How to Create an Engaging 5-Minute Presentation

Caroline Forsey

Published: September 15, 2023

A 5-minute speech can feel both incredibly short and infinitely long.

man gives a five minute presentation at work

While this short format encourages audiences to pay more attention, presenters often struggle to fit everything into five minutes even as they navigate nervousness that seems to stretch out each second.

As a result, preparation is key for 5-minute speech success.

But how can you ensure your presentation accomplishes everything it needs to within just five short minutes? We’ve put together an (appropriately condensed) guide on five-minute presentations to help you get started.

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How many words are in a 5-minute presentation?

A five-minute presentation is approximately 700 words long. The average person speaks 120 to 160 words a minute, which means the average five-minute presentation is 600 to 800 words.

how many words for a 5 minutes presentation

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To calculate your own personal speaking speed (words per minute, or WPM):

  • Make an audio recording of yourself speaking for one minute.
  • Use a free transcription service to generate a text version of your speech.
  • The number of words you spoke in that minute is your personal WPM.

When constructing a longer presentation, you might be more concerned about transitions and keeping the audience engaged with more extensive narrative elements.

In a short presentation, everything you say should directly tie back to your central premise and further advance your main point.

Keeping a tight scope and using your words carefully ensures your time isn't wasted and the audience leaves with a clear, singular takeaway.

How many slides are in a 5-minute presentation?

Five or six slides, or about one per minute, is a good baseline for a 5-minute presentation. Depending on your subject matter, however, you might use up to 20 slides and spend about 10 or 15 seconds on each.

More important than your slide count is what each slide contains. It‘s a good rule of thumb to keep your slides simple and focused on visuals instead of text for a presentation of any length.

This becomes especially important when you’re dealing with a condensed presentation window.

Trying to cram in as much information as possible within a short time frame can be tempting. Resist the urge. Instead, focus on simple, clean visuals that all tie back to your central premise.

You can also use these free presentation templates to arrange your slides in a way that makes the most sense for your delivery and the content of your presentation.

how many words for a 5 minutes presentation

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Home Blog Presentation Ideas How to Create a 5 Minutes Presentation

How to Create a 5 Minutes Presentation

Cover for 5 Minutes Presentation Guide

Giving a 40-60-minute speech isn’t a synonym for success. Sticking to shorter presentation formats can increase the impact of large-format events. Among its many advantages, allowing multiple speakers to give their insights rises above everything. Still, presenters often struggle to be concise, as they aim to disclose as much content as possible, ending up overdoing the allotted time or delivering rushed-up presentations.

In this article, we’ll share our experience on how to master the art of 3-5 minute presentations, keeping your speech concise while using powerful graphics to connect with the audience.

Table of Contents

What is a 5 Minutes Presentation?

What are the requirements of 5 minutes presentations, how many slides for a 5 minute presentation, 5 minute presentation ideas, how to make a 5 minute presentation, common mistakes to avoid in 5-minute presentations, recommended templates for 5 minute presentations, final words.

A 5-minute presentation is a short talk designed to convey a specific message, idea, information, or argument within a limited timeframe, between three to five minutes – the latter being the average duration. Due to the brevity, these presentations require careful planning and preparation to ensure the content is concise, focused, and impactful. 

We can define a five-minute presentation’s must-have(s) in seven different categories.

Objective Definition

The purpose of your talk has to be clear from the presentation planning phase. This implies acknowledging whether you intend to inform, persuade, inspire, or instruct your audience on a given topic.

On this behalf, we made a list of frameworks to help you pinpoint the core objective of your presentation:

  • SPIN (Situation, Problem, Implication, Need-payoff): Intended for sales strategy or customer-driven presentations. The focus is set on understanding the audience’s situation, presenting the problems, implications, and potential benefits of a proposed solution.
  • AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action): The AIDA framework is extremely popular in marketing campaigns and sales presentations. You can learn more about this approach for engaging presentations by checking our guide on the AIDA model .
  • SCQA (Situation, Complication, Question, Answer): Intended for problem-solving meetings and business presentations. The SCQA framework establishes a context and its challenges, raises a question, and provides solutions for it.
  • Minto Pyramid Principle: This unconventional approach is used for business presentations and reports, and was developed by Barbara Minto at McKinsey & Company in the 1970s . We start by stating the conclusion or core recommendation, then organize the information that supports your statement in a logical flow. By implementing this approach, you inspire the audience to think critically about the presented scenario, while discussing complex ideas in an easier-to-digest format due to its hierarchical organization of ideas.
  • Monroe’s Motivated Sequence: A framework with a focus on persuasive presentations. It is structured by five pillars recognized by its author, Alan H. Monroe : Attention, Need, Satisfaction, Visualization, and Action. 

SCQA slide in 5 Minute Presentation preparation

Concise Content

“How many words in a 5-minute speech” is a commonly asked question by beginner presenters. The average range for seasoned speakers is 130-150 words per minute in a fluent speech, and depending on the topic, that can go slower (technical-based presentations) or faster (motivational presentations, like the ones delivered by Tony Robbins ). 

Therefore, for a 5-minute speech, you might aim for:

  • At 130 words per minute: 130×5=650 words
  • At 150 words per minute: 150×5=750 words

That calculation can help you curate the presentation script for your speech . In general lines, our expertise tells us that selecting a topic that can be covered within 5 minutes is roughly 60% of the job. After effectively selecting a topic, you must restrict the content to 2-3 main points to remain within the time limit and end your presentation in style. 

Presentation Structure

In more laid-back scenarios, presentations can lean toward a conversational mode rather than a strict agenda. Still, we ought to ensure the presentation structure contains an Introduction, a Body, and a Conclusion. 

The Introduction helps us familiarize the audience with what’s expected out of your presentation. Additionally, it is our chance to make a good first impression . Knowing how to start your presentation guarantees audience engagement from the initial moments of your delivery.

Moving to the Body, this is where facts are laid out and backed up using evidence or examples to support your view. Visual aids can contribute to minimizing the need for lengthy text walls. 

Finally, the Conclusion summarizes the key takeaways and, when applicable, brings a call to action in the format of thought-provoking statements, data shared, an irresistible offer, and plenty of other scenarios.

Audience Engagement

Connecting with the audience is vital, especially in short formats like Pecha Kucha presentations . Your speech pace and body language are significant factors that contribute to how the audience perceives your interest in their time. 

Aim for a relaxed but confident attitude, as if you were passionately talking about a topic with a group of acquaintances. This reinforces your authority in the topic you deliver, as being anxious or rushing through the presentation only speaks of a lack of interest.

Apply professional presentation techniques like storytelling for presentations or harnessing the power of visual communication strategies to make your message memorable. 

Usage of storytelling metaphors in 5 minute presentation

Audience Acknowledgement

Tailoring your presentation for the audience’s interest is the first step every presenter must take to guarantee success, especially if we’re another speaker in large-scale events. In some niches, like academic presentations, it is vital as some of the audience may not feel connected with your research topic. 

Based on information gathered from our customer’s feedback, a good recipe to connect with your audience is to work with a sales approach in mind and create your “ideal audience persona.” This would be your attendee who’s 100% connected with what you intend to share. Compare and contrast demographics with the public you know will attend, and find the common points and where you need to adjust your expectations to meet the audience’s interest.

If the event format allows for it, be ready to present questions at the end of your presentation that may drive the interest of a Q&A session.

Visual Aids

Slides featuring infographics , dashboards , or storytelling-based illustrations help to attract the spectator’s interest and increase the retention rate, as research proves it’s easier to recall pictures than words . As previously mentioned, leveraging graphics helps us reduce our slides’ word count.

Infographics in 3-5 Minutes Presentation

Other presentation aids , like videos, audio, and even sensory elements such as smells, can drive a broad range of emotional responses within the audience. It’s worth exploiting this route if your presentation aims to persuade or motivate the spectators. 

Time Management

Last but not least, time management is an etiquette rule of respect for fellow presenters. Your content has to fit within the 5-minute limit, including transition times and variations in your delivery speed.

A good presenter is an adaptable one. Be ready to adjust your speech on the fly if you find yourself running short or long on time or if the audience’s interest drives the conversation briefly away from your intended destination.

Defining how many slides is a 5 minute presentation isn’t an automatic task. Some topics can be quickly resolved following the premises of the 1-2-3 rule for presentations, applying:

  • One main message: Your presentation should center around a single, clear main message or idea. This ensures focus and helps your audience grasp the core of your presentation without getting lost in details. 
  • Two supporting points: Support your main message with two strong, relevant points or arguments. This structure helps provide depth to your presentation without overwhelming your audience with too much information. 
  • Three examples or pieces of evidence: For each supporting point, provide three examples, pieces of evidence, or data points to substantiate your arguments. This reinforces your message and helps in making your case more convincing.

In short, implementing this practice can result in a range between 5 and 10 slides in your 5-minute presentation. More complex topics, like medical presentations or scientific conferences, cannot be summarized easily, as graphs require one full slide for accurate data visualization. In this case, weigh the critical points your presentation must cover, assign a maximum of 3 slides per crucial point, and avoid filler content.

If you need a quick method to create a 5 minutes presentation, check out our  AI presentation maker . A tool in which you add the topic, curate the outline, select a design, and let AI do the work for you.

Googling around you can come across lists with 200, 60, 40, and plenty other title combinations referring to 5 minute presentation ideas. Despite it being a good starter to brainstorm potential topics or angles for your presentation, we shall introduce our method to implement AI tools to come up with 5 minute presentation topics. The following instructions apply to ChatGPT , Gemini (Bard) or Bing.

  • Consider the niche in which you want to deliver a 5 minute presentation. 
  • Gather the main keywords around the topic you intend to present. For example, if you want to deliver a presentation about artificial intelligence, the following keywords may suit your needs as well: AI, artificial intelligence chatbot, types of artificial intelligence, artificial intelligence solutions, what is artificial intelligence.
  • Open your AI tool of preference and write the following prompt: “Give me a list of 20 5-minute presentation ideas in the IT niche that fit these keywords: AI, artificial intelligence chatbot, types of artificial intelligence, artificial intelligence solutions, what is artificial intelligence.”

ChatGPT generated 5-minute presentation ideas

And this is the list generated by ChatGPT-4

  • Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Basics of AI, its history, and evolution.
  • Exploring AI Technologies: A dive into machine learning, neural networks, and deep learning.
  • Types of Artificial Intelligence: From narrow (or weak) AI to general (or strong) AI, and superintelligence.
  • AI Chatbots: Revolutionizing Customer Service: How chatbots are changing the customer service landscape across industries.
  • Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: Discussing AI solutions for diagnostics, treatment recommendations, and patient care.
  • The Role of AI in Autonomous Vehicles: Examining how AI technologies power self-driving cars.
  • Ethical Considerations in AI: The moral implications of AI in decision-making and privacy concerns.
  • AI in Cybersecurity: Using artificial intelligence to predict, detect, and respond to cyber threats.
  • The Impact of AI on Job Markets: How AI is reshaping employment opportunities and the workforce.
  • Machine Learning Algorithms Explained: An overview of popular algorithms and their applications in AI.
  • AI and Big Data: How AI algorithms process and analyze large datasets to extract meaningful insights.
  • Natural Language Processing (NLP) in AI: Understanding how AI interprets, understands, and generates human language.
  • AI in Finance: The use of artificial intelligence in fraud detection, algorithmic trading, and personalized banking.
  • Artificial Intelligence for Environmental Sustainability: Exploring AI solutions for climate change, conservation, and sustainable energy.
  • AI and Robotics: How AI is applied in robotics for automation, exploration, and manufacturing.
  • Deep Learning and Neural Networks: An introduction to the architecture of neural networks and their significance in AI.
  • Implementing AI Solutions in Small Businesses: Practical AI applications for improving efficiency and productivity in SMEs.
  • The Future of AI: Predictions and emerging trends in artificial intelligence technologies.
  • AI in Education: Personalized learning, automated grading, and AI’s role in educational institutions.
  • Ethics and Bias in AI: Addressing the challenges of bias in AI algorithms and ensuring ethical AI development.

In this section, we will apply the explained suggestions earlier, approaching a real use case of a motivational speaker addressing an audience of marketing professionals. The speaker has to deliver a 5 minute presentation for a large onsite event.

Defining the Objective & Core Message

Our presenter is faced with the challenge of highlighting the importance of data analysis in marketing these days, and why marketing professionals should be adaptable to the latest trends. Therefore, using Minto’s Pyramid Principle, the presenter who already knows the answer – that hunch-based decisions need to be turned into data-driven decisions – plans how to convey the importance of that statement into the presentation’s flow.

Then, a powerful hook comes to mind on how to start this presentation: “Today, I want to share why embracing change isn’t just necessary; it’s our most powerful tool for growth in the marketing world.” Since that statement can sound somewhat vague, the presenter opts for a quote to impact the audience. A definition of what Social Listening is, indicating the connection between data and consumer behavior analysis.

Using an intro slide with quote as a hook for 5-minute presentation

Concise Content Tailored for the Audience

Research or inquire about the audience’s background in marketing. Are they novices or seasoned professionals? What challenges are they facing? Use this information to shape your presentation content.

In our presenter’s case, the event’s organizer gave some basic information about the demographics and audience’s background. Returning to the “ideal audience persona” concept, this presenter’s audience consists of mid-level marketing professionals facing rapid industry changes. Some already have experience working with data analytics but couldn’t extract the full potential. Therefore, rather than losing time with basics, the presenter prepares a compelling dashboard slide showing metrics of how working with data helped a client grow its revenue rate by 19% in three months.

Dashboard slide in 3-5 minutes presentation

The time limit for this presentation is 6 minutes in total, as a 1-minute Q&A session is contemplated. Therefore, using our word-per-minute calculation, the presenter opts for a 5 minute speech word count of 600 words, as it’s best to impact with powerful visuals and data storytelling rather than to rush the speech. As the recommended slide deck length for this presentation format is between 5 and 10 slides, the presenter opts for 3 extra slides, totaling 13 slides, since the two main points require 2-3 slides each.

The Introduction for this presentation is a powerful statement, as we mentioned above, taking one full minute to deliver the phrase and share the information that backs up such a statement.

The Body will take 3 minutes to be presented, and it shall cover a three-tier structure with the following premises:

  • Challenge: “The digital marketing landscape is evolving faster than ever before, leaving many behind.”
  • Strategy: “Yet, some marketers are thriving by adopting agile methodologies and data-driven strategies.”
  • Success Story: “Take, for example, a small business that doubled its online engagement and grew its revenue rate by 19% in three months just by simply listening to its audience through social media analytics.”

The Conclusion takes another minute, using a powerful slide to leave a lasting thought that the audience can dwell on.

Conclusion slide in a 5 minute presentation

As the format is brief, the presenter will use powerful graphics to boost audience engagement. Additionally, there’s a short exercise at the beginning of the presentation where the speaker promptly says: “Turn to the person next to you and share one change you’ve embraced in your marketing strategy this year that made a difference.” This is a fine example of how to implement interactive presentation techniques to boost audience engagement.

Leveraging this kind of strategy helps the audience to connect with the importance of making changes in the marketing strategy of their work environments, but not just any change, something that’s measurable and has a significant impact. The presenter expects that not many members can successfully relate to change with results due to their inexperience in marketing data analytics – a piece of information disclosed by the event’s organizer – so the remaining of the presentation consists of ‘wowing’ the audience on the importance of data and how to measure that impact to stay tuned with the latest trends.

Although it seems an easy-to-adapt format, presenters working under 5-minute presentation can face some challenges that affect the overall outcome of their presentation delivery. Most of these presentation mistakes apply to any kind of presentation. In particular, we consider the following list as beginner mistakes we can easily prevent.

  • Using Jargon or Complex Language: This can alienate your audience. Use clear, accessible language.
  • Reading from Slides: This is literally “death by PowerPoint.” Use slides as a visual aid, not a script.
  • Overuse of Animations or Transitions: While they can be engaging, too many can be distracting and appear unprofessional.

Check the following slide decks and PPT templates to maximize your performance in 3-5 minute presentations.

