how many words for 5 minute presentation

How to Create an Engaging 5-Minute Presentation

Published: September 15, 2023

A 5-minute speech can feel both incredibly short and infinitely long.

While this short format encourages audiences to pay more attention, presenters often struggle to fit everything into five minutes even as they navigate nervousness that seems to stretch out each second.

As a result, preparation is key for 5-minute speech success.

But how can you ensure your presentation accomplishes everything it needs to within just five short minutes? We’ve put together an (appropriately condensed) guide on five-minute presentations to help you get started.

How many words are in a 5-minute presentation?

A five-minute presentation is approximately 700 words long. The average person speaks 120 to 160 words a minute, which means the average five-minute presentation is 600 to 800 words.

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To calculate your own personal speaking speed (words per minute, or WPM):

• Make an audio recording of yourself speaking for one minute.
• Use a free transcription service to generate a text version of your speech.
• The number of words you spoke in that minute is your personal WPM.

When constructing a longer presentation, you might be more concerned about transitions and keeping the audience engaged with more extensive narrative elements.

In a short presentation, everything you say should directly tie back to your central premise and further advance your main point.

Keeping a tight scope and using your words carefully ensures your time isn't wasted and the audience leaves with a clear, singular takeaway.

How many slides are in a 5-minute presentation?

Five or six slides, or about one per minute, is a good baseline for a 5-minute presentation. Depending on your subject matter, however, you might use up to 20 slides and spend about 10 or 15 seconds on each.

More important than your slide count is what each slide contains. It‘s a good rule of thumb to keep your slides simple and focused on visuals instead of text for a presentation of any length.

This becomes especially important when you’re dealing with a condensed presentation window.

Trying to cram in as much information as possible within a short time frame can be tempting. Resist the urge. Instead, focus on simple, clean visuals that all tie back to your central premise.

You can also use these free presentation templates to arrange your slides in a way that makes the most sense for your delivery and the content of your presentation.

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Home Blog Presentation Ideas How to Create a 5 Minutes Presentation

How to Create a 5 Minutes Presentation

Giving a 40-60-minute speech isn’t a synonym for success. Sticking to shorter presentation formats can increase the impact of large-format events. Among its many advantages, allowing multiple speakers to give their insights rises above everything. Still, presenters often struggle to be concise, as they aim to disclose as much content as possible, ending up overdoing the allotted time or delivering rushed-up presentations.

In this article, we’ll share our experience on how to master the art of 3-5 minute presentations, keeping your speech concise while using powerful graphics to connect with the audience.

Table of Contents

What is a 5 Minutes Presentation?

What are the requirements of 5 minutes presentations, how many slides for a 5 minute presentation, 5 minute presentation ideas, how to make a 5 minute presentation, common mistakes to avoid in 5-minute presentations, recommended templates for 5 minute presentations, final words.

A 5-minute presentation is a short talk designed to convey a specific message, idea, information, or argument within a limited timeframe, between three to five minutes – the latter being the average duration. Due to the brevity, these presentations require careful planning and preparation to ensure the content is concise, focused, and impactful. 

We can define a five-minute presentation’s must-have(s) in seven different categories.

Objective Definition

The purpose of your talk has to be clear from the presentation planning phase. This implies acknowledging whether you intend to inform, persuade, inspire, or instruct your audience on a given topic.

On this behalf, we made a list of frameworks to help you pinpoint the core objective of your presentation:

