How many words is a 5-minute speech?
It’s normal to feel nervous if you need to give a speech or presentation at work. Most people feel butterflies before public speaking, especially in front of superiors. But mastering this skill can help you in your career, as it's transferable to a wide range of roles and situations.
A 5-minute speech or presentation is a common aspect of many different workplace scenarios. They’re often used for departmental announcements, new staff introductions, sales pitches, celebrations, reports and many other occasions in professional settings.
But how many words is a 5-minute speech, and how do you put one together? This guide has all the information you need to write a short speech that'll impress your colleagues and get your message across clearly.
The average 5-minute speech word count
The average 5-minute speech wordcount ranges from 625 to 750 words. The number of words varies slightly based on how fast you speak and the length of each word. Typically, people speak between 125 and 150 words per minute, with an average rate of 140.
Professional speakers have a slightly faster rate of 130 to 160 words per minute. But slower speech can often be preferable if you want your words to be easily understood and have an impact.
Factors affecting wordcount when writing a 5-minute speech
Various factors affect the wordcount of a 5-minute speech. Here are the main influencers.
Speaking rate: individual speaking rates vary and affect word count. If you speak quickly, you'll need more words to fill 5 minutes.
Content complexity: if you're covering a complex topic, certain elements may require many words to explain. This might fill up your speaking time.
Audience engagement: consider the pacing of your presentation. You may need to insert pauses for audience interaction; this can decrease the number of words you say.
Presentation style: a chatty, conversational tone and an energetic and enthusiastic delivery might use fewer words than a formal, heavily scripted speech.
Speech type: technical or scientific speeches, which contain a lot of jargon, tend to need more words for precise explanations. In contrast, motivational or narrative-driven speeches may use fewer words, as they focus more on emotional appeal and storytelling.
Speaker's emotional state: your emotional state may impact the number of words you need for a short speech. Nervousness can cause you to speak faster, shortening the time it takes to finish, so you may need to add words.
How to calculate words for your 5-minute speech
Here's a simple way to calculate the appropriate number of words when writing a 5-minute speech:
Determine your speaking rate based on words per minute.
Multiply this speaking rate by 5 to estimate how many words you'll need for the full 5-minute duration.
Account for pauses and audience interaction.
You can use online tools or apps for more precise calculations, but here's a simple way to calculate your personal speaking rate and determine how many words you'll need:
Record yourself speaking for 1 minute.
Use a wordcount calculator to determine the number of words you've spoken; this is your words-per-minute speaking rate.
Multiply that number by 5 to estimate the number of words you'll need for your 5-minute speech.
This comparison table shows examples of different calculations.
Speed of speaker | Wordcount | Time in minutes |
Slow | 500–550 | 4–5 |
Average | 625–750 | 5–6 |
Fast | 800–850 | 5–6 |
Here are a few tools to help with estimating your wordcount.
Speech in Minutes: Enter the number of words and select your approximate speaking rate. This tool converts your stats to the number of minutes it should take to deliver your speech.
Yoodli AI speech coach: This AI-based tool can analyse your recorded speech and provide coaching feedback in addition to the necessary number of words.
Debatrix speech calculator: Simply copy and paste your speech into the text bar and Debatrix will automatically calculate how long it will take you to deliver it.
Tips for writing and delivering a 5-minute speech
Below are several tips for writing and delivering a 5-minute speech. Of course, every talk will be different, but it's handy to have some broad guidelines to follow.
Focus on a single main idea or message
Five minutes isn't a long time to deliver a message. It's best to thoroughly cover one idea or subject and avoid introducing lots of concepts.
Use a clear structure
Speeches need a clear outline. They often consist of three parts: an introduction, the body of the message, and a conclusion. Setting it out like this makes writing more manageable and straightforward and makes delivering the speech to an audience easier.
Practise and time your speech
Practice makes perfect. Speeches take time to hone, so it makes sense to go through several drafts to perfect the word count and ensure it falls within the time limit.
Use concise language and avoid unnecessary details
It's always best to keep things simple. Try to use clear, concise language, and stick to your main points. If you've carefully planned your talk, there's less chance of going off topic.
Incorporate pauses for emphasis and audience engagement
Pacing helps keep audiences engaged and attentive. Make sure you introduce appropriate pauses in your talk to add emphasis and allow your audience to digest what you're saying. Pauses also give you time to breathe and collect your thoughts.
Use visual aids judiciously
It can be useful to incorporate visual aids, such as slides or graphs, into a talk. However, you should use them for emphasis only – for instance, if you want to visualise a statistic. Don't use images for the sake of it as they can distract from your message.
Maintain eye contact with the audience
This can be difficult if you're nervous, but it’s important to make a connection with your audience. Maintaining eye contact with people in your audience helps you engage with them and encourages them to listen to you. It also helps convey confidence.