1. 5 Minute Business Marketing Presentation Template

how many words for a 5 minutes presentation

Create eye-catching marketing presentations by using this best PPT template with a clean layout and wavy backgrounds. The information can be structured around the included icons, maximizing the retention rate by giving an area to focus on just the core information to be disclosed.

Use This Template

2. Business Executive 5-Minute Presentation Template

how many words for a 5 minutes presentation

Geared toward business presentations, this slide deck layout contains cutting-edge graphics that grab your audience’s interest. It can be easily customized to speak about your company’s growth process, reach out to potential investors, or even for non-business topics.

3. Modern Hexagon 5-Minute Pitch Deck PowerPoint Template

how many words for a 5 minutes presentation

Another clean layout template with vivid colors to highlight the information shared. This professional PPT slide deck helps us discuss data or compare features between competitor products in the blink of an eye. The color palette uses gradients to transition between sections smoothly.

4. Kaleidoscope 5-Minute Company Profile PowerPoint Template

how many words for a 5 minutes presentation

Although it is intended for company profiles or company overview presentations, this highly visual PPT template can be repurposed for many niches. Due to its limited-space placeholder text areas, the 5 minute speech word count can be significantly reduced, aiming for concise content.

5. Academic 5-Minute Presentation Template

how many words for a 5 minutes presentation

An ideal template for presenting thesis dissertations, this slide deck features designs to introduce the scope of our research, problem statement, methodology used, outcomes, and their significance while preserving a cohesive aesthetic.

As we can see, concise presentation formats like the 5 minute presentation have their own challenges when we strive for quality. Consider rehearsing your presentation multiple times, opting for the slideshow mode , to spot any areas where you can trim the speech or change text for graphics. 

Speak reasonably, and remember it’s best to fall short some seconds and allow for a Q&A session rather than rushing and not giving a proper closure to your speech.

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how many words for a 5 minutes presentation

how many words for a 5 minutes presentation

How Many Words Are There In A 5-Minute Speech?

  • The Speaker Lab
  • May 4, 2024

Table of Contents

Wondering how many words to prepare for your upcoming 5-minute speech ? If so, you’re not alone. Nailing the perfect word count can be tricky, but it’s crucial for delivering a powerful message that resonates with your audience. Whether you’re a seasoned speaker or stepping up to the podium for the first time, knowing the right number of words to aim for is key. In this article, we’ll give you our take on sculpting a punchy five-minute presentation, identifying key factors affecting its length and offering tips to make sure yours stands out.

How Many Words Are in a 5-Minute Speech?

So you’ve been asked to give a 5-minute speech. The first question that pops into your head is probably “How many words should I write?” It’s a great question, and one that every speaker has had to grapple with at some point.

The truth is, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. The number of words in a 5-minute speech can vary quite a bit depending on a few key factors. But don’t worry, we’re here to break it down for you.

Factors That Affect Speech Word Count

Before we dive into the average word count for a 5-minute speech, let’s talk about what can impact that number:

  • Your natural speech rate (some people naturally speak faster or slower)
  • The type of speech (a dense, information-packed presentation will have more words than a laid-back, story-driven speech)
  • How interactive the speech is (more audience interaction = fewer words)

All of these factors can cause the word count to fluctuate. So while we can give you an average, remember that your mileage may vary.

Average Word Count for a 5-Minute Speech

Here’s a general rule of thumb: a 5-minute speech will usually fall in the range of 625-750 words. That comes out to about 125-150 words per minute.

Of course, this is just an average. Some speakers cram 800+ words into 5 minutes, although we don’t recommend that. Others can captivate an audience for 5 minutes with just 500 well-chosen words.

How to Calculate Your Speech Word Count

Want a more precise estimate for your 5-minute speech? Here’s a simple way to calculate it:

  • Time yourself speaking for 1 minute (aim for your natural pace)
  • Copy that 1 minute of speech into a word count calculator
  • Multiply that number by 5 to get your estimated 5-minute speech word count

This method takes into account your personal speech rate, giving you a more customized word count to aim for. Give it a try!

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Factors That Impact Your Speaking Rate

We’ve talked about how the number of words in your 5-minute speech can vary based on your speaking rate. But what factors influence how fast or slow you speak? Let’s take a look.

Your Natural Speaking Pace

Everyone has a natural default speaking speed. Some people are just naturally fast talkers, while others have a more leisurely pace. This is largely determined by personality, but it can also be influenced by cultural and regional norms.

If you’re not sure where you fall on the spectrum, try recording yourself having a casual conversation and count the words per minute. That will give you a baseline for your natural, uncontrived speaking rate.

Type of Speech You’re Delivering

The content and purpose of your speech can also affect your pacing. A speech that’s dense with information, like a technical presentation or a detailed argument, will likely have a higher word-per-minute count than a more narrative or motivational speech.

Similarly, a speech that’s meant to be rousing and energetic will probably be faster-paced than one intended to be soothing or contemplative. Consider your speech’s purpose and adjust your speaking pace accordingly.

Your Comfort Level with Public Speaking

Nerves can do funny things to your speaking speed. Some people clam up and speak painfully slowly when they’re nervous, while others start talking a mile a minute. If public speaking makes you jittery, it’s worth practicing your speech enough that you feel comfortable and in control of your pacing.

Pro tip: When you feel nervous, take a deep breath and consciously slow down your first few sentences. This will help you set a manageable pace for the rest of your speech. For more on tackling public speaking nerves, check out our article here .

Audience Engagement and Interaction

If your speech includes interactive elements like Q&A, group discussion, or even just pauses for laughter or applause, that will reduce the total word count. The more audience engagement you have, the fewer words you’ll need to fill that 5-minute slot.

This is actually a great tactic to keep in mind if you’re someone who tends to speak quickly. Building in moments for audience interaction can help you slow down and make your speech feel more conversational and less rushed.

Tips for Delivering a Well-Paced 5-Minute Speech

Now that you know the factors that can affect your speech’s word count and pacing, let’s talk about how to use that information to deliver a great 5-minute speech.

Practice and Preparation

The best way to ensure a well-paced speech is to practice, practice, practice. Use a speech timer and aim to consistently hit that 5-minute mark in your rehearsals. The more you practice, the more natural and comfortable your pacing will feel when you’re in front of an audience.

It’s also a good idea to have a few key “anchor points” in your speech that you know you need to hit by certain times. For example, you might aim to be wrapping up your introduction by the 1 minute mark, starting your conclusion by minute 4, etc. This strategy will help keep you on track.

Breathing Techniques to Calm Nerves

If nerves are affecting your pacing, try some breathing techniques to calm yourself before and during your speech. Taking deep, slow breaths from your diaphragm can help slow your heart rate and make you feel more in control.

One technique is to inhale for a count of 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, and hold for 4. Repeat this a few times before you start speaking, and any time you feel your pace starting to rush during your speech.

Engage with Your Audience

Remember, a speech isn’t just about the words you say—it’s about the connection you make with your audience. Make eye contact, smile, and react to their responses. This will make your speech feel more like a conversation, which can naturally regulate your pacing.

If you notice your audience looking confused or overwhelmed, that’s a sign you might be going too fast. Pause, take a breath, and slow down. On the flip side, if they seem bored or restless, you may need to pick up the pace a bit.

Speak Conversationally

One of the best ways to maintain a good pace is to speak like you’re having a conversation with a friend. Use simple, straightforward language and contractions (like “I’m” instead of “I am”). This will make your speech sound more natural and less like you’re reading from a script.

Imagine you’re explaining your topic to someone who’s intelligent but doesn’t know much about it. How would you pace yourself to ensure they understand? Aim for that same clarity and pace in your speech.

Inject Humor When Appropriate

A well-placed joke or humorous anecdote can be a great way to vary your speech’s pace and re-engage your audience. Laughter provides a natural pause and can give you a moment to catch your breath and reset your pace.

Of course, humor isn’t appropriate for every speech or audience. But if it fits your topic and style, don’t be afraid to use it strategically to control your pacing.

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Using a Speech Calculator or Timer

Speech timers and calculators are helpful tools that ensure you’ve written enough words to hit that 5-minute sweet spot. Here’s a bit more on how to use them effectively.

Benefits of Using a Speech Calculator

A speech calculator can take a lot of the guesswork out of speech writing. You input your text, select your desired speaking pace (slow, average, or fast), and it estimates how long your speech will take to deliver.

This is especially useful when you’re first drafting your speech. You can check as you go to make sure you’re on track for your 5-minute goal. It’s much easier to adjust on the fly than to get to the end and realize you’ve written way too much or too little.

How to Use a Speech Timer During Practice

Once you’ve written your speech, a speech timer is your best friend during practice sessions. Start the timer and deliver your speech out loud, as if you were in front of your audience. Check the timer at the end and note how long you took.

If you were way over or under 5 minutes, you may need to adjust your content. But if you were close, the goal is to practice enough that you consistently hit that 5-minute mark every time. This will give you confidence when it’s time for the real deal.

Adjusting Your Speech Based on Time Constraints

What if, despite your careful plans, you get to the venue and find out you only have 4 minutes to speak instead of 5? Or what if you’ve been blessed with an extra minute or two?

This is where knowing your speech well comes in handy. If you have to cut for time, look for anecdotes, examples, or tangents that can be shortened or eliminated without affecting your core message. If you have a little extra time, consider where you might be able to expand on a point or add an additional story.

The key is to be flexible and adaptable. Trust that you know your material well enough to adjust on the fly if needed. And remember, even if it’s not a perfect 5 minutes, what matters most is that you deliver your message effectively and engagingly.

So, how many words do you need for a 5-minute speech? As a general rule of thumb, aim for around 750 words. But remember, it’s not just about hitting a magic number. Your natural speaking pace, the type of speech you’re giving, and your comfort level all play a role in determining the ideal word count.

Remember, the trick is all in rehearsing, gearing up well before you need to perform, and not rushing through. Keep a timer or a speech calculator close by because they’re lifesavers for staying focused. With these strategies in your back pocket, you’ll be well on your way to delivering a powerful, well-paced 5-minute speech that leaves a lasting impact.

  • Last Updated: May 3, 2024

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how many words for a 5 minutes presentation

How Many Words are in a Five-Minute Speech?

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How many words are in a five-minute speech?

Presenting a speech in front of a crowd of people can be scary. If you’re someone unaccustomed to giving big speeches, your palms may start to sweat and your body may shake, all before you ever utter your first word. It’s normal to experience stage fright. Most expert speakers agree, preparing well can be your best protection against nervousness. If you’re going to speak in public, it may help to write down the words you want to say.

Let’s imagine you need to give a 5-minute speech at a wedding. How much text should you prepare? In order to give that wedding toast, you should probably write 625-750 words. We arrived at that figure by taking the number of words per minute (WPM) that the average person speaks and multiplying it by the number of minutes you’ll need to speak, which is 5. The average person speaks 125-150 WPM.

how many words for a 5 minutes presentation

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 Fast TalkerSlow Talker
1-Minute Speech150 words125 words
2-Minute Speech300 words250 words
3-Minute Speech450 words375 words
4-Minute Speech600 words500 words
5-Minute Speech750 words625 words

It’s easy to do this math on your own. For a 3-minute speech, you would just multiply 125 by 3 to get the minimum number of words you’d need. The answer is 375. Now, picture a scenario where you have to give a 20-minute speech. What’s your maximum word count? Just take the high end of the WPM range and multiply it by 20. 

150 x 20 = 3,000

So, for a 20-minute speech, you’d be well-prepared by writing something with less than 3,000 words. Remember, if you prepare a text that’s too lengthy, you could get cut off before you reach your conclusion. 

How many words are in a five-minute speech

A Note on Accuracy

Keep in mind, the average reading speed that’s cited above is just an average. You may find that you tend to talk faster or slower than other people. If you know you speak very quickly when you’re nervous, you may want to write an 850-word speech for your 5-minute toast, just to be safe. Someone who speaks slowly might only need 600 words to fill five minutes. 

In order to calculate your own speaking speed with precision, you should record yourself. That way, you’ll get an accurate personal WPM count, which reflects your true speaking pace. Once you have that figure, you can use it to calculate the word count for any speech you plan to give. It can also be helpful to rehearse with a stopwatch, whenever you’re working within a time limit. By timing yourself, you can see exactly how many seconds you need to cut or add to your speech. 

Advice for All Public Speakers

Excellent speakers practice their  presentation skills , so that they feel confident in their ability to make it through a speech without stumbling. It’s common for a speaker to write a phrase that looks good on the page. Then, when they present the speech, the phrase proves difficult to say out loud. By practicing your actual speech before going onstage, you’ll be able to identify your own speech patterns. If there’s a better way to say something, you can rewrite the words to make things flow more organically. 

Writing out a speech is a good idea; however, as you get more comfortable with speech writing, you may find yourself improvising more often. Someone very comfortable with  public speaking  can go “off script,” adding extemporaneous content, while still paying attention to the passage of time. Until you develop that advanced-level ability, it’s best to write out your speeches. Preparing something, even a simple outline with the key topics you want to discuss, can help you stay organized and calm.

Remember, the most important part of giving a speech is connecting with your audience . If you can do that, you’ll succeed no matter what subject matter you’re discussing.

  • Seven-ways-to-write-a-better-speech
  • https://wordcounter.net/blog/tag/5-minute-speech
  • http://www.speechinminutes.com

The Word Counter  is a dynamic online tool used for counting words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, and pages in real time, along with spelling and grammar checking.

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Kari Lisa Johnson

I’m an award-winning playwright with a penchant for wordplay. After earning a perfect score on the Writing SAT, I worked my way through Brown University by moonlighting as a Kaplan Test Prep tutor. I received a BA with honors in Literary Arts (Playwriting)—which gave me the opportunity to study under Pulitzer Prize-winner Paula Vogel. In my previous roles as new media producer with Rosetta Stone, director of marketing for global ventures with The Juilliard School, and vice president of digital strategy with Up & Coming Media, I helped develop the voice for international brands. From my home office in Maui, Hawaii, I currently work on freelance and ghostwriting projects.

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How many words per minute in a speech?

A quick guide for slow, average and fast rates of speech.

By:  Susan Dugdale  

If you're preparing a speech or presentation with a strict time limit it’s useful to have an estimate of the number of words you’ll need to fit the number of minutes you've been given.

And it's even more useful to have those guidelines before you rush into writing, only to discover when you’re done, you’ve written far too much. Something I used to do on a regular basis! (And then, I had the tedious job of pruning to fit.)

What's on this page:

How many words are there in a 1-minute speech, how many words are there in a 2-minute speech, how many words are there in a 3-minute speech, how many words are there in a 4-minute speech, how many words are there in a 5-minute speech, how many words are there in a 6-minute speech, how many words are there in a 7-minute speech, how many words are there in an 8-minute speech, how many words are there in a 9-minute speech, how many words are there in a 10-minute speech, how many words are there in a 15-minute speech, how many words are there in a 20-minute speech, how many words are there in a 25-minute speech, how many words are there in a 30-minute speech.

  • How to calculate your own speech rate: 2 easy methods
  • How many pages is a 4, 7 or 20-minute speech?     

how many words for a 5 minutes presentation

About this quick reference guide

The following table (below) shows the average number of words spoken per minute for speeches from 1 to 30 minutes long. It's a quick reference guide: one only intended to provide general information.

Who, and what, is truly average?

An average word count for any timed speech (one minute, two minutes, three, four, five, six...or more, minutes) is impossible to give. As there really is no such thing as an average person, who uses an average rate of words per minute when they speak.

We are individuals: each of us different. Speech patterns and speech (speaking) rates vary considerably between person to person for a great many reasons. The best you’ll ever get is an educated guess.

Use as an estimate: test yourself to be sure

That aside, the following estimates will give you a handy indication of the number of minutes it takes to say x number of words depending on whether you talk at a slow speed, a medium speed or you're one of the world's fast talkers.

(And, no, it's never a good idea to gabble at a mile a minute to fit everything you've prepared into the length of time you've been given!)

To be absolutely sure what you've done will fit the time allocation you've been given it's a good idea to test yourself to establish your own speaking rate or speed of speech .

How many pages is a 'x' minute speech?

