How Many Words is a 5-Minute Speech

Giving a speech is not as easy as you may think. After all, being in front of many people will surely give you pressure.  You can feel all sweaty and nervous. Fortunately, giving a speech is usually planned ahead of time, so you can still prepare yourself before it happens. 

That’s why if you are going to present something or give a speech, the first thing you should know is how many words per minute a speech.

It is crucial, especially if you are asked to do a speech in a limited time, for instance, a 5-minute speech. Will you be able to finish the task perfectly? 

You might first ask yourself how to compose a speech with that time limit, or more importantly, how many words is a 5-minute speech? 

To make sure you will be able to do your job flawlessly while looking and sounding smart, here is some information to guide you. Please, read on.

How many words per minute speech?

Aren’t you curious how many words a person can talk in a minute? How about in a speech? Have you ever thought about why it’s essential to know how many words per minute speech can speakers use?

How about longer speeches? How many words is a 3-minute speech, a 5 minute, or a 10-minute speech? These are questions that might confuse speakers, especially those that are new to public speaking.

Theoretically, in a regular conversation, a person can talk up to 100 to 150 words, but this still depends on how people deliver their words. After all, some people talk fast while others are slower than average.

Those who talk fast can put more words on their speech while the average or slower should follow the standard or minimum prescribed words. 

Here is a table that can show you how many words per minute of speech an average speaker can do.

How many words is a 1-minute speech?	Its 100 – 150 words
How many words is a 3-minute speech?	Its 300 – 450 words
How many words is a 5-minute speech?	Its 500 – 750 words
How many words is a 10-minute speech?	Its 1000 – 1500 words
How many words is a 30-minute speech?	Its 3000 – 4500 words
How many words is a 1-hour speech?	Its 6000 – 9000 words

How do you estimate your spoken words?

Now that you know the average number of words a person can say, you surely want to estimate how many words you can say. The number of words you speak depends on your pacing or how fast or slow you talk. 

1. The easiest way to estimate it is to time yourself while giving a speech. Use a timer to count how many words per minute speech you can do.
2. There is also some app that can count how many words you speak in a speech. These apps can even determine the pacing, diction, or filler words in the speech. Make use of these applications to make it easier for you to estimate the number of words you will be using in your speech.
3. You can also use your phone to record your voice then manually count each word you say.
4. A video can also do the trick. You can take a video of yourself while doing a speech so you can count how many words you said. With the video, you can even see what you look like when you are giving a speech.

Choose any of the above ways so you know how many words you can say. Once you have the estimated count, you can now use it to reference how many words per minute of speech you can do.  

However, this number can change depending on your situation. 

For example, an impromptu speech can make you nervous, which will affect your pacing. With the change of pace,  you can talk faster or slower than your usual pacing. 

Although changing the pacing is sometimes useful to show dynamic in your speech. However, ensure that your pacing will not distract your listeners, and they won’t feel your nervousness.

How many words are in a 3-minute speech?

As mentioned earlier, the average words a person can say in a minute speech are around 100 to 150 but can change depending on the speaker’s pacing and situation. That is why if you want to know how many words is a 3-minute speech, then the short answer is about 300 up to 450 words.

However, would that be enough for you to say everything you want to say in your speech? Although you can say many things within 3 minutes, it might not be enough to explain your subject to your listeners fully.

Here are some tips that can help you finish your 3-minute speech with ease with that kind of problem.

• First is you need to focus on your subject. Since you’re constrained with time, you must limit your speech by directly attacking the topic. Do not be vague on your points to convey your ideas within the time limit.
• After that, choose one main key point on your subject. It should be the one that you are very familiar with or good at. It is vital if you want to leave a striking impression on your listener. Ensure that you sound smart when talking about the subject, and you can only do that if you master the topic.
• Revolve your speech on that particular point so you can quickly and confidently speak about it with your audience.

With this, you will not have difficulty adjusting the words you need to say in your speech. You can also convey your thoughts better and attract your audience’s attention. By knowing how you can emphasize your subject, you won’t have a problem estimating how many words per minute of speech. You can also learn more about public speaking by visiting this site.

How many words do I need for a five-minute speech?

If you have given a time limit for a speech, then it means that you need to adhere to it. You may ask yourself how many words is a 5-minute speech?

Based on the table above, it should be around 500 to 750 words. With this amount of words and time, you can convey many things to your audiences. 

However, it doesn’t mean that you can bombard your audience with a lot of information. You can’t be like a robot in front of them and spew out information.

If this is your first time giving a speech, then let this guide help you out. Here are some do’s and don’ts when giving a speed in front of an audience.

Do’s	Don’ts
You should be able to convey your topic to your audience.	Don’t cram every information into your audience.
Prepare a speech that will fit the time limit given to you.	Don’t get sidetracked and stay focused on your subject.
Be energetic and full of life.	Don’t make unnecessary moves.
Make your voice loud enough so all your audience can hear you.	Don’t go overboard with words, and remember how many words are in a 5-minute speech.
Speak in front of your audience	Don’t forget to rehearse and practice your speech.

How many words do I need for a ten-minute speech?

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In a 10-minute speech, you can say about 1000 to 1500 words. But this number can change depending on how many words per minute speech you can do.