Avoid distracting movements
Public speaking can bring out heightened emotions, sometimes making you fidget. It's important to avoid actions such as clenching your hands, pacing or adjusting your hair/clothing.
Use humour sparingly
Humour can make your speech more engaging and impactful, however it is challenging to incorporate for amateur speakers. It also might not be appropriate, relevant or easy for your audience to understand. A pun or funny anecdote can help relay your point, but it’s more important for your speech to be informative over comedic.
Open with an engaging hook
Have an interesting story or statistic to open with that ties into the main message of your speech. This will immediately grab the attention of your audience and draw them in.
Close with a strong summary and call to action
Finish your speech with a strong summary outlining all your main points. If appropriate, add a call to action, letting people know how they can reach out to you.
5-minute speech structure
Arguably the hardest part of giving a five-minute speech is writing the content of it. Now that you know broadly how to deliver one, here's how to approach writing a short speech. While all speeches are different, you can follow this simple five-minute speech structure as a starting point.
Introduction
This should be 30 to 60 seconds long and start with a hook or story to grab attention. After the hook, introduce the topic and purpose of the speech so your audience knows what you’re going to talk about.
Body of the speech
This should last from three to four minutes. It's where you get into the main parts of your message, focusing on two or three main points and going into detail about them. Try to support every point you make with practical examples or anecdotes.
Conclusion
Allow about 30 to 60 seconds to summarise all the key takeaways from the speech. End with a closing thought and, if appropriate, a call to action, letting the audience know how they can network with you.
Adjusting your speech for different purposes
Different situations call for different tones and content. You should always write your speech to the specific occasion and audience. Below are just a few examples of types of speeches.
Informative speeches
These speeches need to impart important information in a short time frame. Plan to include only the most important and relevant facts and points.
An effective way to do this is to use a slide presentation. Include one or two key points or essential data visualisations, such as graphs and charts, on each slide to highlight what you say. Visuals help convey your message to the audience in a clear manner.
Persuasive speeches
When delivering a persuasive speech, there are four key elements to focus on.
Introduce your argument or problem: begin by providing the context of the issue, helping your audience understand the perspective you're about to present.
Present your argument: express your position on the issue with clear reasoning.
Support your claims: strengthen your argument by offering evidence, such as data or research, to validate your points.
Address opposing views: acknowledge counterarguments and explain why you disagree.
Inspirational speeches
These talks can tap into life experiences and anecdotes on motivational topics to help inspire colleagues. They can be more personal and conversational, and should be delivered with emotion and energy.
Common mistakes to avoid when writing a 5-minute speech
So far, we've covered everything you should do, but it's equally important to know what not to do, so you can avoid common pitfalls. Here are a few pointers.
Don't overload with information: stick to essential points only. Don't add too much overwhelming information for the audience.
Don't speak too quickly: always maintain a natural, steady pace for clarity and tone. It'll keep the audience engaged and make it easier for you to be understood.
Don't skip practice: make sure you practise your speech adequately, to counter any nerves and make your address flow naturally.
Mastering the 5-minute speech
Practice and preparation are essential to delivering a brilliant speech that informs, persuades, or inspires your audience. When figuring out how many words should be in your 5-minute speech and deciding what to include, remember these points.
Have a good understanding of your audience.
Use visual aids to add value and enhance comprehension and retention.
Ensure you balance your speech's content, including the right amount of logical and emotional elements.
Practice is key. Record and watch your speech a few times to see how you can redraft and improve it with tweaks to the words or delivery.
While giving a 5-minute speech might seem daunting, with the right preparation you can write and deliver impactful presentations without being too nervous. By drafting clear and well-structured content, and practising until you feel your delivery flows comfortably, you can give the perfect 5-minute speech, no matter what the topic is.
FAQs
What factors can affect the wordcount in a 5-minute speech?
Factors such as how fast you speak and how nervous you are can affect the word count. The speedier the speech, the greater the word count needed to fill 5 minutes. Your tone and personal speaking style also affect wordcount. Once you practise your speech, you can learn ways to pace your delivery so it’s not too fast or slow.
Are there any tools or calculators to help determine speech length?
Yes, tools such as Speech in Minutes are purpose built for determining the length of speeches. AI-based tools, such as the Yoodli speech coach, can be helpful when working out word counts and how long it will take to deliver a speech.
What is the recommended structure for a 5-minute speech?
Typically, it's best to divide a speech into three sections: an introduction that lasts 30-60 seconds, a main body that lasts 3-4 minutes, and a conclusion between 30-60 seconds in which you summarise all your key points. This will help you pace it perfectly.
What are common mistakes to avoid when writing a 5-minute speech?
You should try not to include too much information in this short time frame. Don't introduce overly complicated topics that require heavy explanation. Stick to one subject, and cover it in a clear, concise manner.