Multiple variations on the question how many pages are needed for a speech are frequently asked. For instance:

  • How many pages is a 4-minute speech?
  • How many pages is a 7-minute speech?
  • How many pages is a 20-minute presentation?

Unfortunately, the answer is not simple. Calculating the number of A4 pages of text you need for a speech of any number of minutes long is tricky for two reasons.

How many words are on an A4 page?

The first reason is that the number of words on an A4 page depends on how the page has been formatted. The answers to the questions below make a very big difference to the total number of pages needed to print a speech.

  • What is the font family being used? (Different fonts take up differing amounts of space because of the shape/design of their characters.)  
  • What is the size of the font? (The font size you're reading right now is 20px.)
  • What is the spacing between each of the letters in a word?
  • What is the spacing between each line of text? Is it single spacing, 1.5 or double line spacing?
  • What spacing has been set for paragraphs?
  • What size have the margins of the page been set at?
  • Are there headings? Sub-headings or lists?

On average if the font is plain, (sans-serif, without embellishment), like Arial or Verdana, its size is set for 12px, and the line spacing is set for 1.5, then a page may have between 400-500 words on it.

Speech rate changes how we calculate the number of words we need

The second reason why using the number of pages to gauge how long a speech will take to deliver is problematical is because we speak at different rates. 

A 500-word page may take someone speaking at very slow rate 4 minutes to get through.

Another person, who has a much faster speaking rate, may take about 2.5 minutes to deliver exactly the same text.

Using the number of pages as a guide for a speech that has to fit a time limit is completely unreliable.

If you need to use a 'guesstimate' use the speech rate table below. Forget about counting the pages! 

If you are a slow speaker, less than 120 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 120 - 160 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 160 - 200 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 240 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 240 - 320 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 320 - 400 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 360 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 360 – 480 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 480 - 600 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 480 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 480 – 640 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 640 - 800 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 600 words,

If you speak at an average speed between: 600 – 760 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 760 - 1000 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 720 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 720 – 960 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 960 - 1200 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 840 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 840 – 1120 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 1120 - 1400 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 960 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 960 – 1280 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 1280 - 1600 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 1080 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 1080 – 1440 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 1440 - 1800 words.

If you are a slow speaker a little less than 1200 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 1200 – 1600 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 1600 - 2000 words.

If you are a slow speaker, a little less than 1,800 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 1,800 - 2,400 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 2,400 - 3,000 words.

If you are a slow speaker, a little less than 2,400 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 2,400 - 3,200 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 3,200 - 4,000 words.

If you are a slow speaker, a little less than 3,000 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 3,000 - 4,000 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 4,000 - 5,000 words.

If you are a slow speaker, a little less than 3,600 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 3,600 - 4,800 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 4,800 - 6,000 words.

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Find out more about speech rate

  • How to calculate your own words per minute speech rate - two easy methods
  • The factors influencing a faster rate or slower rate of speech
  • How to develop an ideal rate of speech : one matching content, speech purpose and your audience: six exercises for flexible speaking rate

Words per minute calculator

Lastly here's the link to a useful online words per minutes calculator . Once you've completed your speech enter the total number of words, and select whether you want it to give you an average for a minute of your speech at a slow rate, average or fast rate. Again, it's a 'guesstimate'. ☺

The only really safe way to find out whether your speech fits your time allocation is to say it aloud at an ideal rate or pace: one taking into account the content, and the audience who is going to listen to it, while timing it.

(Use the record function on your phone. It will assist in lots of other ways too! You'll hear where you need more vocal variety, where your pronunciation is blurred ...and, so on. It's super helpful.)

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how many words for a 5 minutes presentation

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How to Make a 5 Minute Presentation | 30 Killer Ideas in 2024

Leah Nguyen • 20 May, 2024 • 11 min read

5 minute presentation - intriguing to the audience (no one likes to sit through a one-hour-feels-like-a-decade kind of talk), but a big nuisance to the presenters to decide what to put in. If not handled properly, everything will slip away from one's mind in the blink of an eye.

The clock is ticking, but you can keep your panic attack at bay with our step-by-step guide with free topics and examples. Get the full lowdown on how to make a 5 minute presentation for a team meeting, college class, sales pitch, or wherever else you need it!

Table of Contents

  • Present better with AhaSlides
  • 5-Minute Presentation Topic List

How to Make a 5-Minute Presentation

  • 5 Common Mistakes

5-Minute Presentation Examples

How many slides should a 5 minute presentation be?10-20 visual slides
Famous Human Beings with a 5-minute presenting skillSteve Jobs, Sheryl Sandberg, Brené Brown
What software can be used for presentation? , Powerpoint, Key Note ...

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5 Minute Presentation Ideas

First thing first, you should come up with a 5 minute presentation idea that's intriguing. Think about what makes the general audience, even you jump out of their seat and eagerly hear. What topic can you elaborate on better that's your niche? Get some sparks with our list below:

  • The danger of cyberbullying
  • Freelancing under the gig economy
  • Fast fashion and its environmental impacts
  • How podcast has evolved
  • Dystopian society in George Orwell's literature
  • Common health disorders you might have
  • What is aphasia?
  • Caffeine myths - are they real?
  • The perks of having a personality test
  • The rise and fall of Genghis Khan 
  • What happens to the brain when you’re in long-distance relationships?
  • Is it too late to care about the environment?
  • The consequences of relying on Artificial Intelligence (AI)
  • The ways anxiety disorders disrupt our life
  • 6 economic terms you need to know 
  • Gods in Greek mythology versus Roman mythology
  • Origins of Kungfu
  • Ethics of genetic modification
  • The supernatural strength of cockroaches
  • Is social media detox necessary?
  • The history of the Silk Road
  • What is the world’s most dangerous disease in the 21st century?
  • Reasons to do self-journaling everyday
  • New trends in careers
  • Five reasons to get some quality time for yourself
  • The best food to cook when you’re in a hurry
  • How to order the best Starbucks drink ever
  • Ideas and practices that you follow and would like others to know about
  • 5 ways to make a pancake
  • Introduction to blockchain 

Alternative Text

Start in seconds.

Get any of the above examples as templates. Sign up for free and take what you want from the template library!

Bonus Video ▶ How to make a 10-minute presentation

If you feel like a 5-minute presentation would be too stifling, stretch it to 10! Here's how to do that...

Remember, less is more, except when it comes to ice cream. 

That's why amid hundreds of methods to use, we've boiled it down into these four simple steps to make a killer 5-minute presentation.

Let's jump right in!

#1 - Choose your topic  

Wooden blocks spelling the word topic with a on/off block at the start. Use a 5-minute presentation topic list to choose the right topic for your short presentation

How do you know if that topic is "the one" for you? For us, the right topic ticks everything on this checklist:

✅ Stick to one key point. It's unlikely you'll have time to address more than one topic, so limit yourself to one and don’t go over it! 

✅ Know your audience. You don't want to waste time covering information they already know. Everyone knows 2 plus 2 is 4, so move on and never look back.

✅ Go with a simple topic. Again, explaining something that requires time should be off the checklist since you can't cover it all.

✅ Don't dwell on unfamiliar topics to minimise the time and effort you spend preparing the presentation. It should be something you already have on your mind.

Need some help finding the right topic for your short presentation? We've got 30 topics with different themes to captivate your audience.

#2 - Create your slides 

Unlike the long presentation format in which you can have as many slides as you want, a five-minute presentation typically has significantly fewer slides. Because imagine each slide would take you roughly 40 seconds to 1 minute to go through, that's already five slides in total. Not much to think about, eh? 

However, your slide count doesn't matter more than the essence each slide contains . We know that it's tempting to pack it full of text, but keep in mind that you should be the subject your audience focuses on, not a wall of text. 

Check these examples below.

Make the text bold to highlight important parts and use italics primarily to denote titles and the names of particular works or objects to allow that title or name to stand out from the surrounding sentence. The underlining text also helps draw attention to it, but it is most commonly used to represent a hyperlink on a webpage.

You obviously saw the second example and thought there's no way you're going to read through this on the big screen.

The point is this: keep slides straight, concise, and short, as you've got 5 minutes only. 99% of the info should come from your mouth.

When you’re keeping text minimal, don't forget to befriend visuals , as they can be your best sidekicks. Startling statistics, infographics, short animations, pictures of whales, etc., all are great attention grabbers and help you sprinkle your unique trademark and personality on each slide. 

And how many words should be there in a 5-minute speech script? It mainly depends on the visuals or data you show in your slides and also your speech speed. However, a 5-minute speech is roughly 700 words long. 

Secret tip: Go the extra length by making your presentation interactive. You can add a live poll , Q&A section , or quiz that illustrates your points and leaves a lasting impression on the audience.

Get Interactive, Fast 🏃‍♀️

Make the most of your 5 minutes with a free interactive presentation tool!

#3 - Get the timing right

When you're looking at this, we only have one thing to say: STOP PROCRASTINATING! For such a short presentation, there's virtually no time for "ah", "uh" or short pauses, because every moment counts. So, plan the timing of each section with military precision. 

How should it look? Check out the example below: 

  • 30 seconds on the introduction . And no more. If you spend too much time on the intro, your main part will have to be sacrificed, which is a no-no.
  • 1 minute on stating the problem . Tell the audience the problem you are trying to solve for them, i.e., what they are here for. 
  • 3 minutes on the solution . This is where you deliver the most essential info to the audience. Tell them what they need to know, not what is "nice to have". For example, if you're presenting how to make a cake, list each item's ingredients or measurement, as that’s all essential information. However, additional information like icing and presentation is not essential and can be cut.
  • 30 seconds on the conclusion . This is where you reinforce your main points, wrap up and have a call to action.
  • You can end with a small Q&A .  Since it isn’t technically a part of the 5-minute presentation, you can take as much time as you want to answer the questions. 

How many times should you practice a 5-minute speech? To nail these timings down, make sure you practice religiously. A 5-minute presentation requires more practice than a regular one, as you won’t have as much wiggle room or chance for improvisation.

Also, don't forget to check your equipment to ensure everything runs smoothly. When you’ve only got 5 minutes, you don't want to waste any time fixing the mic,  presentation, or other equipment.

#4 - Deliver your presentation 

this picture describes a women who is delivering her 5 minute presentation in a confident manner

Imagine you're watching an exciting video but it keeps.lagging.every.10.seconds. You’d be super annoyed, right? Well, so would your audience if you keep confusing them with abrupt, unnatural speech. 

It's normal to feel pressured to talk because you feel every minute is precious. But crafting the convo in a way that makes the crowd understand the assignment is so much more important. 

Our first tip for delivering a great presentation is to practice flowing . From the introduction to the conclusion, every part needs to connect and link with each other like glue.

Go between the sections repeatedly (remember to set the timer). If there's any part in which you feel the urge to speed up, then consider trimming it down or articulating it differently.

Our second tip is for reeling in the audience from the first sentence .

There are countless ways to start a presentation . You can get factual with a shocking, on-topic fact or mention a humorous quote that gets your audience laughing and melting away their (and your) tension.

Secret tip: Don't know if your 5-minute presentation makes an impact? Use a feedback tool to collect the audience's sentiment right away. It takes minimal effort, and you avoid losing valuable feedback along the way.

Use a feedback tool such as AhaSlides to collect the audience's sentiment right away.

5 Common Mistakes When Giving a 5-Minute Presentation

We overcome and adapt through trial and error, but it’s easier to avoid rookie mistakes if you know what they are👇

  • Going way past your allotted time slot. Since the 15 or 30-minute presentation format has long dominated the scene, keeping it brief is difficult. But unlike the long format, which gives you a bit of flexibility on time, the audience knows exactly what 5 minutes feels like and, therefore will expect you to condense the information within the time limit.
  • Having a decade-long introduction. Rookie mistake. Spending your precious time telling people who you are or what you’re going to do isn’t the best plan. As we said, we’ve got a bunch of beginning tips for you here . 
  • Don't dedicate enough time to prepare. Most people skip the practice part since they think it’s 5 minutes, and they can quickly fill that up, which is an issue. If in a 30-minute presentation, you can get away with “filler” content, the 5-minute presentation doesn’t even allow you to pause for more than 10 seconds.    
  • Devote too much time explaining complicated concepts. A 5-minute presentation doesn’t have room for that. If one point you’re explaining needs to link to other points for further elaboration, it’s always a good idea to revise it and dig deeper into only one aspect of the topic.
  • Putting too many complex elements. When making a 30-minute presentation, you might add different elements, such as storytelling and animation, to keep the audience engaged. In a much shorter form, everything needs to be straight to the point, so choose your words or the transition carefully.

To help you grasp how to make a 5-minute presentation, check these short presentation examples, to nail any message!

William Kamkwamba: 'How I Harnessed the Wind' 

This TED Talk video presents the story of William Kamkwamba, an inventor from Malawi who, as a kid experiencing poverty, built a windmill to pump water and generate electricity for his village. Kamkwamba’s natural and straightforward storytelling was able to captivate the audience, and his usage of short pauses for people to laugh is also another great technique.

Susan V. Fisk: ‘The Importance of Being Concise’

This training video offers helpful tips for scientists to structure their talk to fit the “5 Minute Rapid” presentation format, which is also explained in 5 minutes. If you plan to create a “How-to” quick presentation, look at this example.

Jonathan Bell: ‘How to Create a Great Brand Name’

As the title refers to itself, the speaker Jonathan Bell will give you a step-by-step guide on how to create a lasting brand name. He gets straight to the point with his topic and then breaks it down into smaller components. A good example to learn from.

PACE Invoice: ‘5 Min Pitch at Startupbootcamp’

This video shows how PACE Invoice , a start-up specialising in multi-currency payment processing, was able to pitch its ideas to investors clearly and concisely.

Will Stephen: ‘How to Sound Smart in Your TEDx Talk’

Using a humorous and creative approach, Will Stephen’s TEDx Talk guides people through the general skills of public speaking. A must-watch to craft your presentation into a masterpiece.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why a 5-minute presentation is important.

A 5-minute presentation shows the ability to manage time, grab the audience's attention, and mirror-like clarification as it requires lots of practice to make it perfect! Besides, there are various suitable speech topics for 5 minutes that you can refer to and adapt to your own.

Who gave the best 5-minute Presentation?

There are lots of impactful presenters over time, with the most famous man named Sir Ken Robinson's TED talk titled "Do Schools Kill Creativity?", which has been viewed millions of times and has become one of the most-watched TED talks of all time. In the talk, Robinson delivers a humorous and engaging presentation on the importance of nurturing creativity in education and society.

Leah Nguyen

Leah Nguyen

Words that convert, stories that stick. I turn complex ideas into engaging narratives - helping audiences learn, remember, and take action.

Tips to Engage with Polls & Trivia

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10-Minute Presentation Topics | 50 Unique Ideas in 2024

Words per Minute Calculator

Table of contents

Have you ever wondered how long it takes to deliver a speech? Or how much time you need to read a book? This words per minute calculator (or WPM calculator for short) will help you convert between the number of words and the time taken to read or say. This way, you will not only learn how many words is a 5-minute speech but also how long it takes you to read a document with 2000 words.

If you want to know how much time you need to finish a book, head straight to our reading speed calculator !

Words per minute (speech)

In order to determine how long your presentation takes, you first need to find your speaking speed — how many words per minute of speech you can deliver. For example, the average speaking speed in English is 130 wpm (words per minute). If, however, you are frequently told that you speak very slowly or very fast, you should adjust this value accordingly.

You could also measure your speaking speed experimentally. Set a timer to one minute and start reading a passage of text aloud. Once the timer stops, count the words you managed to read. This number is your words per minute speech speed — you can input it directly into our calculator after selecting the radio button Other .

Words per minute (reading)

The same principle as your speaking speed applies to your reading speed — the number of words per minute of reading. The average reading speed for the English language is between 170 and 240 wpm , depending on the text difficulty and your English ability.

Naturally, you can measure your reading speed and input it directly into this reading words per minute calculator. All you have to do is set a timer to one minute and start reading a book (or an e-book ), this time silently. Once the timer rings, count the words you read and input the number into the respective field (below the radio button Other in the reading section).

How many words is a 5 minute speech?

