Do You Know How Many Words You Speak Per Minute? Here's Why You Should Care.

Do you know how many words you speak per minute or how long it takes you to get through a speech of single-lined text on a piece of paper? What is your typical pace? And, why are these questions relevant? Understanding how quickly you speak will assist you as you are writing out your presentation. It will help you as you move from your outline to the actual text to see if you have enough or too much material.

Your speaking speed will vary once you start practicing out loud because you will build in strategic pauses, movement on the podium, and gestures that will impact your timing and speed. I didn’t realize early in my speaking career that I was inadvertently counting my words. I knew that for a five to seven-minute speech (based on the size-ten font I typically use), I could have a full page plus one paragraph on the second page and stay within seven minutes. This was early in my public-speaking experience because I depended more on my notes. After learning to memorize similar-length speeches, I found I couldn’t have that extra paragraph because I was getting better at responding to audience reactions and at using pauses for effect; the timing of my speeches changed based on my experience level. I have settled in around 800 to 850 words for a seven-minute speech after I also account for anticipated audience reactions (about 115 to 125 words per minute). There is an obvious variation based on the topic and delivery, but I know instantly when writing speeches if I have too much or too little based on the allotted time. I now know that I need to eliminate thirty words to cut down my time by about fifteen seconds. Once you settle into a good routine, you will become very familiar with your speech-writing timing needs.