Teleprompter / Free tools / Words in a 5-minute script
Words in a 5-minute script
About 600 to 900 words. A presenter at 120 words a minute speaks about 600 words in five minutes, a piece to camera at 140 about 700, a voiceover at 150 about 750. Plan five-minute talks with slides at 600 to 700.
On this page
Words by pace
| Kind of read | Sample pace (words a minute) | Words in 5 minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Keynote | 120 | 600 |
| Self-tape | 130 | 650 |
| Piece to camera | 140 | 700 |
| Voiceover | 150 | 750 |
| Commercial read | 165 | 825 |
| Fast read | 180 | 900 |
These are sample paces: our own starting points for each kind of read, and no study measured them as averages. Your pace is your own, and the reading pace test gives it to you in a minute. Then the budget is your pace × 5.
What usually runs five minutes
| Job | Words to aim for | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A lightning talk with slides | 600 to 650 | Each slide change takes a moment |
| A webinar or meeting opening | 650 to 700 | Welcome, purpose, plan |
| A training or onboarding module | 700 to 750 | Steady and clear |
| A narrated video essay segment | 720 to 780 | Voiceover pace, edited tight |
How five minutes divides
| Part | Time | Words at 130 a minute |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | 0 to 30 s | About 65 |
| Section one | 30 s to 2 min | About 195 |
| Section two | 2 to 3 min 30 s | About 195 |
| Section three | 3 min 30 s to 4 min 30 s | About 130 |
| Close | 4 min 30 s to 5 min | About 65 |
At five minutes, sections matter more than sentences. Put a cue at each one.
Check yours
Paste it into the script timer. With slides, take ten seconds off the running time for every slide change you do not talk through.
Reading five minutes
- Bring in the deck's own words. Cutvey Teleprompter imports a PowerPoint's speaker notes with a cue for every slide, so Next cue is the next slide.
- Glance at the clock. EST. LEFT shows how long remains at the current speed.
- Plan a breath at each section. A paragraph break and a cue give you one.
- Let voice follow carry it. On a solo read it trims the speed to you, so you are never chasing the text.
Other lengths
30 seconds · 1 minute · 2 minutes · 3 minutes · 10 minutes
Speaking rate, explained · All free tools
Questions people ask
How long is a 750-word speech?
About five minutes at 150 words a minute, 5 minutes 21 at 140 and 6 minutes 15 at 120.
How many slides for a five-minute talk?
That depends on the talk. Budget about ten seconds of the running time for each slide change you do not talk through.
How many words is a 5-minute presentation?
About 600 to 700 with slides, at a presenter's 120 to 140 words a minute.