Once you know your speaking and reading speed, the calculations are a piece of cake! All you have to do is input the number of words you have to say into this words per minute calculator, which will tell you how long your presentation should take.

Of course, you can also use this calculator to figure out the maximum number of words in a speech with a limited time frame — for example, 5 minutes. Let's look at how to use this tool in more detail.

Choose whether you will speak to an audience or silently read the text. In this case, we are going to choose speech.

Select your speaking speed . We will stay with the average value of 130 wpm.

Determine the duration of the speech — here, we will pick a 5-minute elevator pitch.

Multiply the reading speed by the time to find out how many words are in a 5-minute speech:

130 × 5 = 650 words

Your speech can have a maximum of 650 words.

How many words per minute in a speech?

The average speaking speed in English is 130 words per minute . However, the average speaking rate changes according to the task before a speaker — for presentations, it goes down to 100-120 wpm, while for YouTubers, it's up to 150-160 wpm. When picking the right pace, you should also consider your audience, e.g., the presence of kids or non-native speakers!

How many words per 10 minute speech?

To deliver a successful ten-minute talk, prepare between 1000-1200 words. The absolute maximum you should have is 1300 words.

How many words are in a five minute speech?

A 5-minute speech should have between 500-600 words. Be careful not to exceed 650 words, or you'll talk too fast and, as a result, lose the audience!

How do I calculate the number of words in a talk?

To determine the number of words in a talk that will last m minutes:

Decide on the speaking rate r :

  • Average: 130 wpm (words per minute);
  • Slow: 100 wpm; and
  • Fast: 160 wpm.

Multiply the speaking rate by the time you have in minutes:

The result in 2 is the number of words your talk should contain.

Number of words

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Creating & Delivering A 5 Minute Presentation

Hrideep barot.

  • Presentation , Public Speaking , Speech Topics

Person delivering a short presentation

The daunting task of sitting down to work on a presentation that needs to be effective enough to get your point across as quickly and efficiently as possible, might want you to curl up deeper inside your blanket.

Here’s the good part: You can read this article on your phone from your comfy hideout.

As much as people picture presentations to be a difficult task, I personally, enjoy it!

To find the right colour scheme or infographic, or when the text and picture align perfectly, it is a fun experience clicking F5 and just watching your creation seamlessly spill out facts after facts while looking so minimalistic and neat!

Now that you know what I dream about at 2:00 PM in the afternoon, let’s get to work on creating and delivering a well curated, killer presentation which is short and effective, regardless if you have presentation daydreams or not!

What is a Short Presentation?

It would be a really awkward start if you were trying to hit a bullseye without the target board.

I present to you the simplest explanation of a short presentation from my caffeine induced writing:

Short presentations are for no longer than 5 minutes that gives an idea about what the topic is.

It is sort of an overview of your topic and really makes you prioritise what content you need to add in your presentation. We’ll get to this shortly, keep scrolling!

Before we begin working on our presentation, we need an outline or sort of checklist that will help us create our 5 minute presentation.

This will give us an idea of what our presentation will look like.

Essentially for a 5 minute presentation we’re looking at covering 5 topics that will bring your presentation to a complete circle. Let’s get cracking!

1. Introduction

Every presentation needs an introduction, even with a time crunch, this is a very important step in a presentation.

This gives your audience time to form their own opinions on the topic and build a connection with the speaker (that’s you!)

A killer opening might just make those first impressions all positive! Check out this video to work on your introductions:

Now that you have an idea about what exactly you do in an introduction, let’s make one thing clear, for a 5 minute presentation, your introduction needs to be extremely short. Again. For the people in the back: 5 minute presentation introductions need to be EXTREMELY SHORT.

Before you make assumptions and finish your introduction in two lines, let’s give you a time frame: 15 – 40 seconds, based on your topic. This would give you enough time to make an impression and add relevant content as well.

Pro Tip: If you are struggling to shorten your introduction, try avoiding introducing yourself because firstly, the emcee would do that and second, you can always add a little bit about you in your cover slide or your 1st title slide. Another thing that can help you save time throughout your presentation is making sure your title is extremely short. A long title would just become too many words by the time you finish your presentation and after saying it once, they don’t really add any value.

2. Problem Statement / Details of what you are addressing

This slide is like knowing the problem, knowing the answer and just talking about it.

Usually a 5 minute presentation just has one topic or a major focus, you can either explain a problem that your topic solves like how Electric Vehicles solve the whole gas pricing increasing, long term savings issue and of course sustainability and global warming.

Once you find an angle, your answer essentially becomes your topic.

PS. I wouldn’t take more than a slide to address the problem. Using too many slides in just 5 minutes will only distract your audience.

3. Solution

We have the question and the answer and just like every math solution site ever, in the previous slide we haven’t shown them the work, the way to get to the answer.

We’re better than that aren’t we? Let’s build solutions, show them the work. If we are talking about EVs being cheaper in the long run, do the math, show them how much they invest and how it makes a difference.

This section is the most content heavy part of your presentation, you can talk about your ideas, innovation, theories and play around with games and tricks during your presentation because this is where you audience will begin to dose off or get excited but creating the excitement is up to you.

If your presentation is more research based than on your personal work, using a lot of verbal stats might be your go to, but remember numbers everywhere will confuse your audience.

A good trick would be to add most of your statistics on your slides and highlight / mention the most impactful ones.

4. Limitations

In most theories or even hard facts there are always gaps and cracks, even Marvel came out with a “What if” series!

It is always good to address these cracks once you give your solutions, maybe even fuse the two together to keep things interesting.

This helps the audience go “Oh, that is wicked” or just get them thinking, talking about the topic.

Pro Tip: If you have too many things to talk about in this section you can use some facts or “believe it or not” type theories as interjections to catch the audience off guard or maybe even turn them into jokes!

5. Conclusion

This is the most crucial, yet flexible part of your presentation. Remember that it is only for 5 minutes so you really have a time crunch by now. You can’t really sum up everything.

The good thing is you don’t need to! One perk of 5 minute presentations is that it is very direct and short. This means that pretty much most of your content is still fresh in your audience’s mind.

All you need to do now is work on a killer ending. Here’s a video that can help!

Content and Delivery

Now that we know what the final presentation might look like, let’s work on building it by going into detail about it.

Let’s work on this the way Toastmasters International evaluates our speeches. Divide it into Content and Delivery.

On the content front, we will be covering everything from the colours, fonts, animation topics, prioritising content, the type of words we can use, and a few other things that happen before you step on the stage.

For delivery, we’ll be working on the show-person inside you, from everything about how and where you can stand to what you can do apart from the presentation to grab the audience’s attention and more!

I understand some of you might be a little curious about the “Toastmasters International” thing. It is a public speaking forum. Since I know some of us here are visual learners while others prefer to read, if you are interested in exploring it, you can check out our article: All About Toastmasters – What Is It, My Journey And Why You Should Try It or check out this video:

We will be going chronologically because just like presentations, in articles too, we can’t eat the cake until after we bake it! Let’s get going!

Put on your creative hat and let’s get cracking.

1. Prioritise

Being an expert in a topic is usually a good thing but sometimes, experts know too much when compared to a complete beginner. There are three ways this situation can play out.

  • You skim over some extremely important yet insignificant looking foundational topics because you’ve chosen to prioritise a complex topic.
  • You dumb down things waaaay too much and you end up adding not much value for your audience or to your presentation
  • You do it just right, the right content and explanation, because either you have a knack for teaching or are a teacher, or just remember the days when you were a beginner perfectly.

Here is the catch, how do you know that your audience is a beginner crowd? This is one of the most important factors while prioritising your content.

Understanding your audience

Once you know your audience it becomes so much more easier to gauge the type of content that would add value and be useful to them.

You can use it to understand what type of topics you can cover, for beginners they might be looking at careers and building their foundation while the experts would rather enjoy a more technical and “in the news” take on the topic.

Pro Tip: Never! Never use complex jargons with your audience and if you have to, make sure to explain it on your slide or in your speech. With experts and people who know the field, you can use jargons but preferably use the least you can while not making it sound like you are dumbing it down for your audience.

Check out our video to gain a better understanding on how to analyse your audience!

2. Colours, fonts, layout and more!

We need to make your presentation look direct, concise and cute (this is the adjective I am going with, feel free to add your own!)

Colours, fonts and layouts and infographics and all of the other tools are something that gives your presentation a personality, and I believe it is best to find a colour scheme that reflects your personality.

For example, if you are a person who love minimalistic artefacts and aesthetics, a more softer, mellow, and essentially beige colour scheme is what would bounce off your personality on the stage.

If you are confused about what say “you” the best, the quickest way to define yourself with an adjective and go to Pinterest and search that word with maybe these keywords:

  • Bedroom Ideas
  • Office Décor
  • Outfit ideas

And pick the theme that you like the most!

Now listen here. I need your complete and undivided attention. Just because you need to define yourself with an adjective doesn’t mean you go into a downward philosophical spiral about your existence.

If you are finding it hard to define yourself, try figuring out how you want to come across in your presentation, do you want to appear organised – minimalist is the adjective for it. If you are looking to be intelligent or futuristic – techy / tech savvy could be an option.

Another way to figure out the colours, fonts and layouts and all the other tools of a presentation is to go by topic. Find out what your topic talks about and build your presentation personality from there!

2.1. Templates

how many words for a 5 minutes presentation

This is another quick and easy way to work on efficient presentations. Use readymade templates! There is no hard and fast rule that says you need to create your presentation from scratch. If it makes your life easy, why not!

With using templates comes this additional benefit of not needing to hunt for infographics or images or a neat layout, it is all handed out to you in a platter. They even have topic specific layouts created and ready to use! How cool is that?!?

There are so many sites out there for exactly this, some are listed below! 1. Canva 2. Slidego 3. Slides Carnival 4. Visme

The length of your presentation, here, the number of slides you have, should be in the range of 5-7.

Remember you are preparing for a presentation that will last for about 5 minutes and changing more than 1-2 slides a minute is time consuming and the audience would not be able to decide whether they should be focusing on what you are saying or showing.

I understand that wanting to speak about so many cool things within 5 minutes is not enough, I have been there!

Here is an easy way to refine your presentations to be as direct and crisp as possible:

Step 1: Data Dump

Do the data dump first. All the things you’ve prioritised and decided that you want to keep in your presentation, dump it all into your slides topic wise.

Step 2: Organise

Once you have all your data, move the slides around, find an order that goes from level 0 to level X – you decide the number of levels based on your topic!

Build a flow of information that is easy to grasp and understand and doesn’t jump back and forth as much.

Step 3: Edit

Now that you know what goes where and what comes after what, you can now choose to scrap topics (yes again, the more you refine the more you can get the perfect well rounded finish on your presentation) and combine them.

Step 4: Make pretty!

If you are combining topics in your presentation, doesn’t mean you make it crowded and too much information for the audience to consume, they would end up reading the slide instead of paying any attention to you and we do not want that, no matter what your stage fright tells you.

You presentation needs to look neat, appealing to the eye, not hard to read and simple.

If it is getting too much, I would suggest going to one of the template sites mentioned above and just check out the various templates available to get a grasp on what I am talking about. It is extremely simple and easy. You got this!

Here is another article you can check out to see what other tools you can use to make your presentation better! 5 Presentations Tools To Use With Multimedia Presentations

4. Other effects

Things like animation, slide transitions and other effects have a huge advantage in making your presentation look pleasing to the eye, but is it very easy to overdo it.

Here is a hack that I use to make sure that I never make my presentation “too much.”

One word: Consistency.

If you are using a slide transition, make sure to apply it to all your slides. This creates a form of flow (try saying that 5 times quickly!) in your delivery.

Also, given that you do not have many slides, it doesn’t make sense for you to waste time on transitions both while creating and delivering your presentation.

The same goes for animations, there are so many options available, you can even make them come on clicks and use it as a “step-wise” explanation technique.

Person delivering a presentation

There are so many things you can do to have a killer delivery, but the fact is that to bask in your limelight for those 5 minutes, you need to prepare fairly in advance.

Let’s check out a few things that you can do to help rock your delivery!

1. Use the right pronouns

I am a proud ally and one way I can effect change is though what I do.

Here’s my tip to you, try asking for any person’s pronouns before you address them with one. If you are uncomfortable asking, instead of using an assumptive pronoun, use they/them. It is gender neutral and puts forth a more formal and no-conflict tone.

It is important to announce your pronouns as well for people to know how they are supposed to address you.

Here is a helpful article I found about gender pronouns if you are interested in learning more about it! What To Know About Gender Pronouns

Outfit for a short presentation

This won’t require you to explore Pinterest but it would help if you check out the room you are going to be speaking in.

Make sure to wear well contrasting colours with the background and the presentation so that you stand out and make it easy for your audience to spot you and refocus when they dose off or aren’t attentive.

Let’s say that you’ve got a well lit room, your outfit does not blend in with the background and your presentation is both interactive and informative. You stand in one place and begin. You are doing everything right and yet, the audience seems distracted.

One possible explanation would be that you are stagnant and in being so, for the audience, you may not have blended into the background but you have become a part of it!

Moving around when you give a presentation is effective, but you need to gauge when to do it. An easy hack to this is: Speak-Stay, Transition-Transportation.

It essentially means that when you are speaking or delivering an important point, stay in one place, the only thing the audience should need to focus on is your content, but when you move from one topic or segment to another, you move, it shows the audience that they are moving on from topic to another and helps smoothen your transitions.

Another thing to keep in mind is that, there might be situations where you can not move, less stage area, the mic is attached to the podium, it is an online platform or physical limitations. Do not fret. It is okay and you can use your voice by changing tones or effect transitions instead or you can come up with your own creative technique!

Pro Tip: Make sure that when you do move, do not hide your presentation slide and try to speak from either ends of the screen.

4. Make things relevant

Is your presentation about palaeontology or space travel?

It can be anything under the sun, but one of the best ways to keep the audience alert and interested is by connecting it to the present.

Basic Human Psychology. Talk or mention something that they possibly would’ve heard about and their ears will prick up, or ask them a simple question like “Have you heard about XYZ?” and wait for their response, react, connect that to your content and move on.

This will make the audience feel that they know something about the topic and will keep them interested.

Wait. How do you know what the audience knows? Current Affairs.

There is always some news which is trending or controversial or simply too important that it is all people talk about, use that to your benefit, read up on your current affairs and decide what suits your content the best and work on segue to bring it up enough to hold your audience’s attention but not too detailed that you deviate from the topic. 

There are various other ways to keep your audience engaged, check out this TedTalk to learn more about it!

Examples of 5 Minute Presentations

Here are some examples to help you understand different ways you can build your presentation!

Topic Ideas

Topic ideas for short presentations

Now that you have an easy guide to creating and delivering a killer short presentation, here are a few topic ideas that you might like to use!

  • Adopting a pet
  • Endangered Species
  • Therapy Animals
  • Financing for College
  • How to choose your major
  • Coffee – Good / Bad Habit
  • Body Shaming
  • Social Media and its importance
  • Outer space
  • Stereotypes and superstitions (like using the number 13!)

Final Thoughts

Short presentations are fairly easy to give and are fun. If you find it difficult, that is normal too. Just take it one step at a time and prioritise your content FIRST, trust me. A mammoth of your work will be done.

Deep breaths and steps at your own pace, you’ll get there. 🙂

Hrideep Barot

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Introducing Speech Time Calculate

Estimate how many minutes your speeches, presentations, and voice-over scripts will take based on your words per minute rate!

How To Speech Time Calculate Using This Tool?

If you have a certain number of words or a piece of text you want to time, you can either type in the word count or paste the text into the provided area. This tool will then calculate how long it would take to read that text out loud.

The talk time estimate is calculated using the average speaking speed of adults, which is determined to be 183 words per minute based on scientific studies. If you’re interested in how long it would take to read silently, it’s estimated at 238 words per minute ( This data is also backed by research )

You can adjust the slider to change the words per minute value, which will affect the talk time estimate. However, the silent reading time estimate remains fixed at 238 words per minute.

For ease of use, we’ve also provided reference points for slow, average, and fast reading rates below the slider.

To begin anew, simply click the ‘clear text’ button to erase the content and restore the slider back to its original setting of 183.

