How Long Should Speeches Be?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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The average person speaks at somewhere

between 125 and 150 words per minute

. It's almost always better to speak more slowly than too quickly. Thus, if you're speaking for 20 minutes, you want a total word count of somewhere between 2,500 and 3,000 words.

How long should be a 3 minute speech?

Answer: At the normal speaking rate of 130 words per minute (wpm), a 3 minutes long speech will have

about 390 words

. Speech and publication coach Daphne Gray-Grant found that, on average, people speak at a rate of 125 to 150 wpm so a 3 minutes long speech uses between 375 to 450 words.

How long should a 20 minute speech be?

It's almost always better to speak more slowly than too quickly. Thus, if you're speaking for 20 minutes, you want a

total word count of somewhere between 2,500 and 3,000 words

. Be careful!

How long should a speaker talk?

A standard duration for a talk is

45 minutes to 1 hr

, often with time for questions and answer at the end.. If there are time constraints, it is important to let the speaker know before they assemble their talks. Talks can be scheduled to run up to 2 hours, but this is an exception.

How long is a short talk?

The short talk (


) is a fixture at most scientific conferences.

How do you talk 20 minutes?

  1. A good 20-minute talk presents one idea, tells one story, and asks one question.
  2. Begin by choosing one idea. …
  3. Next, pick one story to go with the one idea. …
  4. Finally, ask one question.

How many pages is 750 words?


3 Pages

= .

Is an 8 minute speech too long?

Answer: At the normal speaking rate of 130 words per minute (wpm), a 8 minutes long speech will have about 1,040 words . Speech and publication coach Daphne Gray-Grant found that, on average, people speak at a rate of 125 to 150 wpm so a 8 minutes long speech uses between

1,000 to 1,200 words

.

How do you end a speech?

Use your conclusion as an opportunity to summarize the main points of your speech. Don't repeat your main points word for word; rather, paraphrase the key themes and arguments you have just presented. Consider ending your speech with an

additional anecdote

or quotation that captures the theme of your speech.

Does the keynote speaker speak first or last?

Simply put, a

keynote speaker

is the lead speaker for an event or a conference. Although there may be two keynote speakers – one at the start of the event and a second at the end – most events opt for a single keynote speaker at the beginning.

How long is too long for a speech?

The average person speaks at somewhere between 125 and 150 words per minute. It's almost always better to speak more slowly than too quickly. Thus, if you're speaking for 20 minutes, you want a total word count of somewhere between 2,500

and 3,000 words

. Be careful!

What is the maximum time for a short speech?


Ten minutes

is the upper limit for what many people might call a “short” speech. In ten minutes, you've only got time to properly develop one central idea, while supporting it with several stories and supporting points.

What is a good presentation length?


10 slides

are the optimal number to use for any presentation. 20 minutes is the longest amount of time you should speak. 30 point font is the smallest font size you should use on your slides. It might not seem like a lot, but trimming your presentation to just 10 slides is a valuable constraint.

How many words do you need for a 1 minute speech?

There are

150 words

in a 1-minute speech.

What is the 10 20 30 rule in PowerPoint?

It's quite simple: a PowerPoint

presentation should have 10 slides, last no more than 20 minutes

, and contain no font smaller than 30 points. Ten slides, he argues, is the optimal number because no normal person can understand and retain more than 10 concepts in the course of a business meeting.

How many pages is a 20 minute talk?

A good rule of thumb: the proportion of pages to minutes is just a smidgen over one to two. In other words, a 20-minute presentation should be

nine to ten pagels long

, while a 15-minute presentation should be seven to eight pages long.

Juan Martinez
Author
Juan Martinez
Juan Martinez is a journalism professor and experienced writer. With a passion for communication and education, Juan has taught students from all over the world. He is an expert in language and writing, and has written for various blogs and magazines.