300 word speech? ›
Speech and publication coach Daphne Gray-Grant found that, on average, people speak at a rate of 125 to 150 wpm so a 2 minutes long speech uses between 250 to 300 words. You can use our word counter tool to see how long on average your text will take to speak.
How long is a 5 10 minute speech? ›A person speaks on average 120 to 160 words a minute, which means the average five-minute presentation will be anywhere from 600 to 800 words.
How long is a 20 minute speech in words? ›Length: ✓ People speak at rate of 125 – 150 words per minute. ✓ A 20-minute speech would be 2500 – 3000 words (word count function on computer) or about 8-10 typed pages, double spaced.
How many times should you practice a 10-minute speech? ›Give yourself at least ten days ahead of time to devote one practice session a day. If your pitch is 10 minutes or less, then you have no excuse. Ten rehearsals should be easy. You'll be amazed at the results.
How many hours does it take to memorize a 10-minute speech? ›If a speech is long, as in 10 minutes, then it might take a little longer. It is advisable to prepare a few days in advance for a 10-minute long speech. In order to be thorough with the speech, an ideal time of 5 days should be enough to memorize a speech that is 10 minutes long.
Is a 10-minute presentation hard? ›Cramming an entire presentation into 10 minutes is tough, but doing it without even knowing what to talk about is even tougher. So let's check out 10-minute presentation topics! No matter where you've been challenged to give a 10-minute presentation, we've got your back.
How long is a 600 word speech? ›| Word Count | Slow (125 wpm) | Fast (450 wpm) |
|---|---|---|
| 600 words | 5 minutes | 1.3 minutes |
| 750 words | 6 minutes | 1.7 minutes |
| 800 words | 6 minutes | 1.8 minutes |
| 1,000 words | 8 minutes | 2.2 minutes |
Women use an average of 20,000 words a day, compared to the mere 7,000 that men utter. At least that's the assertion of a number of self-help and popular science books.
How long should it take to do 1000 words? ›The average writing speed by hand is around 20 words per minute. And the average for typing is usually double at 40 words per minute. Following this logic, it should take 25 minutes for the average person to type out 1000 words.
What is the word count for a 5 minute speech? ›750 words is 5 minutes of speaking time.
How long is 500 words? ›
Answer: 500 words is 1 page single spaced or 2 pages double spaced.
How many words does a 5 7 minute speech have? ›Publication coach Daphne Gray-Grant says that the average person speaks about 125-150 words per minute—meaning 5 minutes of talking would entail about 625-750 words.
Is 600 words enough for a 5 minute speech? ›Most speakers have 650 – 850 words in a 5 minute speech, with the average at ~700 words.
How long does it take to say 420 words? ›The average reader will read 420 words in 1.4 minutes when reading at a speed of 300 words per minute (wpm).
How many pages is a 15 minute speech? ›A good rule of thumb: the proportion of pages to minutes is just a smidgen over one to two. In other words, a 20-minute presentation should be nine to ten pagels long, while a 15-minute presentation should be seven to eight pages long.
How many words is a 90 seconds speech? ›When writing a 90 second script, you should plan for a total of about 220-230 words.
How many words in 30 seconds? ›30 seconds: approx 75 words. 15 seconds: approx 36 words.
How long is an 800 word speech? ›This means reading 800 words will take you between 4 and 6.4 minutes.
How long is a 3500 word speech? ›This means reading 3,500 words will take you between 17.5 and 28 minutes.
How long does 400 words take to speak? ›This means reading 400 words will take you between 2 and 3.2 minutes.
Is speaking 100 words per minute? ›
Most people speak at an average speed of four to five syllables per second. Most words are two to three syllables long, giving you the answer that the average person speaks approximately 100 – 130 words per minute. A professional voice over artist usually uses 150 to 160 words per minute.
How many words in 20 seconds? ›You can only reasonably speak 100-150 words per minute, or 33 words every 20 seconds.