Who is This Words to Minutes Converter Tool For?

If you are a student wondering how long is my essay or you’ve been tasked with writing a speech and need to know how many words to aim for and how many minutes will it take to deliver or perhaps you are a podcaster, just starting out, who wants the ability to easily synchronize music and spoken word without having to painstakingly calculate seconds between them, then this Speech Time Calculate is precisely for you!

From now on, instead of spending long hours in front of the computer trying to figure out how many seconds it takes for one phrase or section of dialogue to end and another to begin, you can let our innovative tool do all the work and convert your text to time quickly and accurately. With this powerful tool at your disposal, whether you’re giving a TED talk or just need to nail a business presentation, your life will become a little bit easier.

So keep reading to learn more about what this fantastic words to minutes converter has in store for public speakers, aspiring students, and professional radio producers alike!

Whether you want to read the text silently or speak aloud, you can use this tool as both:

  • Reading time calculator
  • Talk time calculator

Explanation of the Reading Time

Reading time refers to the duration it takes for an average person to read a written text silently while still comprehending its content. Based on an extensive analysis of 190 studies that involved 18,573 participants , research conducted by Marc Brysbaert in 2019 suggests that the typical silent reading speed for an adult individual is approximately 238 words per minute .

To convert word count to read time for a specific text, you can do so by dividing the total word count of the text by this established value of 238. Here is the mathematical equation for determining the duration of reading time in minutes:

Reading Time = Total Word Count / 238

Explanation of the Speech Time

Speech time refers to the duration it takes for an average person to read a text out loud. Based on data from 77 studies involving 5,965 people , it’s been found that most adults read aloud at a speed of approximately 183 words per minute ( research conducted by Marc Brysbaert in 2019 ). To figure out how long it will take to read a specific piece of text aloud, you can divide the total number of words in the text by this average rate of 183 words per minute.

Of course, it’s important to note that talk time can vary depending on factors such as clarity of speech, pauses for emphasis, and use of visual aids. However, using this tool for converting the number of words to minutes can still provide a helpful guideline for planning and practicing your presentation. By having a better understanding of speech rates, you can ensure that your message is delivered effectively and efficiently.

Benefits of Using a Speech Time Calculate

Time management in presentations.

Effective time management during presentations is crucial to ensure the audience remains engaged and the information is accurately conveyed. This is where our words to speaking time converter comes in handy. By using this tool, presenters can easily determine how many words they need to include in their presentation to stay within the allotted time frame.

Not only does it help with time management, but it also ensures that the pacing of the presentation is consistent, making it easier for the audience to follow. With the use of this presentation time calculator, presenters can confidently deliver their presentations without the worry of running over time or rushing through it.

Estimated speech time for public speaking

Public speaking can be nerve-wracking, especially when you have too little or too much information to fill your time slot. You wonder only if there were an accurate public speaking time calculator available so that you could be able to allocate the appropriate amount of time to each section of your presentation, ensuring that you cover all the necessary points without rushing or going over time.

Effective pacing is key in ensuring your message is delivered with clarity and impact.

Most public speakers target an average of 130-150 words per minute for their spoken content, meaning you should aim to limit your speaking time to roughly one minute per 130-150 words. While this may take some practice to achieve, the end result is a confident, well-timed delivery that keeps your audience engaged from start to finish.

Remember, in public speaking, less is often more—take your time to breathe and emphasize key points. Your audience will appreciate your thoughtful and measured approach. For that, you can use this tool and adjust your words to speech time.

Accurate estimations for audiobooks and podcasts

As more and more people turn to audiobooks and podcasts for their entertainment and information needs, accurate estimations of listening time have become more important than ever. After all, there’s nothing worse than settling in for a quick listen only to find yourself trapped in a story that goes on for hours longer than you anticipated.

That’s why it’s great to see publishers and podcast producers taking estimated reading time seriously, providing listeners with the information they need to choose the right content for their schedule. Whether you’re looking for a quick listen on your daily commute or a lengthy distraction for a lazy Sunday afternoon, accurate estimations using this words to speak time calculator make it easier than ever to find the perfect content.

Some Popular Speech Times

how many words in a 2 minute speech

Almost 300 words

how many words in a 3 minute speech

Almost 450 words

how many words in a 4 minute speech

Almost 600 words

how many words in a 15 minute speech

Almost 2250 words

The speech time is calculated taking 150 words per minute as reference value

Common conversions (average speed)

How long does it take to read 500 words?

3.8 minutes

How long does it take to read 750 words?

5.8 minutes

How long does it take to read 1000 words?

7.7 minutes

How long does it take to read 1200 words?

9.2 minutes

How long does it take to read 1500 words?

11.5 minutes

How long does it take to read 1800 words?

13.8 minutes

How long does it take to read 2000 words?

15.4 minutes

How long does it take to read 3000 words?

23.1 minutes

As the world becomes more fast-paced, time is a precious commodity. Determining how long your script will take to read, whether for a presentation or a video, can make a significant difference in engaging and retaining your audience’s attention.

That’s where our Words to Time Converter comes in handy. It’s a valuable tool for anyone working in various professions, from broadcast journalists to teachers to executives. No matter the industry, time is of the essence, and knowing how long your speech or presentation will take is crucial for effective communication.

Media Heroes

5-Minute Speech Word Count + Crucial Writing & Speaking Tips

If you’re faced with the frightening notion of giving a 5-minute speech, whether for business or “pleasure,” you’ll need to know roughly how many words to write. Nobody enjoys listening to someone drone on for too long, or witnessing a speech that is shorter than Danny Devito’s trousers. The timing of your speech needs to be just right, and perfectly suited to the occasion.

In this article, we explore the 5-minute speech word count, what affects it, and provide some writing and speaking tips for delivering an excellent, memorable speech. We also outline the word counts for other timed speeches, depending on your average talking speed. Let’s get to it.

What is the 5-minute speech word count?

5 minute speech word count microphone

The 5-minute speech word count is roughly 750 words. This is based on the average talking speed of 150 words per minute (WPM).

Of course, the timing of your speech will vary depending on how quickly you talk, as well as the words that you use. Monosyllabic words are shorter than multisyllabic words, so if your speech is filled with long-winded academic language, or you’re trying to show people how clever you are by using engorged, flowery words (like I just did here), you’ll probably need far fewer for your 5 minutes. We strongly recommend against this kind of thing anyway—people usually prefer listening to speeches with simple, easy-to-understand language (more on this below). As for your natural talking speed, this can also drastically affect how many words you need to use for your 5-minute speech, so once you’ve finished writing it, the best course of action is to read your speech through and time yourself. It’s the only real way of knowing whether you’re going to hit the 5-minute mark.

Nerves play a part in speed too, and while it’s nigh-on-impossible to vanquish your nerves entirely, try to keep your natural speaking pace so that you stay close to 5 minutes. Even if you come in a little shorter, it’s unlikely to be a problem unless you happen to have a deranged supervisor with a stopwatch. Practising the speech will also help to combat your nerves—you’ll be much more familiar with the text, and will have practised any difficult or awkward words that are easy to trip over.

Writing tips for your 5-minute speech

Good writing is the foundation of every first-rate 5-minute speech. If it’s badly written, it will probably sound bad when it’s spoken. But don’t panic—there are some key writing principles you can follow that will help you to pen a great speech:

  • Be conversational— unless you’re a glutton for punishment, you’d probably prefer to be spoken to than lectured to. A speech that is conversational tends to be more engaging, interesting, and goes down much more easily. Try to be as friendly and conversational as you can, and write how you would naturally talk.
  • Use short words —as we touched on above, short words are not only easier for people to understand, they will make your speech easier to say, and will feel less like a lecture and more like an informal chat. It’s obviously fine if you need to use long technical words, but try to keep them at a minimum, and briefly explain them if necessary (this depends on your audience, which brings us to our next tip).
  • Remove unnecessary words— you can almost always remove unnecessary words from your speech to make it sharper. Words like “that,” “just,” and “completely” are just a few examples, but there are many many more .
  • Use the active voice— this is a style of writing where the subject of the sentence is doing something, rather than having something done to them. For example: “the team hit their goals” uses the active voice and is more vivid than its passive variation: “the team’s goals were hit.” If you use the active voice where possible, your writing will sound more direct and confident.
  • Anticipate your audience’s wants and needs— try to align the purpose of your speech with what the audience wants or needs to know. If you hit the nail on the head, they’ll come away with information that is genuinely useful to them, and will naturally be more interested in what you have to say.
  • Tell stories— as humans, most of us enjoy listening to stories more than anything else. They tap into our primal need for meaning, and help us make sense of the world in ways that we are familiar with. If it works, try to include a narrative throughout your speech that has a beginning, middle, and end. This can be challenging, but it could make your speech captivating. If you’re interested, check out our article on digital storytelling for more info on this topic.
  • Give examples— dry theoretical facts are hard to digest, but they can be made more interesting and vivid with examples, and will help people to remember them.
  • Use comedy —if it’s appropriate, try to sprinkle some humour into your speech, as it will instantly become much more engaging. Just try to avoid anything sexist or racist. And the Holocaust. Don’t joke about the Holocaust.
  • Summarise your main points— if appropriate, wrap up your speech with a short summary of points. This helps people to remember the material, and is especially useful for business presentations.

If you really struggle with writing and have a crucial speech to make, you can always consider hiring a professional ghostwriter . Politicians and other famous people do this all the time.

Speaking tips for your 5-minute speech

Now that you’ve written your beautiful 5-minute speech, and your word count is spot on, you can start preparing for its delivery. Here are a few key speaking and preparation tips that will help.

  • Accept your nervousness —unless you’re in the lucky 10% who don’t mind public speaking, you’re going to be nervous. Probably very nervous. And there’s nothing to do but accept them, as uncomfortable as they are. Fighting just makes them worse, so try to reluctantly acknowledge them and remember that you are going to be ok.
  • Take some deep belly breaths— breathing deeply through your belly (called diaphragmatic breathing) reduces the stress hormone cortisol in your body, and will help you calm you down. It takes conscious effort too, so can be a welcome distraction until you take the stage.
  • Practise— print your speech, stand in front of a mirror, and practise the hell out of it. The more you practise, the more familiar you will become with the words, the cadence of the sentences, and the right speed. When it’s time to deliver the speech, you’ll be a pro.
  • Take your time— nervousness causes people to talk faster, which can corrode the quality of a speech. Try your best to talk at your natural speed, with plenty of regular pauses (this is especially important when you shift from one point to another).
  • Look up regularly —the eyes are the window to the soul, and if yours are glued to your speech for the full 5-minutes, it risks becoming soulless. Try to look up as frequently as you can, even if it’s every 30 seconds.
  • Interact with the audience —if appropriate, interact with your audience by asking questions, using props, or any other tool that will get people talking. This can make your presentation more engaging, and may also reduce your nerves because the spotlight will be temporarily away from you.

Word counts for other speech times

If you’re looking for word counts for other common speech times, you’ll find them below. As with the 5-minute speech word count, this is a rough guide because the times vary depending on the length and syllables of words in your speech.

(175 wpm) (150 wpm) (125 wpm)
1-minute 175 words 150 words 125 words
2-minute 350 words 300 words 250 words
3-minute 525 words 450 words 375 words
4-minute 700 words 600 words 500 words
5-minute 875 words 750 words 625 words
10-minute 1750 words 1500 words 1250 words
15-minute 2625 words 2250 words 1875 words
20-minute 3500 words 3000 words 2500 words

5-minute speech word count—summary

The 5-minute speech word count is about 750 words, but this varies depending on how quickly you talk, and the words used in the speech. So practising and timing yourself  is the best way to get close to the 5-minutes. Good luck—we hope you smash it!

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  • Presentations

How to Make Short 5-Minute Presentations With Quick Ideas & Tips (+Video)

Laura Spencer

  • Bahasa Indonesia
  • العربية/عربي

Need to learn how to make a short presentation? A quick presentation has unique challenges. In this article, we'll look at tips and ideas for 3 to 5 minute presentations. We'll also check out some 5-minute presentation samples, and other tips and tricks for planning your mini presentation. 

Presenting a quick 5 minute presentation

There are many situations where you may need to give a short presentation. For example, you may need to give a 5-minute presentation for job interview criteria. Or you may need to give a mini presentation in 5 minutes to brief your team, at work. 5-minute presentation topics can vary, but have a few key things in common:

  • A quick presentation should be concise and to the point.
  • 5-minute presentation topics should be strategic, but not too complex.
  • A short presentation, like 3 to 5 minute presentations, doesn't need too many slides.

Need Help? Download Our eBook on Making Great Presentations (Free)

We also have a useful complement to this tutorial. Download our FREE eBook: The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations. It'll help you write, design, and deliver the perfect presentation. Quickly grab it before you read on. 

Free eBook PDF Download Make a Great Presentation

Make Amazing 5-Minute Presentations (Quickstart Video)

Step 1. know your audience well, step 2. choose the right 5-minute presentation topics, step 3. use a professional presentation template for your mini presentation, step 4. start your quick presentation with a powerful attention grabber, step 5. practice makes perfect, plan your short presentation length, 5-minute presentation samples, make your presentation scalable, download our ebook on making great presentations (free pdf), make a great 5-minute presentation today.

Do you need to make a 5-minute PowerPoint presentation quickly? Get started right now with this video:

how many words for a 5 minutes presentation

Learn even more about short, mini-presentations in the tutorial below: 

With only five minutes for your presentation, you don't want to waste time covering information your audience already knows. To make sure that you reach your audience with material that they can understand and relate too, you need to know as much about them as you can.

If you don't understand your audience, it's unlikely that you'll be able to hold their interest. Research your audience to find out as much as you can about them. A quick way to find out more about your audience is to ask the organization or person who invited you to give the presentation for more information about who you'll be addressing.

Now that you've learned about your audience, it's time to choose a topic.

For short presentations, your topic selection is very important. Some topics just do not lend themselves well to presentations because they're too complex.

Here some crucial points to consider when selecting a presentation topic for a 5-minute presentation:

  • Choose a topic you're already familiar with. This will cut the time you spend researching your topic.
  • Keep it simple. Avoid complex topics that need lots of explanation. If a topic is complex, pick a single, simple aspect of it to present on, rather than trying to cover it all.
  • Stick to one or two main points. Also limit yourself to a minimal number of sub-points. Because your presentation length is limited, it's unlikely you'll have time for more than that.
  • Remember your audience's background. I can't say this enough—to create an engaging presentation you must know your audience.

Now, write your draft:

how many words for a 5 minutes presentation

After your draft is ready, it's time to start thinking about how your presentation is going to look.

Even short presentations need to look nice. Since this is a quick presentation, you'll save lots of time by using a template.

Templates give your presentation a professional look without you needing to spend the money to hire a professional designer or the time to design your own template. For most presentation templates, just insert your own information in the appropriate places and add your own images. Then, remove the slides from the template that you do not need.

You can find a wide variety of professional templates available on  Envato Elements . To get an idea of the difference that a professional template can make for your presentation, here's a look at this stylish PowerPoint presentation template from Envato Elements.

powerpoint presentation template

This PowerPoint template has over 125 slides to choose from, so there's a wealth of content to work with. It's easy to complete your presentation with a professionally designed template on your side.

Discover more PowerPoint template designs with powerful features on Envato Elements. The right premium PPT template  will help you make a great presentation quickly. 

You'll find even more excellent professional Microsoft PowerPoint template options in these curated articles. They're a great resource if you're looking for even more 5-minute presentation ideas: 

how many words for a 5 minutes presentation

Since your presentation is so short, you'll want to pay some extra attention to the opening. You probably don't have time to show a video or play complex animations. You may not even have time to play a soundtrack.

That's okay. There are other ways to grab your audience's attention. These quick attention grabbers are great for short presentations:

  • storytelling
  • poll the audience
  • mention a startling statistic
  • show a compelling image

In a short presentation, it's also a good idea to organize your material so that your most important point is discussed first. This insures that you've covered your most important point in case either of the following happens:

  • You run out of time.
  • Your audience loses interest.

Your short presentation should be starting to come together now, but you're not ready to give your presentation until you complete the next step.

