ScriptfoxHow many words in a 15-minute speech?
A 15-minute speech is about 2,250 words at an average speaking pace of 150 words a minute: around 1,875 words if you speak slowly (125 a minute) and up to 2,625 if you speak fast (175).
Target 15:00 is about 2,250 words at this pace.
Conversational: most YouTube talking heads
Trims or stretches it to about 2,250 words, in your voice. Free, three a day.
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What fits in 15 minutes
Fifteen minutes is about 2,250 words, the length of a short conference talk or a course module. A TED talk is capped at 18 minutes, roughly 2,700 words, and the best ones run shorter.
Plan it as three acts of five minutes, each with its own small arc. A single example that runs through all three, returned to at the end, holds a long talk together better than a list of points does.
Words at every pace
Slow is 125 words a minute, average 150, fast 175. This length is marked; the others link to their own pages.
| Length | Slow (125 wpm) | Average (150 wpm) | Fast (175 wpm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 seconds0:30 | 63 | 75 | 88 |
| 1 minute1:00 | 125 | 150 | 175 |
| 2 minutes2:00 | 250 | 300 | 350 |
| 3 minutes3:00 | 375 | 450 | 525 |
| 5 minutes5:00 | 625 | 750 | 875 |
| 8 minutes8:00 | 1,000 | 1,200 | 1,400 |
| 10 minutes10:00 | 1,250 | 1,500 | 1,750 |
| 15 minutes15:00 | 1,875 | 2,250 | 2,625 |
| 20 minutes20:00 | 2,500 | 3,000 | 3,500 |
| 30 minutes30:00 | 3,750 | 4,500 | 5,250 |
Frequently asked questions
How many words is a fifteen-minute speech?
About 2,250 words at an average pace of 150 words a minute; about 1,875 spoken slowly and 2,625 spoken fast.
How many words is a TED talk?
An 18-minute TED talk is about 2,700 words at a conversational pace. Many well-known talks are 12 to 15 minutes, 1,800 to 2,250 words, because the speakers cut everything that was not the one idea.
Can I read a fifteen-minute talk from a teleprompter?
Yes, and most recorded talks are. The trick is a prompter that moves with your voice rather than at a fixed speed, so a pause for the audience or an ad-lib does not leave you behind the text.
Written. Timed. Now read it to the camera.
ScriptFox follows your voice so you never lose your line. Free to try, no card required.