Some people tend to talk fast, while others speak slower than average. However, there are also times when a person’s pacing or speaking rate changes because of their situation. Just like in estimating how many words is a 5-minute speech, you can take a video of yourself to evaluate your pacing when giving the speech. 

It’s also good to plan your 5-minute speech since you have ample time to expound on your topic. Planning your speech will also help you make it sound coherent, especially if you will be explaining a difficult subject.  It is also vital that you make your discussion relevant so that your listeners will not get bored.

Here are several factors that can affect a person speaking rate or pacing.

1. Regular pacing/speaking rate

Your standard speaking rate is influenced by the environment you have. These factors include the place you grew up, the culture, the way your parents or family speaks, and mannerisms.

2. Nervousness

When a person feels tense or jittery, they tend to talk faster than their regular speaking rate, affecting how many words per minute speech they can do.

3. Urgent or emergency matter

When you need to say something hurriedly, you tend to speak fast to convey your thought swiftly to the listener. You can change your pacing when to show dynamics in speech but make sure that your listener can still understand what you’re saying.

4. Fatigue

Tiredness is also a factor that can affect people’s speaking rates. When you are tired, your mind will function slower, which makes you speak slowly.

5. Pauses/fillers

Your pauses and fillers can occupy your speaking time, so find ways to avoid it. Some listeners are also very sensitive when hearing a lot of fillers. Hence, too many fillers and pauses can disrupt your flow of discussion and can bring discomfort to your listeners as well. 

6. Use of complex words

If the subject is a bit complicated, you might need to speak slowly and consider how many words per minute speech, so your audience can slowly digest everything you say 

How to prepare a 5-minute speech for public speaking?

Now that you know how many words per minute of speech you can do and how many words is a 5-minute speech, you can now easily prepare a speech.

Here are some ideas on how to prepare yourself for your speech.

• Quality over quantity – Ensure that you prioritize your speech’s quality instead of the number of words in your speech. Make sure that you convey all important and necessary information to your listeners.
• Crack a joke – Don’t be afraid to say jokes but make sure that it’s related to your topic. After all, you don’t want to make your audience feel awkward, but you also don’t make it boring.
• Do your research – Make sure that you are prepared and ready before you do your speech. Do your research and study well so you can provide credible information to your listeners.
• Keep it simple – By keeping the speech simple, you will avoid getting sidetracked on your topic. It will also prevent you from rambling, unnecessary things to make your speech better. You can expound on the subject but always remember to know how many words per minute speech.
• Tell a related story – People will understand you better if you tell them things relatable to them. You don’t need to say everything about you but enough for them to get hooked and hear you out until the end.
• Practice, practice, practice! Even if you know how many words is a 5-minute speech, your performance might still not be successful if you don’t practice. By practicing your address, you can fluently convey all facts and information to your listeners. It will also prevent you from making any mistakes and will make the whole thing better.

This video can also help you practice your public speaking:

What are some tips for writing a 3-minute speech?

Giving a speech within 3 minutes may seem very fast, but you can convey many things within that time as long as you plan ahead. First, you must know how many words is a 3-minute speech before writing anything.

Depending on how many words per minute of speech, you have to convey your topic even with a limited time.

Here are some tips on how you can put an informative and useful speech within 3-minutes to help you out.

1. Research

Before knowing how many words is a 3-minute speech, it is imperative to research your topic to create a good speech.

2. Create an Outline

Break down what you need to say in your speech. Create a structure and a step-by-step procedure that you need to follow when giving the speech.

3. Write an opening statement.

The opening statement is crucial when you are giving a speech. It allows you to get your audience’s attention and engage them to listen.

4. List down the main points.

Don’t also forget to list down 1 to 3 main points. This central point has all the essential facts and information that you must convey to the audience. As long as you know your main points, it’s easy to assess how many words per minute of speech you will do.

5. Don’t forget to memorize

Remember to practice and memorize the speech that you have written. This way, you can confidently stand in front of your audience and finish your speech.

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Methods on How You Can Improve When Giving Speech

Are you going to give a 5-minute speech at the next event you’re going to? Are you nervous, and do you already know how many words is a 5-minute speech?

If not yet, then let this help you out. A 5-minute speech has 500 to 750 words, and if you are still not ready to give a speech, here are some methods to help you out.

• Make sure that you practice before you give a speech. You can ask someone to help you out or video yourself to know what you need to change to deliver a better speech.
• Listen to how other speakers do their speech. You will surely get some ideas on how to make your speech better.
• Experiment on your own and try different pacing to get the right speaking rate you want to have when you give your speech.
• Read books or news and familiarize yourself with the information. See how it flows and try to say it aloud. Repeat it several times and also try to change the pacing you use on each repetition.
• You can also visit sites that can help you develop your speaking skills.

Conclusion

Knowing how many words per minute of speech, you can do is essential, especially when making a speech. It will give you an estimate of how many words you can say with a speech that has a time limit. 

While knowing how many words are in a 5-minute speech will give you a limit on how many words you can convey. You can also quickly outline what you need to say since there is a time limit. 

With these tips and information, you can easily do your speech without any problem. Remember everything you read here, and it will surely help you ace the public speaking task. Download the Orai app at the App Store today to start your free trial with your AI speech coach!