Speech Duration Calculator
Estimate how long your speech or presentation will take — with production time built in. Perfect for building accurate rundowns.
Mode
Enter your word count or script to estimate duration.
Word Count
Paste your script above to count words automatically
Speaking Pace
Natural conversational pace
Production Extras
Add time for common production elements.
Estimated Duration
0m 0s
total estimated duration
Speaking Pace Guidelines for Live Events
Speaking pace varies significantly depending on the context. Here are typical ranges used by professional speakers across different production formats:
Keynotes & Presentations
120–140 WPM. Keynote speakers tend to speak slower to emphasize points and let ideas land with the audience.
Panel Discussions
140–160 WPM. Conversational panels naturally flow faster, with back-and-forth exchanges increasing the pace.
Worship & Sermons
110–130 WPM. Worship contexts benefit from a measured, deliberate delivery with pauses for reflection.
Broadcast & News
150–170 WPM. Broadcast professionals speak at a brisk but clear pace, especially for live reads and teleprompter scripts.
How to Use This Calculator for Your Rundown
Once you know your estimated speech duration, you can use it to build an accurate rundown for your production. Each segment of your show — opening remarks, presentations, panels, and breaks — needs a realistic time estimate to keep your event on schedule.
Rundown Studio makes this easy. Paste your estimated durations into your rundown segments, and the automatic timing engine calculates projected end times, flags overruns, and keeps your entire team in sync during the live show.