Words to minutes calculator

How long will your text take to read or say out loud? Or how many words fit in a 5-minute speech? Adjust the pace to match yours.

  • Reading & speaking
  • Minutes → words
  • Reference table
Silent reading (238 wpm)4 min 12 sec
Slow speech (110 wpm)9 min 5 sec
Presentation (140 wpm)7 min 9 sec
Fast speech (170 wpm)5 min 53 sec
wpm7 min 9 sec
Slow speech550 words
Presentation700 words
Fast speech850 words

Have the text already? Paste it into the word counter for an exact count and timing.

Words to minutes reference table

WordsReading (238 wpm)Speaking (140 wpm)
10025 sec43 sec
2501 min 3 sec1 min 47 sec
5002 min 6 sec3 min 34 sec
7503 min 9 sec5 min 21 sec
1,0004 min 12 sec7 min 9 sec
1,5006 min 18 sec10 min 43 sec
2,0008 min 24 sec14 min 17 sec
2,50010 min 30 sec17 min 51 sec
3,00012 min 36 sec21 min 26 sec
5,00021 min 1 sec35 min 43 sec

Where the speeds come from

Silent reading uses 238 wpm from Brysbaert (2019), which pooled 190 studies of adult readers. Speaking rates vary more: audiobooks are usually narrated at around 150–160 wpm, while presentations and lectures commonly run 120–150 wpm with pauses. Time yourself reading a page aloud and enter your own pace for the best estimate.

Frequently asked questions

How many words per minute does the average person read?

About 238 words per minute for silent reading of English non-fiction and around 260 for fiction, according to Marc Brysbaert’s 2019 meta-analysis in the Journal of Memory and Language.

How many words is a 5-minute speech?

At a typical presentation pace of 130–150 words per minute, a 5-minute speech is roughly 650–750 words. Slow, deliberate speakers may land nearer 500.

How long does it take to read 1,000 words?

About 4 minutes 12 seconds of silent reading at 238 words per minute, or about 7 minutes 9 seconds to say aloud at 140 words per minute.

How many words is a 10-minute presentation?

Around 1,300–1,500 words at a conversational presentation pace, less if you leave pauses for slides or questions.

More free writing tools