For a short speech, practice is critical. Timing your presentation is also the only way to know for sure how long it'll take. The shorter the presentation the more crucial it is that you time your speech. For example, if you're giving a 5-minute presentation for a job interview, you'll really want to stay within the required time frame! 

Practice gives you a chance to really polish your presentation. Focus on sounding comfortable and confident. Work on eliminating or reducing any distracting personal habits. Many speakers benefit from having a third party listen as they practice.

Practice giving your 5 minute presentation with colleagues or friends

Ideally, you want to be able to present your material without reading it verbatim (which can sound stilted and unnatural). So, you'll be learning your material as you practice.

Once you feel confident about your presentation, time it. Have a colleague or friend help you keep track of how long you speak. Or use a recording device or other electronic timer.

If you find that your presentation runs over the five-minute mark, remove some of your less important points from the end. Be cautious about doing this, though. Nerves can cause many speakers to speak more quickly during the actual presentation than they normally would.

If your presentation falls short of the five-minute mark, add another short point or summarize what you've discussed to make up the time difference.

You're basically ready to give your 5-minute presentation. But there are a few more things you should know.

When creating a timed, quick presentation, a common question is "how many PowerPoint slides do I need for a presentation that lasts X minutes?"

The answer is ... it depends. There are many variables that determine the number of slides required to fill a specific time slot.

Not all slides are created equal. You'll want to discuss the information on some in more detail because it's more complex. Other slides, such as images, may require no discussion on your part. Also, every speaker speaks at a different pace. So, someone who speaks quickly will probably require more slides than someone who speaks more slowly.

These variables are why it's so important to time your presentation before you give it.

Its important to time your presentation delivery with your slides

Remember, though, being nervous can make you speak more quickly than you normally would. So, try to keep your pace normal. A short pause between points can help you get your bearings, even if you're giving a presentation in 5 minutes.

The most common presentation mistake is to have too many slides. Having too many slides poses a problem in several ways:

  • It's harder for you, as a speaker to keep up with all that material. You're more likely to have to read your presentation.
  • Your audience is unlikely to remember all that material anyway. Your main point is likely to get lost.
  • In a shorter presentation, you're more likely to run out of time.

While I can't tell you exactly how many PowerPoint slides for a five minute presentation, I can provide you with some overall guidelines that'll work for many speakers. Use these guidelines to plan your presentation and adapt them as needed.

Slide Guidelines for Various Presentation Lengths

Even the experts disagree on how much time you should spend on a single slide. And not all slides in your slide presentation require the same amount of time to present. Still, there are some steps you can use to figure out how many slides you'll need.

Start by dividing your presentation into two types of slides:

  • Simple. A simple slide requires very little explanation on your part. Examples of this type of slide would be your title slide or a graphic that speaks for itself. Aside from your title slide, most experts agree that you should try to spend less than 30 seconds on a simple slide.
  • Complex. This slide requires some explanation on your part. These are the slides that you'll use to convey your message. Most experts agree that you should spend between one and no more than three minutes on this type of slide. When you're timing your presentation if you find that a slide takes more than three minutes to present, divide it into two slides.

During your practice session, pay attention to how long each type of slide takes you to present. If you've given lots of presentations already, you may already know. If you're new to giving presentations, you'll have to get this figure when you time your presentation as you practice.

Here's how these guidelines might play out when planning different length presentations:

  • 1-Minute Presentation . Stick to one main idea. Keep it simple. A single slide may be enough. But use no more than two slides--one of which is a title slide with the company name and presentation title that won't require discussion. If you can, have the title slide on the screen before your presentation starts. Leave it up as you introduce the presentation (about 15 seconds). The second slide covers a very simple main point (plan on 45 seconds to discuss it). You may have no sub-points and no discussion, as this is a very short talk.
  • 3-Minute Presentation. Again, stick to one or two simple, main ideas. You may have several simple sub-points. Use the company name slide to open your presentation (15 seconds). If your topic is complex, you may spend nearly the entire three minutes on a single slide. For simple topics that require less than a minute per slide, you may need up to six slides.
  • 5-Minute Presentation. For this slightly longer presentation you can cover four very simple points or one complex point with several sub-points. Plan on a title slide (up to 30 seconds), and you can insert some opening humor or other attention grabber. With a complex topic slide you may find yourself spending three minutes on it, which would leave about a minute and a half for two sub-points--so four slides in that scenario. You may need up to ten slides if your topics are very simple.
  • 15-Minute Presentation. With a longer presentation like this, plan on a pause of several minutes after about seven minutes. You could use this time as a question-and-answer period. Or just allow your audience to stretch. Following the break, you'll need another attention grabber. You also have time to include more complex attention grabbers such as short videos and animations. You could need between five and 20 slides, depending on the complexity of your material.
  • 30-Minute or Longer Presentations. Longer presentations allow you to present more material that's more complex. You're also likely to include more slides. When creating a longer presentation, don't forget to allow for your audience's human needs. You'll need to include more planned pauses. Also, most experts agree that you should plan on a bathroom break at least once an hour. After the bathroom break, you'll need to recapture your audience's attention again. For very long presentations you may need to plan for a snack or a meal.

You won't know for sure how closely to follow these guidelines unless you time your speech. After practicing, you may find that you need to tweak the guidelines by adding or subtracting a slide. Or if you're spending too much time on a single slide, you may need to narrow down your material.

Below I've included slides that I created using this professional PowerPoint template from Envato Elements. A simple professional PowerPoint template offers a great starting point to work from. These slides are made quickly for a short presentation.

From practicing, I know that this presentation takes approximately two minutes to give. Here's the first slide, which is my title:

A 15 second presentation title slide

For this slide, all the presenter would need to say is their name, the title of the presentation, and the name of the company. Note that not everything the presenter says is on the slide. This title slide took me 15 seconds to present. Your results could vary.

Here's the next slide:

A simple 30 second presentation slide

This slide basically introduces the company. Again, not everything I'm going to say is on the slide. This simple slide took me 30 seconds to present.

Here's a second example of a 30 second slide:

Another simple presentation slide

The final slide in this very short presentation is a little more complex, but it still only took 45 seconds for me to present:

45 second presentation slide

Many professionals are asked to do variations of the same presentation over and over. Sales professionals, for example, may need to have long and short versions of the same presentation topic. This would mean giving your presentation in 5 minutes or 30 minutes. But how do you scale a large or mini presentation? 

If this is what you need to do, keep in mind the points above. It's best to create and save the long version presentation first. Then edit the material down and re-save it as a shorter, more focused version of the presentation. Be careful not to overwrite your original presentation though.

Once you've done this several times, it'll get easier.

We've got the perfect complement to this tutorial, which will walk you through the complete presentation process. Learn how to write your presentation, design it like a pro, and prepare it to present powerfully. 

Download our eBook: The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations . It's available for free with a subscription to the Tuts+ Business Newsletter. 

Free eBook PDF Download Make a Great Presentation

Now you know how to make a short presentation of your own. You can create an effective slide presentation for any amount of time, if you know how. With the right planning, you can quickly create snappy 5-minute presentations with just the right number of slides.

When creating a short presentation, remember that it's important to know your audience well. It's also crucial that you pick a simple topic that's right for them. Most importantly, remember to practice and time your presentation. Timing is the only way to know for sure how long it'll take you to give a presentation. Keep in mind that you may speed up your delivery during the actual presentation, so aim to account for that.

Also, don't forget how important your slide design is to making an effective presentation. Remember to check out the PowerPoint presentation templates on Envato Elements. One low monthly price gets you unlimited access to the entire library of templates!

Now, that you know what to do, you're ready to create your own 5-minute presentation. Good luck!

Editorial Note: This tutorial was originally published in July of 2017. It's been updated to make sure it's completely relevant and a video has been added by Daisy Ein .

Laura Spencer

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How To Design and Deliver a 5-Minute Presentation

How To Design and Deliver a 5-Minute Presentation

Attention spans are lower than they’ve ever been. We have the rise of short-form video content— TikTok— to thank for that. Short-form videos has changed the way audiences consume content in that they want to get to the key takeaway as quickly as possible. When you apply the new attention span norm (or lack thereof) to a presentation, a 60 minute presentation simply isn’t effective anymore. Presenters need to get their message across more efficiently in order to keep an audience engaged. Insert: a 5-minute presentation. 

A 5-minute presentation might be taking it to an extreme, and we realize not every deck can be trimmed down to meet those time restraints, but there are benefits to designing and delivering a quick, and to-the-point deck. The biggest benefits being time and engagement. The longer your presentation goes on, the greater the chance that you’re losing your audience to boredom. If you’re able to pack a bigger punch in less time, your audience will retain more of what you’re telling them with an interest in continuing the conversation. A shorter presentation also helps the presenter prioritize what really matters in the story so that they’re leading with more meaningful and valuable information. A win-win for everyone involved. 

In this blog we help you rethink your presentation game, and share how to design and deliver a 5-minute presentation effectively.  

Slides to include in a 5-minute presentation

When you’re preparing a quick presentation, the less time you spend on design the more time you have to focus on the delivery. But on the same coin, your deck design needs to be organized and impactful. This is where presentation software, like Beautiful.ai , really shines. Our Smart Slide templates automatically apply the principles of good design, so even the most amateur designers can create stunning slides in a fraction of the time by easily plugging in their content. The smart technology takes on the burden of design choices so that presenters can focus on what matters most: their 5-minute story. 

Here are the slides you should include in your 5-minute presentation deck. 

Title slide

A title slide is self-explanatory, but since this is a 5-minute presentation, you’ll want to provide as much context as possible without compromising the design. A title slide in this case should include the what (subject matter), why (it’s importance), and who (the thought-leader or expert on the topic). You won’t spend much time on this slide in the presentation, but it will tell the audience exactly what they’re about to learn and (hopefully) grab their attention. 

Outline slide

What are the specifics that you plan to cover in your 5-minute presentation? The next slide (the outline) should showcase more details about the presentation on a high-level. This helps set expectations with the audience on what’s to come, and how it’s relevant to them. 

Pro tip: incorporate animations and visual assets where it makes sense on slides to keep the audience engaged the entire 5 minutes.

Problem description

Before you can introduce your solution, you need to make the problem clear. The problem can be a gap in the market, a unique pain point, or an opportunity for improvement. By explaining the problem, you’re creating a sense of urgency and anticipation for your value proposition and the solution you’re offering. 

Proposed approach

You’ve piqued the interest of your audience, now it’s time to hit them with your proposed approach. What is the solution to the problem, and how will it benefit them? You only have five minutes, but don’t skimp on this slide. Your proposed solution should be very specific and the value should be clear. 

Summary slide

How you end a 5-minute presentation matters. Your summary slide should pack a punch, and leave the audience wanting more. This is what will motivate them to follow up or follow through with the final call-to-action (assuming there is one). You can treat your summary slide as an executive summary and recap the most important points, or leave them with a powerful statistic and next steps. 

Delivering a 5-minute presentation

Your deck is done, now let’s nail the delivery. Five minutes isn’t a lot of time to add context to the content you chose to include in the deck. Each slide in the presentation should have one key idea so the takeaways are obvious and clear. In your delivery, you can add color to those slides and elaborate where necessary. But remember, it’s a 5-minute presentation, and you should aim to present a slide per minute (give or take) to give yourself ample time to hit each key point. 

Because of the time limitations, practice is key. Do a few dry runs of your presentation in front of your dog or the mirror to ensure you're adhering to the time limitations, and then do a few more. Practice will help you ace your speech, while ensuring there aren’t any technical issues with your presentation throughout the deck. 

As a follow-up, you might choose to send your presentation deck to the audience via email after the meeting so they can view it in their own time. This gives them time to comb through your content at their leisure, which may result in additional questions or feedback. Use your email as an opportunity to remind them of the CTA and encourage them to take the next steps. 

Jordan Turner

Jordan Turner

Jordan is a Bay Area writer, social media manager, and content strategist.

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How to Write a Powerful 5-minute Speech

how many words for a 5 minutes presentation

How much should you say if you’re asked to speak for 5 minutes?

If you’ve ever had to give a speech or presentation, you know that timing is critical. But how many words should you aim for in a five-minute speech? The answer isn’t as straightforward as you might think. Let’s break down what it takes to fit the right amount of words into your 5-minute speech.

First things first: How fast do you speak?

When it comes to public speaking, your pace (also known as pacing, speaking speed, or speaking rate) is measured in words per minute (WPM). The average person speaks at a rate of 125 to 150 WPM.

Your pace will depend on factors such as nervousness, the complexity of the material, and time constraints. The most important factor is your baseline pace.

If your average speaking speed is 150 WPM, the average word count for a 5-minute talk would be 750 words. If you speak faster or slower than this, the word count of your presentation will need to be adjusted accordingly. Consider a minimum of 650 words and a maximum of 850 words.

💡 Pro tip: Practice your speech at least three times to get a sense of your average pace. If possible, practice in front of a live audience (one or two friends) to simulate the fear or nerves you might experience when you give your speech. Practicing also helps with memorization, which can significantly reduce anxiety when presenting in front of an audience! It’s always better to be over-prepared than under-prepared when presenting any material.

Now that you know how many words you should aim for in your 5-minute speech, it’s time to focus on the content. Remember, a powerful speech isn’t just about how many words you can cram in; it’s about delivering a clear, compelling message that resonates with your audience.

Next, we’ll go over some tips to help you write a powerful 5-minute speech.

What type of speech are you giving?

The length of your speech will depend on the type of speech you’re giving.

For example, if you’re giving a persuasive speech, you may need more time to make your argument and provide supporting evidence. In that case, you may need to speak more quickly to fit in enough details. (On the contrary, consider whether the adage “less is more” applies to your speech or whether visual aids can help you communicate information more quickly and in fewer words.)

You may only need a few hundred words if you’re giving a short introduction or a thank-you speech. In these cases, you can speak more slowly and add longer pauses.

If you’re giving an informative speech—such as at a conference or professional event—you may need to include more technical information or industry jargon, which may require more words.

Remember the purpose of your speech and the key points you want to convey. Doing this will help you determine the appropriate length and pace for your speech.

💡 Pro tip: When you practice, keep track of how much time each section takes so you know exactly where to cut or add more content for better pacing.

What is your audience’s attention span?

Another essential factor to consider is your audience’s attention span. It’s been said that the average attention span of an adult is around 8 seconds. That means you must capture your audience’s attention early on and re-engage them throughout your speech.

Ways to engage your audience:

Start with a strong opening. Your opening should grab the audience’s attention and set the tone for the rest of the speech. You could start with a surprising fact, a personal anecdote, or a rhetorical question.

Use stories and examples. Stories and examples are a great way to illustrate your points. They also help your audience relate to your message on a personal level.

How can you make the most of your 5 minutes?

Now that you know approximately how many words you need for a 5-minute speech, making the most of your talk time is essential. Prepare your speech well in advance, and practice it until you feel comfortable delivering it.

Focus on your core message.

First, remember that the most crucial part of any speech is the core message you convey. Make sure that everything you say supports this message.

Before you start writing your speech, create an outline for yourself. Think about what key ideas you want to highlight in your speech and the order in which they should come. Doing this will help streamline your thoughts and give you direction as you write. The more detailed your outline is, the easier it will be to organize your ideas while writing out your full speech.

Be concise.

Use concise language that gets right to the point. The last thing you want to do is waste time using words that are redundant or don’t say anything of importance. As much as possible, try using short sentences and simple language that everyone can understand easily. Doing this also means avoiding technical jargon or words that are too complex for most people.

Practice your delivery.

When you deliver your speech, make sure to speak clearly and at a pace that is easy for your audience to follow. Use inflection and body language to emphasize key points and engage your audience. Use Speeko to get feedback on different areas of your speaking style.

Know your audience.

When you craft any presentation, think about who it is being presented for.

You must understand who your audience is and what they’re expecting from you. Knowing who will be listening will help ensure that the content of your speech resonates with them and keeps their attention throughout the presentation.

Consider your audience’s age range, interests, occupations, background knowledge, etc. Doing this will help shape which stories or facts you should include in your speech so you can tailor the content appropriately for maximum impact.

The number of words in a 5-minute speech will vary depending on your speaking pace, the type of speech you’re giving, and your audience’s attention span.

