The Numbers Behind the Calculator
The average adult reads non-fiction silently at about 238 words per minute — the headline figure from a 2019 meta-analysis by Marc Brysbaert covering 190 reading-speed studies. Reading aloud is much slower, averaging 183 words per minute, and comfortable presentation delivery sits at 130–150 words per minute — we use 140 as the speech benchmark. Skimming-strength fast readers manage 350+ wpm with some comprehension cost, while careful or technical reading drops many people to 150 wpm, which is why the calculator shows the full range rather than a single number.
These paces produce simple rules of thumb: a 1,000-word article is roughly a 4-minute read, a 2,000-word blog post about 8½ minutes, and a 5-minute speech is 650–750 words. Word count still the missing piece? Paste your draft into the word counter for a full breakdown, or use the word count chart to convert between words, pages, and minutes at a glance.
Speech & Presentation Lengths
| Speaking Slot | Words at 140 wpm | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| 1 minute | ~140 words | Elevator pitch, toast |
| 3 minutes | ~420 words | Wedding speech, standup update |
| 5 minutes | ~700 words | Class presentation, lightning talk |
| 10 minutes | ~1,400 words | Conference short talk |
| 18 minutes | ~2,500 words | TED-length keynote |
| 30 minutes | ~4,200 words | Lecture, sermon, webinar |
Practical tip: always rehearse aloud with a timer. Nerves push most speakers 10–15% faster on stage than in practice, so a script that rehearses at 5:30 often lands right on a 5-minute slot.