• SPIN (Situation, Problem, Implication, Need-payoff): Intended for sales strategy or customer-driven presentations. The focus is set on understanding the audience’s situation, presenting the problems, implications, and potential benefits of a proposed solution.
• AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action): The AIDA framework is extremely popular in marketing campaigns and sales presentations. You can learn more about this approach for engaging presentations by checking our guide on the AIDA model .
• SCQA (Situation, Complication, Question, Answer): Intended for problem-solving meetings and business presentations. The SCQA framework establishes a context and its challenges, raises a question, and provides solutions for it.
• Minto Pyramid Principle: This unconventional approach is used for business presentations and reports, and was developed by Barbara Minto at McKinsey & Company in the 1970s . We start by stating the conclusion or core recommendation, then organize the information that supports your statement in a logical flow. By implementing this approach, you inspire the audience to think critically about the presented scenario, while discussing complex ideas in an easier-to-digest format due to its hierarchical organization of ideas.
• Monroe’s Motivated Sequence: A framework with a focus on persuasive presentations. It is structured by five pillars recognized by its author, Alan H. Monroe : Attention, Need, Satisfaction, Visualization, and Action. 

Concise Content

“How many words in a 5-minute speech” is a commonly asked question by beginner presenters. The average range for seasoned speakers is 130-150 words per minute in a fluent speech, and depending on the topic, that can go slower (technical-based presentations) or faster (motivational presentations, like the ones delivered by Tony Robbins ). 

Therefore, for a 5-minute speech, you might aim for:

• At 130 words per minute: 130×5=650 words
• At 150 words per minute: 150×5=750 words

That calculation can help you curate the script for your speech. In general lines, our expertise tells us that selecting a topic that can be covered within 5 minutes is roughly 60% of the job. After effectively selecting a topic, you must restrict the content to 2-3 main points to remain within the time limit and end your presentation in style. 

Presentation Structure

In more laid-back scenarios, presentations can lean toward a conversational mode rather than a strict agenda. Still, we ought to ensure the presentation structure contains an Introduction, a Body, and a Conclusion. 

The Introduction helps us familiarize the audience with what’s expected out of your presentation. Additionally, it is our chance to make a good first impression . Knowing how to start your presentation guarantees audience engagement from the initial moments of your delivery.

Moving to the Body, this is where facts are laid out and backed up using evidence or examples to support your view. Visual aids can contribute to minimizing the need for lengthy text walls. 

Finally, the Conclusion summarizes the key takeaways and, when applicable, brings a call to action in the format of thought-provoking statements, data shared, an irresistible offer, and plenty of other scenarios.

Audience Engagement

Connecting with the audience is vital, especially in short formats like Pecha Kucha presentations . Your speech pace and body language are significant factors that contribute to how the audience perceives your interest in their time. 

Aim for a relaxed but confident attitude, as if you were passionately talking about a topic with a group of acquaintances. This reinforces your authority in the topic you deliver, as being anxious or rushing through the presentation only speaks of a lack of interest.

Apply professional presentation techniques like storytelling for presentations or harnessing the power of visual communication strategies to make your message memorable. 

Audience Acknowledgement

Tailoring your presentation for the audience’s interest is the first step every presenter must take to guarantee success, especially if we’re another speaker in large-scale events. In some niches, like academic presentations, it is vital as some of the audience may not feel connected with your research topic. 

Based on information gathered from our customer’s feedback, a good recipe to connect with your audience is to work with a sales approach in mind and create your “ideal audience persona.” This would be your attendee who’s 100% connected with what you intend to share. Compare and contrast demographics with the public you know will attend, and find the common points and where you need to adjust your expectations to meet the audience’s interest.

If the event format allows for it, be ready to present questions at the end of your presentation that may drive the interest of a Q&A session.

Visual Aids

Slides featuring infographics , dashboards , or storytelling-based illustrations help to attract the spectator’s interest and increase the retention rate, as research proves it’s easier to recall pictures than words . As previously mentioned, leveraging graphics helps us reduce our slides’ word count.

Other presentation aids , like videos, audio, and even sensory elements such as smells, can drive a broad range of emotional responses within the audience. It’s worth exploiting this route if your presentation aims to persuade or motivate the spectators. 

Time Management

Last but not least, time management is an etiquette rule of respect for fellow presenters. Your content has to fit within the 5-minute limit, including transition times and variations in your delivery speed.

A good presenter is an adaptable one. Be ready to adjust your speech on the fly if you find yourself running short or long on time or if the audience’s interest drives the conversation briefly away from your intended destination.