How long is a 2700 word speech? ›For a 20-minute speech, shoot for 2,700 words. For a 15-minute speech, shoot for 2,025 or somewhere around 2,000.
How long is a 6000 word speech? ›Answer: At the normal speaking rate of 130 words per minute (wpm), a 40 minutes long speech will have about 5,200 words . Conquer your fear of public speaking.
Is speaking 200 words a minute fast? ›Slow speech is usually regarded as less than 110 wpm, or words per minute. Conversational speech generally falls between 120 wpm at the slow end, to 160 - 200 wpm in the fast range. People who read books for radio or podcasts are often asked to speak at 150-160 wpm.
How many words can 2 year old say? ›Between the ages of 2 and 3, most children: Speak in two- and three-word phrases or sentences. Use at least 200 words and as many as 1,000 words.
How long does it take to read 1000 words aloud? ›How long should it take to read 1000 words aloud? Working with an average of 200 words per minute, it should take 5 minutes to read 1000 words aloud.
How long does it take to say 200 words? ›This means reading 200 words will take you between 1 and 1.6 minutes.
How long is a 950 word speech? ›This means reading 950 words will take you between 4.8 and 7.6 minutes.
How many words is a 4 minute speech? ›
Answer: At the normal speaking rate of 130 words per minute (wpm), a 4 minutes long speech will have about 520 words .
How many minutes is 1600 words? ›This means reading 1,600 words will take you between 8 and 12.8 minutes.
Is speaking 200 words per minute too fast? ›Slow speech is usually regarded as less than 110 wpm, or words per minute. Conversational speech generally falls between 120 wpm at the slow end, to 160 - 200 wpm in the fast range. People who read books for radio or podcasts are often asked to speak at 150-160 wpm.
How long does it take to say 1000 words slowly? ›| Word Count | Slow (125 wpm) | Average (300 wpm) |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 words | 8 minutes | 3.3 minutes |
| 1,500 words | 12 minutes | 5.0 minutes |
| 2,000 words | 16 minutes | 6.7 minutes |
| 2,500 words | 20 minutes | 8.3 minutes |
100 words per minute.
As a rule of thumb, most people talk at about 100 words per minute, so in a 15 minute conference talk, you can say only about 1500 words.
This means reading 800 words will take you between 4 and 6.4 minutes.
Is 500 words a minute fast? ›Generally, reading at less than 100-200 words per minute is the normal rate for learning, and 200-400 words per minute are the normal rate for comprehension. Going beyond reading 500 words per minute can compromise the quality of reading and your comprehension. There are ways to balance reading pace and comprehension.
Is 800 words per minute fast? ›How Much Can You Read With 1000 or 800 WPM? Reading with 800 or 1000 wpm is fast, really fast. Using a normal study book, you would be reading with about 3 to 4 pages per minute! That's right that is per minute.
Is 120 words per minute fast? ›According to the standard speech rates: Slow: 110 wpm or less. Conversational: 120 wpm - 150 wpm. Fast: 160 wpm or more.
Is it hard to write 1000 words in a day? ›Is it easy to write 1000 words in a day? In most cases, yes! The average writing speed by hand is around 20 words per minute. And the average for typing is usually double at 40 words per minute.
How many words is a 9 minute speech? ›
How many words are there in a 9-minute speech? If you are a slow speaker less than 1080 words. If you speak at an average speed between: 1080 – 1440 words. If you are a fast speaker between: 1440 - 1800 words.
How many words is a 20 minute speech? ›Length: ✓ People speak at rate of 125 – 150 words per minute. ✓ A 20-minute speech would be 2500 – 3000 words (word count function on computer) or about 8-10 typed pages, double spaced.
How many words is a 12 minute speech? ›A 12-minute speech should contain between 1500 and 2400 words. How Many Words in a 13-minute speech? A 13-minute speech should contain between 1625 and 2600 words.