How to use the speech duration calculator
Conference slots, class presentations and recorded voiceovers are all measured in minutes, while your script is measured in words. Paste the script and this tool divides its word count by a speaking pace to estimate how long you will be talking, then compares that against the slot you were given.
The default of 130 words per minute reflects an unhurried conversational delivery. It is an approximation rather than an official figure: nerves speed most people up, deliberate pauses slow them down, and technical vocabulary changes everything. The pace box is editable for exactly that reason, and the presets are only starting points. Reading one paragraph aloud against a stopwatch and entering your own measured pace gives by far the best estimate.
The estimate covers reading the script only. Pauses between sections, slide changes, audience laughter and questions are not included, so leave an extra ten to twenty percent of the slot free.
Enter a target slot length and the tool also shows how many words actually fit it, which tells you how much to cut. Your script never leaves the browser.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a rough conversational average, not a standard. Time yourself reading one paragraph aloud and enter your own pace for a much closer estimate.
No. It covers only the time spent reading the script. Add slide transitions, deliberate pauses and any question time on top of the figure shown.