# Free Speech Time Calculator

> A speech time calculator converts your word count into speaking minutes at a natural pace of roughly 130 words per minute. Paste your script and Humanit shows the spoken length live — a 650-word script runs about 5 minutes — so you can fit your slot before you rehearse.

**URL:** https://humanit.app/tools/speech-time-calculator  ·  **Updated:** July 2026  ·  Humanit

Paste your speech, script, or presentation notes and see how many minutes it runs out loud — live, free, and private.

## How it works

1. **Paste your text** — Type or paste your text into the speech time calculator above.
2. **See results instantly** — The numbers update live as you type — there’s no button to press.
3. **Edit and re-check** — Tweak your text and watch the results change in real time.

## How words convert to speaking minutes

Conversational English runs around 130–150 words per minute; formal speeches sit at the slower end because of pauses, emphasis, and audience reaction. This calculator uses ~130 wpm, the planning rate speechwriters use — so a 5-minute slot means roughly 650 words, a 10-minute talk about 1,300, and a 20-minute keynote near 2,600.

## Reading time is not speaking time

People read silently much faster than they talk — about 200 wpm versus 130. A script that “reads fine in three minutes” in your head can overrun a three-minute slot badly on stage. Always size scripts, wedding toasts, and video voiceovers by the speaking figure, and leave 10% slack for pauses and ad-libs.

## Fitting a time slot

If the estimate runs long, cutting whole points beats talking faster — audiences retain less from rushed delivery than from fewer, well-paced ideas. Paste your script here, check the minutes, trim, and re-check; the text-shortener can do the first pass of tightening for you while keeping every key point.

## Free, unlimited, and private

The speech time calculator is free with no sign-up and no limit on how much text you process. Because it runs entirely in your browser, your text is never sent to a server, stored, or used to train any AI — it never leaves your device. When you’re ready to do more with your writing, Humanit’s AI humanizer and AI detector are one click away.

**Time slot → word budget (~130 wpm)**

| Slot | Word budget | Typical use |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2 minutes | ~260 words | Toast, intro |
| 5 minutes | ~650 words | Class talk, demo |
| 10 minutes | ~1,300 words | Conference slot |
| 20 minutes | ~2,600 words | Keynote, lecture |
| 45 minutes | ~5,800 words | Full lecture |

## FAQ

**How many words is a 5-minute speech?**

About 650 words at a natural speaking pace of ~130 words per minute. Plan slightly under budget to leave room for pauses and audience reaction.

**What speaking speed does the calculator use?**

Roughly 130 words per minute — the standard planning rate for spoken delivery. Fast conversational speech can hit 150+, but scripts timed at 130 fit their slots reliably.

**Does it work for video scripts and voiceovers?**

Yes — voiceover pacing is close to formal speech. For tightly-timed video, read the script aloud once with a stopwatch after using the estimate to plan.

**Do I need an account?**

No. There’s no sign-up and no install — open the page and start typing.

**Does it work on mobile?**

Yes — it works in any modern browser on phone, tablet, or desktop.

## Related pages

- [Word Counter](https://humanit.app/tools/word-counter) ([markdown](https://humanit.app/tools/word-counter.md))
- [Character Counter](https://humanit.app/tools/character-counter) ([markdown](https://humanit.app/tools/character-counter.md))
- [Sentence Counter](https://humanit.app/tools/sentence-counter) ([markdown](https://humanit.app/tools/sentence-counter.md))
- [Paragraph Counter](https://humanit.app/tools/paragraph-counter) ([markdown](https://humanit.app/tools/paragraph-counter.md))
- [AI Humanizer](https://humanit.app/humanize) — Rewrite AI text to read human. ([markdown](https://humanit.app/humanize.md))
- [AI Detector](https://humanit.app/detect) — Check if text reads as AI-written. ([markdown](https://humanit.app/detect.md))

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- **Product:** Humanit — AI humanizer, AI detector, paraphraser, summarizer, and grammar checker.
- **Free tier:** 3 runs/day, up to 500 words per run, no sign-up to try.
- **Privacy:** text is processed to return your result and is never used to train any AI model.
- **Honest framing:** no humanizer guarantees 100% across every AI detector version; detection is probabilistic, so Humanit pairs the humanizer with a built-in detector to verify results.
- **iOS app:** https://apps.apple.com/us/app/humanit-ai-humanizer-detector/id6770212762
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- **Contact:** support@humanit.app

_Last updated: June 2026._