Knowing which words should go into your five-minute speech will help ensure that both you, as the speaker, and your audience—get what they need from the speech.

Remember, you only have 5 minutes to deliver your speech. Make sure you practice your timing so that you don’t ramble on or rush through your points. Practice, practice, practice, and don’t forget to breathe and enjoy the moment!

With practice and preparation, you can most of your 5 minutes, leave a lasting impression on your audience and become a confident public speaker!

how many words for a 5 minutes presentation

Download Speeko (iOS/macOS) to practice and get A.I. feedback on your presentation.

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Tap into the power of A.I. coaching to unleash your full speaking potential. Use Speeko’s to prepare, write, and organize your speech. From gathering your stories to using humor, you’ll strengthen your skills and receive invaluable feedback on key areas of your speaking style.

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Anthony Pham is co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Speeko.

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How many words in 5 minutes?

Learn how many words are in a five minute speech..

  • Slow 550 words
  • Average 650 words
  • Fast 800 words

These estimates help you organize your speech to match the speed you want to speak at and make sure it fits into the time you have.

Slow Speaking Rate

If you speak slowly, you'll typically use about 110 words per minute. For a 5 minute speech, you'd need approximately 550 words. This pace is suitable for speeches where clarity and comprehension are crucial.

Average Speaking Rate

A average speaking rate averages 130 words per minute. For a 5 minute speech, this equates to around 650 words. It's a comfortable pace for most audiences and situations.

Fast Speaking Rate

Speaking fast involves about 160 words per minute. For a 5 minute speech, you'd need about 800 words. This rate is suitable for dynamic presentations or when time is limited.

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How Many Words in a Five-Minute Speech?

how many words for a 5 minutes presentation

Five minutes can seem like five hours when you haven’t prepared a speech properly. It seems so easy in front of the mirror, reciting the key points, throwing in a few jokes.

But then the big day arrives, the nerves kick in, and you drone through your speech in a monotone, forget half the information, and anxiously fiddle with your notes. No one wants to hear an audience snoring.

So just how much should you try to fit into a five-minute speech? Presentation Magazine put the question to readers. The responses were varied.

Most estimated the number of words per minute around 80-150, but some said it could be as high as 180.

Some advised a slow, measured speech with pauses for effect, whilst others simply said that more words would equal more information, provided your speech isn’t too fast to understand. We’ve collected the best hints and tips from readers and included them below.

Settling on a word limit is less important than taking time to prepare and practise a structured presentation. Melvin Vu said:

“It is up to you. I don’t think we should set the number of pages or even the number of words a five-minute speech should contain. Know your audience. Know your material. Write it down. Even if it’s 10 pages (the font may be size 38 or something) so be it. You will know it is too long once you have practised out loud.”

Another strategy is to work out exactly what information you want to present, and divide it into clearly defined points. Sarah Liddle said:

“It’s not about the quantity but the quality. I wouldn’t be focusing so much on the number of words but on the points that you want to put across. In five minutes you should be able to get across 2 points (3 max) for the audience. It’s all about the audience, remember, words are insignificant. It is how you use and deliver those words that makes the difference between good and great.”

It is important not to try to cram too much into five minutes. Don’t over-complicate ideas either, the presentation may sound robotic as you try to remember everything. A Toast Master said:

“If you are focused on ‘writing’ a speech, then go ahead and worry about the number of words. If you are truly focused on ‘giving’ a speech then you really shouldn’t write a full speech. If you are, you write it, then read it. Check the time. Then outline it. Then practise giving it with the outline 2-3 times. Then you break the outline down to index cards, but only as much as you need.

Usually a key word to help remember the introduction, all the points you are making, and then the conclusion is the simplest way to go. Try presenting a speech which you hold passion for, the time will pass much more smoothly. Only pause if it is calculated to dramatise your point or lead someone along in anticipation of a pay-off line at the end.”

The best approach might simply be to become so familiar with the subject matter that the presentation can become more like something you’re explaining to a colleague in conversation. Eulogy website remembrance-book.com gave this advice:

“Sort out what you want to say, get a beginning, middle and end. Practise it until you know it by heart. Keep practising it until you are passionate about what you’re saying. Then time yourself. Alter it by cutting things out or add things until it’s the right length. Keep practising. Throw your notes away (or keep the briefest of notes on a card). On the day, you will know your subject, you will know how long your talk will last, you will be passionate about what you’re saying, and it’ll go fine.”

With a little preparation and practice, that five minutes of hell will become a great opportunity to impress your audience.

Matthew Brown

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how many words for a 5 minutes presentation

thx a lot =)

this is really nice and informative!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11111111

It tink it wil help me a lot hey… Tx l0l

im only eleven and i need a speech. What do I do?

thank you so much for these inportent informaitogn

very useful ……….

thanks for the help

Sometimes it can even be more than 180 words

Thank you for the useful info. I love to public speak(I’ve been public speaking for 4 years) and I am doing an illustrated talk this year and I’m getting into the higher public speakers(Im 14)and people come to me for help. I always have to keep tooking for new and helpful tips and ideas. THanks so much, this will help my speech a lot. 🙂

Nice experience

Thanks a lot!

Great advice. I’m preparing my second toastmasters speech now and was trying to figure out how many words I should write.

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Finding how many words per minute is ideal for an effective speech at work

Explore how long it takes to deliver a message and find tips to improve your speaking rate.

Maithili Rao

Storytelling

leader explaing how many words per minute in a speech is required

Have you ever wondered what makes a great speech truly captivating? It’s not just the words you choose but the speed at which they flow. The magic lies in your words per minute (WPM) — the sweet spot where clarity meets engagement.

Whether you’re delivering a keynote, a persuasive pitch, or a heartfelt toast, mastering your speech’s pace can make all the difference between a message that resonates and one that fades away. Ready to unlock the secret to speaking with impact? Here’s a detailed breakdown to help you estimate the number of words for a 10-minute speech, a 5-minute speech, and a 3-minute speech.

What is words per minute (WPM)?

Words per minute (WPM) refers to the speed at which a person speaks, and it is the measure of the number of words spoken in one minute. It is essential in public speaking , presentations, and communication because it affects how well an audience understands and retains the information presented. There are three variations in speech rate: slow pace (around 100-120 WPM), normal pace (around 130-160 WPM), and fast pace (around 170-200 WPM).

💠According to a source , the average rate for English speakers in the United States is about 150 words per minute.

Why are words per minute important in a speech.

The speed at which someone talks can affect how well people understand and stay interested when you deliver a speech. People might feel overwhelmed if you speak too fast, but they might get bored and lose focus if you talk too slowly. Finding a good balance of words in a speech is important to ensure your message comes across clearly and keeps people engaged. The right number of words per minute can help with the following:

how many words for a 5 minutes presentation

  • Comprehension: The correct rate of speech allows the audience to follow a speaker without feeling rushed or overwhelmed. The talking speed can have an impact on how the audience responds. Speaking too quickly can confuse people, while speaking too slowly may bore your audience.
  • Engagement: Varying the speech rate can help maintain audience interest. Faster speaking rates can be used for exciting points, while slower rates can emphasize essential details.
  • Time management: It's important to gauge how long your speech needs to be, especially if there are time constraints. For instance, a speaker who knows their WPM will be able to estimate how long it will take to deliver a 1,000-word speech.

What factors affect the words per minute of speech?

Different types of speeches require different speaking rates. Adjusting your words per minute based on the speech type, audience, and content is important for clear and engaging delivery. Some of the factors affecting the words per minute in a speech are:

  • Audience: When speaking, consider the audience's age, familiarity with the topic, and cultural background, as these factors can affect the optimal speaking rate. Young audience members or those unfamiliar with the subject may require a slower pace.
  • Content complexity: Complex or technical content often requires a slower WPM to ensure the audience can follow along and understand the material.
  • Purpose of the speech: The goal of the speech influences the ideal words you speak per minute. Informative speeches may benefit from a slower pace for absorption, while persuasive speeches may vary in speed for emphasis.
  • Speech duration: Longer speeches may require a more moderate pace to maintain audience engagement, while shorter speeches may accommodate a faster rate.

💡Pro tip: For a presentation with a senior manager, use a medium-paced, formal speech and an informal tone with a varied pace for an internal team presentation.

Words per minute for a 10 minute speech

A 10 minute speech is common for presentations, such as keynote addresses, conference talks, or class presentations. Check out the number of words that are ideal for different scenarios:

  • Slow pace (100-120 WPM) A 10-minute speech delivered slowly is around 1,000 to 1,200 words. Speaking slowly is ideal if you must explain complex concepts, use pauses effectively for emphasis, or ensure that every word is clearly understood. You can also experiment with talking fast or slow in certain sections of your speech to engage the audience. Examples: performance review meetings, client onboarding sessions, cross-department presentations, etc.
  • Normal pace (130-160 WPM) You should aim for an average speaking pace of around 1,300 to 1,600 words. This pace is most common for public speaking . It balances delivering enough information and keeping the audience engaged. Examples: quarterly financial presentation, strategy planning session, product launch briefing, etc.
  • Fast pace (170-200 WPM) Your 10-minute speech could contain 1,700 to 2,000 words if you talk fast. A high speaking rate may be appropriate for situations where you have a lot of content to cover. Still, it can be challenging for the audience to absorb all the information. Examples: crisis communication meetings, PR-conference briefings, market analysis presentations, etc.

Words per minute for a 5 minute speech

A 5 minute speech is often used for short speech or presentations, toasts, or brief introductions. Check out the number of words which are ideal for different scenarios:

  • Slow pace (100-120 WPM) A 5-minute speech would be around 500 to 600 words at a slow pace. This lets you articulate each word clearly and provide enough pauses for the audience to digest your points. Examples: team-building workshops, change management policies, client handover meetings, etc.
  • Normal pace (130-160 WPM) An average pace would mean your 5-minute speech should be approximately 650 to 800 words. This is ideal for delivering a concise yet informative speech that keeps the audience’s attention without feeling rushed. Examples: new employee orientation, negotiation meetings, shareholder meetings, etc.
  • Fast pace (170-200 WPM) Speaking quickly, you could deliver 850 to 1,000 words in a 5-minute speech. This might work well for energizing the audience or providing information quickly, but it may also risk overwhelming your listeners. Examples: daily stand-up calls, elevator pitches, task delegation meetings, etc.

Words per minute for a 3 minute speech

A 3 minute speech is commonly used for elevator pitches , quick summaries, or short personal stories. Check out the number of words which are ideal for different scenarios:

  • Slow pace (100-120 WPM) A 3-minute speech would consist of around 300 to 360 words at a slow pace. This is best when you must make a substantial impact with fewer words, allowing for emphasis and reflection. Examples: retirement celebrations, project updates to clients, change management briefings, etc.
  • Normal pace (130-160 WPM) For an average speaking rate, aim for 390 to 480 words. This range is ideal for delivering a concise, easy-to-follow, and understandable message. Examples: networking events, job interviews, quick project updates to investors, etc.
  • Fast pace (170-200 WPM) A fast-paced 3-minute speech could contain 510 to 600 words. This is suitable for highly dynamic presentations where you must convey enthusiasm or urgency. Examples: press briefings, competitive pitch rounds, crisis management updates, etc.

💡Tips for adjusting your speech length and pace

Make sure to practice the speed and rhythm of your speech. It's important to stay within the given time and communicate effectively. Without pace variation, it can get boring for the audience - be it short speeches or longer-form presentations. Here are some tips to deliver an effective speech:

how many words for a 5 minutes presentation

  • Practice your speech delivery: Time yourself while reading your speech aloud to understand how many words you comfortably speak per minute. Practicing with a strict time limit will help with your final speech. Adjust your script accordingly to fit the desired time limit.
  • Use pauses effectively: Don’t rush through your speech to fill the time. Pauses are a great way to emphasize points, and give your audience time to process the information.
  • Know your audience: Consider the complexity of your content and your audience's familiarity with the topic. A more technical or detailed topic may require a slower rate.
  • Rehearse with feedback: Measure your speaking rate by practicing in front of others. Get feedback on your pacing, clarity, and overall delivery. Adjust your average speaking speed based on their input.
  • Include or exclude content as needed: If your speech is too long or short, consider trimming less important points or adding more detailed explanations to fit the desired time. Make sure the content is interesting for the audience.

How can Prezent help you maintain your presentation's ideal speaking rate?

It is always useful to have an estimate of the word count in a speech. Prezent enables you to leverage technology and enhance your presentations. It offers advanced features that can help you create visually compelling presentation slides and maintain the ideal word per minute naturally.

  • Structured templates for clarity: Prezent offers structured and pre-designed templates that help you organize your presentation content clearly and logically. These templates allow you to focus on key points without overwhelming each slide with too much information. This structure helps you maintain a steady pace, ensuring your message is easy to follow and well-paced with the ideal WPM.
  • Storytelling to maintain pace: Prezent provides storytelling frameworks to help you create a compelling narrative for your presentation. These frameworks can keep your audience engaged and naturally control the flow of your speech, maintaining a steady pace and balanced WPM.
  • Audience-specific adjustments with communication fingerprint: Prezent's communication fingerprint tool helps you understand your audience's preferences, such as their preferred information delivery and ideal pace. With this knowledge, you can adjust your speech speed and presentation style to better suit their needs, ensuring the ideal WPM for maximum impact.
  • Best practice guide for industry insights: Prezent offers industry-specific best practice guides , providing insights into ideal speech pace, tone, and presentation style for different audiences. These guides help you better understand what works best for your audience, allowing you to adjust your speech and keep your WPM within the ideal range.

The AI-powered features of Prezent enable you to deliver a well-balanced presentation delivery without worrying about speech patterns.  Learn more about Prezent AI and how it can enhance your communication skills by scheduling a demo with our experts. Alternatively, explore the platform yourself with a free trial today .

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Mastering the Art of the Five-Minute Presentation

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Darrell Zahorsky is an expert in search engine optimization (SEO) and marketing.

The five-minute presentation, from an audience perspective, is more engaging and less boring than a typical 60-minute talk. But the five-minute presentation is the most challenging of all presentations to create and deliver. How much can and should you cram into those five minutes? What can you do to maximize the time and get the most important information across to the audience?

Creating a compelling, focused speech with a single message is the ultimate goal of the five-minute presentation. Whether you are crafting this short yet powerful presentation for a venture capital pitch, selling a product, or educating an audience—the creation process is the first vital step. But is five minutes enough time?

What Can Be Accomplished in Five Minutes?

You can accomplish much in five minutes. Napolean is rumored to have said about the Austrians at the Battle of Wagram that they did not know the value of five minutes. Whether he said this or not, the Austrian artillery was supposedly late to arrive, possibly giving him a five minute maneuvering opportunity.

Allegedly, it took Lincoln less than five minutes to deliver his immortal Gettysburg Address.

And, in less than five minutes William Jennings Bryan purportedly electrified a great political convention with a single expression that gave him the nomination for the presidency of the United States.

Five Ways to Create a Successful Five-Minute Presentation

While there may be more to consider when creating a five-minute presentation, these five practices can make for a memorable method of engaging your audience.

  • Research. Although your material is limited for your five-minute presentation, you will still need to do enough research to understand your topic and extract the most important concepts.
  • Chose one important concept.  One idea, concept, or point will be more than enough to make an impression and win an audience over. It must be the single most important point you have to make for the subject you are addressing.
  • Practice.  Rehearsal is critical for such a short presentation. You have no time to pause or collect your thoughts. To engage your listeners, you will need to be smooth, steady and factual. If you stumble through your presentation you will not have any credibility. While you are rehearsing, don't simply go over the material. Practice your tone, inflections, and body language in front of the mirror. Record yourself and see how you sound.
  • Introduce the point with flair, immediately. During a five-minute presentation, you have little time to build a case or draw your audience in. Lead with a compelling or controversial position. Grab their interest from the first sentence, and don't let go.
  • Tell a story. A memorable presentation tells a memorable story. You should forgo all the statistics and numbers unless it is relevant to the point you are making. Keep the statistics portion as short as possible, and move on to the WIIFM (What's In It For Me) portion—how the audience will benefit from your information.

