How Many Words In A 10 Minute Speech? [A Word Count Guide]

One of the first thoughts that typically crosses the mind of anyone who is expected to deliver a speech is, “How many words is this going to be?” 

The issue is that there is no definitive response to this query. The speaker will have a significant impact on how many words are required for the speech.

When giving a speech, some people talk slowly while others talk swiftly.

Those who talk quickly will have to produce more words than people who speak more slowly for every minute of their conversation. 

Nevertheless, there are several fundamental rules that can assist you in estimating the general number of words required for a speech.

It helps to estimate how many words you’ll need to squeeze into the allotted number of minutes when writing any speech with a stringent time limit.

It’s even more helpful to have these principles before you start writing quickly only to find that you’ve written way too much when you’re done. This article will serve as your guide to writing a 10 minute speech with the appropriate word count.

What Is The Average Word Count Of A 10 Minute Speech?

It is impossible to provide a timed speech’s average overall word count. 

The truth is, because we are all individual in the way we deliver speeches, there is no such thing as an average reading speed, average speech rate, average conversational talk rate, or average speaking speed. 

As individuals, we are all unique. For a variety of reasons, speech patterns and rates differ greatly from person to person. The best you can hope for is a guess and lots of practice.

How Do You Estimate How Many Words You Speak Per Minute?

You could use a stopwatch to time yourself while giving a speech if you would like to determine how many words you typically speak at per minute. Then, enter that figure in the settings area. 

Time your speech for one minute, then paste the text into a word counter to determine how many words that you got through in that time.

This can help you determine how many words you’ll need to write for however lengthy your speech needs to be.

Regardless, the following estimations can help you get a good idea of how long it will take you to say a certain number of words based on your speaking speed—slow, medium, or fast.

And no, it’s not a good idea to talk nonstop in order to cover everything that you’ve prepared in the time allotted!

How Many Words In A 10 Minute Speech?

• Below 1200 words if you speak slowly.

• if you speak at an average speed, between 1200 and 1600 words per minute.

• If you speak quickly, aim for between 1600 and 2000 words.

Practice Your Speech To Get The Timing Right

Once you’ve finished writing your presentation’s outline or script, reading it aloud might help you identify any passages that are either too lengthy or too short or simply don’t sound right. 

You might realize that you omitted a crucial detail or dwell on an issue excessively.

You’ll start to hear a few of your rough edges if you read your speech aloud a few times. After some revision, practise it once more.

Practice more after you have rounded out the jagged edges. Dogs are a terrific audience for testing, but for presentations with bigger stakes, find some human test audiences.

When reading from a script, it can be very challenging for a presenter to sound natural, and the audience may find the monotone delivery and lack of intonation to be quite dull.

It is far preferable to use a few or no notes than to take the stage while holding a complete script.

Nobody likes to have a speech read to them by someone who is too preoccupied with their notes to notice the audience.

As you practise, you get more familiar with your speech and depend less on your notes. You may not have every word memorized, but you are aware of what you intend to say when and for how long.

Tips For Practicing A Speech

Instead of using an outline, write out your complete script. Read the script first, then use the note cards as an outline, one notecard as an outline, and last keywords.

Get to the stage where you no longer require anything gradually.

After you understand it but still need to strive to remember each component, keep practicing.

The objective is to continue moving forward through this phase until you reach a point where you can deliver your lecture regardless of your location or what you’re doing.

Assist the process by using some memory techniques such as a memory palace method. You should frequently listen to the speech you recorded yourself giving.

Tips For Writing The Perfect 10 Minute Speech

1. Select the subject with care

Pick a subject that you are enthusiastic and interested in. It ought to be a subject that interests you or about which you have some knowledge. 

You can still choose the angle even if a topic has been assigned to you.

Avoid attempting to cover an overly wide subject. Instead, concentrate on a certain aspect or standpoint that can be adequately covered in a short presentation.

The more focused your subject, the simpler it is to collect and arrange your information and convince the audience of your point of view.

2. Examine your audience

Analyzing your audience is crucial once you’ve decided on your topic.

This requires taking into account the audience you will be talking to in terms of their demographics and interests, as well as their size and the environment in which you will be speaking.

3. Consider the situation

Think carefully about the purpose of the audience’s attendance at your presentation. 

Knowing the reason for the speech would enable you to take into account elements pertinent to the situation in which you’re speaking, and this knowledge can assist you in further improving your speech.

4. Determine the goal of your speech

Establishing your speech’s purpose upfront will help you write it more effectively.

Any presenter wants their audience to pay attention to what they have to say. 

However, the objectives a speaker has when giving a speech are not necessarily the same.

So that you can organize the information to support you in achieving your goal, clearly describe the kind of speech you’re giving.

5. Utilize simple language

If you’re not convinced that everybody in the audience will understand what you’re saying right away, avoid using jargon. 

Instead, use words that the visitor in the audience with the least understanding will understand.

This will help you maintain suitable, universally understandable language.

Final Thoughts

The significance of practice cannot be overstated. Without preparation, it is impossible to produce a well-planned, structured, assured, and logical speech. 

How can you tell whether your timing is ideal? How will you determine if the flow of your speech makes sense?

Instead of simply reading your outline, practise giving the presentation aloud as many times as you can fit in before the big day.