Paste your speech or presentation script, pick a speaking pace, and see exactly how long it runs. Writing to a time slot? Enter the minutes and get the word count to aim for.
No card required. Free to try.
0 sec
Speaking time
0
Words
140 wpm
Pace
0 sec
Silent reading
How it works
Or type a word count if the draft is not written yet. Paragraph breaks are counted so you can add natural pauses.
Slow (110 wpm) suits formal speeches and eulogies, average (140 wpm) suits most presentations, fast (170 wpm) suits energetic talks. Or set a custom pace.
Use the time limit line to see how many words fill your slot, then trim or expand the script to match.
Most English speakers talk at about 120 to 160 words per minute in conversation, and slow down a little when presenting to a room. Audiobook narrators often sit around 150 to 160 wpm. Nervous speakers speed up, which is why rehearsing with a timer matters as much as the estimate.
Silent reading is much faster. A large 2019 review of reading studies put the average adult at about 238 words per minute for nonfiction, so the calculator also shows how long the same text takes to read on the page, useful for handouts, newsletters, and blog posts.
At an average 140 words per minute, these are good targets:
Words per minute is an average. Slides you pause on, audience laughter, questions, and demonstrations all add time the script does not show. Numbers and abbreviations also take longer to say than to read: "2026" is one word on the page and four out loud. As a rule, leave 10 to 15 percent of your slot empty, then rehearse once with a stopwatch to find your personal pace and set it with the custom slider.
900 words at 140 wpm is about 6 min 26 sec of speaking, plus pauses. That is well over a 5-minute limit before a single question.
Shortened to 640 words, the same script runs about 4 min 34 sec at 140 wpm, leaving time to breathe and take one question.
Script running long? The sentence shortener cuts filler phrases and wordy sentences without dropping your points, and plain, short sentences are easier to say out loud.
Pure Write Team
Updated October 2026
Why trust this guide
Pace presets reflect commonly cited speaking rates for English, and the silent reading figure comes from Brysbaert's 2019 meta-analysis of adult reading speed. The PureWrite team keeps the math simple and visible: words divided by pace, plus any pauses you choose.
FAQ
About 700 words at an average pace of 140 words per minute. A slow, deliberate speaker needs about 550 words; a fast speaker about 850.
More free tools
Comparing AI humanizers? See PureWrite vs Undetectable AI, QuillBot, StealthGPT, WriteHuman, Walter Writes, Humbot, GPTinf and NaturalWrite, or browse all AI humanizer alternatives.
Unlock the full result
Grab the Essay Pack (30,000 words) for $10.99 with no subscription, or go Pro for $9.99 a month to polish full scripts and papers, keep run history, and use every tool.
Cancel anytime. No card needed for the free try above.
Time your script, trim what runs long, and make it easier to say out loud. Free, and your text stays in your browser.
No card required. Free to try.