As you consider your presentation subject, don't forget to consider your audience's demographics. If your language and topic are not at a level your average audience member can understand or relate to, you'll lose them within the first minute.

Edited by Alyssa Gregory.

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How Many Words is a 5 Minute Speech?

You’re preparing to write a speech but there’s a 5-minute time limit. Now, you’re faced with the big question: How many words should you use then?

Any resource will tell you that you can only approximate the number of words it would take to write a 5-minute speech.

Although pacing varies, a 5-minute speech is roughly 750 words

Publication coach Daphne Gray-Grant says that the average person speaks about 125-150 words per minute—meaning 5 minutes of talking would entail about 625-750 words. That’s about the typical length of a blog article!

Here’s a fun exercise for you—we’re keeping this blog article to 750 words so you can read it out loud to see if it would fit into the 5-minute time limit. How’s that for an experiment?

When you do this oral exercise, keep in mind that there are other factors which might affect the results. People speak in varying speeds—some speak slowly, others do the exact opposite. The good news is, it is easier to adjust the speed of delivery as compared to the number of words used. Beyond the word count, being able to communicate the essence of your speech clearly and eloquently is more important.

Pace Yourself

Pacing yourself helps you articulate better and emphasize the most salient parts of your speech. You’re not just putting yourself out there to say something — retention is key. You have to make your message (or at least the crux of it) memorable to your audience.

Just like a novel, the content needs to pack a punch in order to sustain the audience’s interest. If you think about it, a speech should work even harder because (1) it’s shorter and (2) it’s purely an aural experience which requires the full attention of your audience.

Before you start writing, Jeff Schmitt of Forbes advises keeping these two objectives in mind: “Make a good impression and leave your audience with two or three takeaways.”

Schmitt also highlights the importance of “striking the right tone.” Know your audience well, their reasons for wanting to listen to your speech, and what they want out of it.

Matt Eventoff of YPO elaborates on several “memorable ways to open a speech or presentation.” A quote, “what if” scenario, or statistic are some of the methods you can utilize to captivate your audience.

To make your speech more interesting, Gray-Grant advises “to tell stories or give examples” because stories “stick” and people actually recall them. Another approach is to use humor to break the monotony, but only when it serves an “organic” and relevant purpose for your topic or message. Try not to detract from the flow and coherence of your speech or from the essence of your message.

Just like what chapter breaks are to a novel, remember to integrate cues for pauses or breaks in between points of your speech in order to signal the end of one topic and to smoothly transition to the next.

Keep your language simple and conversational to maximize engagement with your audience. Scholastic gives some tips like using short sentences, contractions, and colloquialisms in your speech.

Avoid tongue-twisters or big words that are difficult to articulate in one breath. You will only subject yourself to potential blunders. This will deflate your confidence in delivering the speech effectively.

Most importantly, get your facts straight. Any speech can be engaging and witty, but people look for truthfulness and credibility more than anything. Citing concrete examples to prove a point is a persuasive method as well. Real-life actualizations are truths in the minds of your listeners. Thus, they will remain engaged on what else you have to say.

Toss a question or two for a bit of introspection. Some people actually do this either at the beginning or at the end of a speech. Making your audience think brings your message across more effectively because it opens up the opportunity for them to contemplate on an application of your insight into their daily lives.

After writing your speech, review the entire material for clarity and brevity. Simplify and tighten the language if need be.

Attention spans are shorter these days (8.25 seconds, according to a study made by the Static Brain Research Institute) so the more succinct you are, the better.

If you can, divide the word count equally among each salient point of your speech. For example, 750 words with 4 key topics would mean around 187 words dedicated for each topic.

Be concise yet comprehensive—and remember to use our word counter to keep it brief.

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How Many Words in a 5 Minute Speech (Word Count)?

December 22, 2022

It’s helpful to write the script of a speech before delivering it live. However, it’s normal to be unsure of what number of words is enough. This article explains how many words to include in 5 minute, 3 minute, 7 minute speech, 10 minute speech and the formula behind it. We’ll also cover how quickly or slowly to speak in different situations.

How to Use AI to Figure Out How Many Words Are in a 5 Minute Speech

One of the ways you can figure out how many words are in a 5 minute speech is through an AI speech coach like Yoodli . You can record or upload a video of yourself speaking for 5 minutes and Yoodli takes care of the rest.

This speech coach gives you a personalized report of all your speaking analytics, from your word choice to your speaking pace and filler word usage. It’ll use these metrics to give you actionable feedback on not just your speaking abilities, but your speech content as well.

Included in your individualized report is a transcript, which you can then use to calculate how many words are in a 5 minute speech. Just copy and paste the transcript into a word count calculator (and edit the transcript however you feel fit) and you can find out how many words were in your 5 minute speech. It’s that easy!

A screenshot showing how you can use Yoodli to figure out how many words are in a 5 minute speech.

Plus, this method works for any length of speech, from 5 to 10 minutes and beyond.

How to Calculate Number of Words in a Speech

Most native English speakers speak at 140 words per minute (this varies across cultures). The typical conversational pace lies in the range from 130 to 170 words per minute. While average numbers for speaking rates are helpful, note that the variation in pace is what makes a speech interesting — you want to go fast in sections that convey excitement and slow down to pause in areas where you want the audience to think.

Software to Calculate Number of Words in a Speech

Try Yoodli’s free AI speech coaching app to see how quickly you speak. Yoodli will instantly generate your pacing analytic and compare how you did relative to celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Barrack Obama. You’ll also see an instant transcript of your speech to help you count the number of words. Here are typical speaking rates for speeches run through Yoodli:

  • Steve Jobs: 170 words per minute (WPM) ( analytics )
  • Barrack Obama: 129 WPM ( analytics )
  • Oprah Winfrey: 134 WPM ( analytics )
  • Elon Musk: 172 WPM ( analytics )

Number of words in 5 minute speech. Oprah Winfrey's pace of 134 words per minute is conversational

Examples of Words per Minute Depending on Speaker Type

It may not always be appropriate to speak at a conversational pace. For instance, if you’re speaking at a eulogy , you might want to come across as somber and speak more slowly.

In the same vein, you might consider speaking slower when addressing an audience that may not speak your language or won’t understand your topic (speaking more slowly gives them an opportunity to internalize what’s being said).

Alternatively, if you’re trying to demonstrate passion and excitement you might want to speak much faster than conversational pace. Think of the soccer broadcaster celebrating a World Cup goal. If they spoke at an average pace, we wouldn’t know that the goal is a crucial moment or something to celebrate.

We’ve listed some average speaking rates below:

Average speech rates

  • Presentations : Between 120 and 150 WPM for a comfortable pace
  • Conversational : Between 120 and 170 WPM
  • Audiobooks : Between 150 and 160 WPM, which is the upper range that people comfortably hear and vocalize words
  • Radio hosts and podcasters : Between 150 and 160 WPM
  • Auctioneers : Can speak at about 250 WPM
  • Commentators : Between 250 and 400 WPM

How Many Words Are in a 5 Minute Speech?

Most speakers have 650 to 850 words in a 5 minute speech, with the average at around 700 words.

How Many Words Are in a 3 Minute Speech?

Most speakers have 390 to 510 words in a 5 minute speech, with the average at around 420 words.

How Many Words Are in a 6 Minute Speech?

Most speakers have 780 to1,020 words in a 7 minute speech, with the average at around 840 words.

How Many Words Are in a 7 Minute Speech?

Most speakers have 910 to 1,190 words in a 7 minute speech, with the average at around 980 words.

How Many Words Are in a 10 Minute Speech?

Most speakers have 1,300 to 1,700 words in a 7 minute speech, with the average at around 1,400 words.

Start practicing with Yoodli.

Getting better at speaking is getting easier. Record or upload a speech and let our AI Speech Coach analyze your speaking and give you feedback.

Do you wonder how long it takes to deliver your speech?

This website helps you convert the number of words into the time it takes to deliver your speech, online and for free. This tool is useful when preparing a speech or a presentation. The number of minutes you will take is dependent on the number of words and your speed of speech, or reading speed.

Note: This calculator provides an indication only.

Enter details below

The overview below provides an indication of the minutes for a speech (based on an average reading speed of 130 words per minute):

  • Words in a 1 minute speech 130 words
  • Words in a 2 minute speech 260 words
  • Words in a 3 minute speech 390 words
  • Words in a 4 minute speech 520 words
  • Words in a 5 minute speech 650 words
  • Words in a 10 minute speech 1300 words
  • Words in a 15 minute speech 1950 words
  • Words in a 20 minute speech 2600 words
  • How long does a 500 word speech take? 3.8 minutes
  • How long does a 1000 word speech take? 7.7 minutes
  • How long does a 1250 word speech take? 9.6 minutes
  • How long does a 1500 word speech take? 11.5 minutes
  • How long does a 1750 word speech take? 13.5 minutes
  • How long does a 2000 word speech take? 15.4 minutes
  • How long does a 2500 word speech take? 19.2 minutes
  • How long does a 5000 word speech take? 38.5 minutes

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COMMENTS

  1. How to Create an Engaging 5-Minute Presentation

    How many words are in a 5-minute presentation? A five-minute presentation is approximately 700 words long. The average person speaks 120 to 160 words a minute, which means the average five-minute presentation is 600 to 800 words. 10 Free PowerPoint Templates.

  2. Ultimate 5 Minute Speeches & Presentations (A-Z Guide)

    How Many Words are there in a 5-Minute Presentation? Considering that an average person talks 120 to 160 words per minute, a five-minute presentation will typically be between 600 and 800 words long. When you deliver such a brief presentation, a few pointers need to be kept in mind -

  3. How to Create a 5 Minutes Presentation

    Therefore, for a 5-minute speech, you might aim for: At 130 words per minute: 130×5=650 words. At 150 words per minute: 150×5=750 words. That calculation can help you curate the presentation script for your speech. In general lines, our expertise tells us that selecting a topic that can be covered within 5 minutes is roughly 60% of the job.

  4. How Many Words Are There In A 5-Minute Speech?

    Average Word Count for a 5-Minute Speech. Here's a general rule of thumb: a 5-minute speech will usually fall in the range of 625-750 words. That comes out to about 125-150 words per minute. Of course, this is just an average. Some speakers cram 800+ words into 5 minutes, although we don't recommend that.

  5. How Many Words are in a Five-Minute Speech?

    500 words. 5-Minute Speech. 750 words. 625 words. It's easy to do this math on your own. For a 3-minute speech, you would just multiply 125 by 3 to get the minimum number of words you'd need. The answer is 375. Now, picture a scenario where you have to give a 20-minute speech.

  6. How many words per minute in a speech: a quick reference guide

    How many pages is a 20-minute presentation? Unfortunately, the answer is not simple. Calculating the number of A4 pages of text you need for a speech of any number of minutes long is tricky for two reasons. ... How many words are there in a 5-minute speech? If you are a slow speaker less than 600 words, If you speak at an average speed between ...

  7. How to Make a 5 Minute Presentation

    However, a 5-minute speech is roughly 700 words long. Secret tip: Go the extra length by making your presentation interactive. You can add a live poll, Q&A section, or quiz that illustrates your points and leaves a lasting impression on the audience. Get Interactive, Fast 🏃‍♀️.

  8. Words per Minute Calculator

    To determine the number of words in a talk that will last m minutes: Decide on the speaking rate r: Average: 130 wpm (words per minute); Slow: 100 wpm; and. Fast: 160 wpm. Multiply the speaking rate by the time you have in minutes: r × m. The result in 2 is the number of words your talk should contain. Audiobook Speed Calculator.

  9. Creating & Delivering A 5 Minute Presentation

    5. Conclusion. This is the most crucial, yet flexible part of your presentation. Remember that it is only for 5 minutes so you really have a time crunch by now. You can't really sum up everything. The good thing is you don't need to! One perk of 5 minute presentations is that it is very direct and short.

  10. How to create a 5-minute presentation (plus useful tips)

    Short presentations often comprise anywhere between 600-800 words that are carefully chosen to support the central idea of the entire presentation. Read more: How to deliver a business presentation (with tips) How to create a presentation that lasts for 5 minutes Here's how to create a presentation that lasts for five minutes in eight steps: 1.

  11. Speech Time Calculator

    how many words in a 2 minute speech. Almost 300 words. how many words in a 3 minute speech. Almost 450 words. how many words in a 4 minute speech. Almost 600 words. how many words in a 15 minute speech. Almost 2250 words. The speech time is calculated taking 150 words per minute as reference value. Common conversions (average speed) How long ...

  12. How To Write an Impactful Five-Minute Speech in 12 Steps

    How to write a five-minute speech. Here are the steps you can follow to prepare and deliver a short speech: 1. Prepare. Short speeches require preparation because you have to condense your information into only the most useful points. The first step in preparing a brief speech is to determine the purpose of your talk.

  13. 5-Minute Speech Word Count + Crucial Writing & Speaking Tips

    This can make your presentation more engaging, and may also reduce your nerves because the spotlight will be temporarily away from you. Word counts for other speech times. ... 5-minute: 875 words: 750 words: 625 words: 10-minute: 1750 words: 1500 words: 1250 words: 15-minute: 2625 words: 2250 words: 1875 words: 20-minute: 3500 words:

  14. Make Short 5-Minute Presentations (Quick Ideas & Tips +Video)

    There are many situations where you may need to give a short presentation. For example, you may need to give a 5-minute presentation for job interview criteria. Or you may need to give a mini presentation in 5 minutes to brief your team, at work. 5-minute presentation topics can vary, but have a few key things in common:

  15. How To Design and Deliver a 5-Minute Presentation

    In your delivery, you can add color to those slides and elaborate where necessary. But remember, it's a 5-minute presentation, and you should aim to present a slide per minute (give or take) to give yourself ample time to hit each key point. Because of the time limitations, practice is key. Do a few dry runs of your presentation in front of ...

  16. How many words are in a 5-minute speech

    Discover the ideal word count for a powerful 5-minute presentation. Learn tips for structure, word choice, and delivery to captivate your audience. ... Now that you know approximately how many words you need for a 5-minute speech, making the most of your talk time is essential. Prepare your speech well in advance, and practice it until you feel ...

  17. How many words in 5 minutes?

    Learn how many words are in a five minute speech. Slow. 550 words. Average. 650 words. Fast. 800 words.

  18. How Many Words in a Five-Minute Speech?

    No one wants to hear an audience snoring. So just how much should you try to fit into a five-minute speech? Presentation Magazine put the question to readers. The responses were varied. Most estimated the number of words per minute around 80-150, but some said it could be as high as 180.

  19. How many words per minute in a speech?

    Words per minute for a 5 minute speech. A 5 minute speech is often used for short speech or presentations, toasts, or brief introductions. Check out the number of words which are ideal for different scenarios: Slow pace (100-120 WPM) A 5-minute speech would be around 500 to 600 words at a slow pace. This lets you articulate each word clearly ...

  20. Mastering the Art of the 5-Minute Presentation

    Introduce the point with flair, immediately. During a five-minute presentation, you have little time to build a case or draw your audience in. Lead with a compelling or controversial position. Grab their interest from the first sentence, and don't let go. Tell a story. A memorable presentation tells a memorable story.

  21. How Many Words is a 5 Minute Speech?

    Any resource will tell you that you can only approximate the number of words it would take to write a 5-minute speech. Although pacing varies, a 5-minute speech is roughly 750 words. says that the average person speaks about 125-150 words per minute—meaning 5 minutes of talking would entail about 625-750 words.

  22. How Many Words in a 5 Minute Speech (Word Count)?

    Most speakers have 390 to 510 words in a 5 minute speech, with the average at around 420 words. How Many Words Are in a 6 Minute Speech? Most speakers have 780 to1,020 words in a 7 minute speech, with the average at around 840 words.

  23. Convert Words to Minutes

    Words in a 2 minute speech 260 words. Words in a 3 minute speech 390 words. Words in a 4 minute speech 520 words. Words in a 5 minute speech 650 words. Words in a 10 minute speech 1300 words. Words in a 15 minute speech 1950 words. Words in a 20 minute speech 2600 words. How long does a 500 word speech take? 3.8 minutes.