Defining how many slides is a 5 minute presentation isn’t an automatic task. Some topics can be quickly resolved following the premises of the 1-2-3 rule for presentations, applying:

• One main message: Your presentation should center around a single, clear main message or idea. This ensures focus and helps your audience grasp the core of your presentation without getting lost in details. 
• Two supporting points: Support your main message with two strong, relevant points or arguments. This structure helps provide depth to your presentation without overwhelming your audience with too much information. 
• Three examples or pieces of evidence: For each supporting point, provide three examples, pieces of evidence, or data points to substantiate your arguments. This reinforces your message and helps in making your case more convincing.

In short, implementing this practice can result in a range between 5 and 10 slides in your 5-minute presentation. More complex topics, like medical presentations or scientific conferences, cannot be summarized easily, as graphs require one full slide for accurate data visualization. In this case, weigh the critical points your presentation must cover, assign a maximum of 3 slides per crucial point, and avoid filler content.

Googling around you can come across lists with 200, 60, 40, and plenty other title combinations referring to 5 minute presentation ideas. Despite it being a good starter to brainstorm potential topics or angles for your presentation, we shall introduce our method to implement AI tools to come up with 5 minute presentation topics. The following instructions apply to ChatGPT , Gemini (Bard) or Bing.

• Consider the niche in which you want to deliver a 5 minute presentation. 
• Gather the main keywords around the topic you intend to present. For example, if you want to deliver a presentation about artificial intelligence, the following keywords may suit your needs as well: AI, artificial intelligence chatbot, types of artificial intelligence, artificial intelligence solutions, what is artificial intelligence.
• Open your AI tool of preference and write the following prompt: “Give me a list of 20 5-minute presentation ideas in the IT niche that fit these keywords: AI, artificial intelligence chatbot, types of artificial intelligence, artificial intelligence solutions, what is artificial intelligence.”

And this is the list generated by ChatGPT-4

• Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Basics of AI, its history, and evolution.
• Exploring AI Technologies: A dive into machine learning, neural networks, and deep learning.
• Types of Artificial Intelligence: From narrow (or weak) AI to general (or strong) AI, and superintelligence.
• AI Chatbots: Revolutionizing Customer Service: How chatbots are changing the customer service landscape across industries.
• Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: Discussing AI solutions for diagnostics, treatment recommendations, and patient care.
• The Role of AI in Autonomous Vehicles: Examining how AI technologies power self-driving cars.
• Ethical Considerations in AI: The moral implications of AI in decision-making and privacy concerns.
• AI in Cybersecurity: Using artificial intelligence to predict, detect, and respond to cyber threats.
• The Impact of AI on Job Markets: How AI is reshaping employment opportunities and the workforce.
• Machine Learning Algorithms Explained: An overview of popular algorithms and their applications in AI.
• AI and Big Data: How AI algorithms process and analyze large datasets to extract meaningful insights.
• Natural Language Processing (NLP) in AI: Understanding how AI interprets, understands, and generates human language.
• AI in Finance: The use of artificial intelligence in fraud detection, algorithmic trading, and personalized banking.
• Artificial Intelligence for Environmental Sustainability: Exploring AI solutions for climate change, conservation, and sustainable energy.
• AI and Robotics: How AI is applied in robotics for automation, exploration, and manufacturing.
• Deep Learning and Neural Networks: An introduction to the architecture of neural networks and their significance in AI.
• Implementing AI Solutions in Small Businesses: Practical AI applications for improving efficiency and productivity in SMEs.
• The Future of AI: Predictions and emerging trends in artificial intelligence technologies.
• AI in Education: Personalized learning, automated grading, and AI’s role in educational institutions.
• Ethics and Bias in AI: Addressing the challenges of bias in AI algorithms and ensuring ethical AI development.

In this section, we will apply the explained suggestions earlier, approaching a real use case of a motivational speaker addressing an audience of marketing professionals. The speaker has to deliver a 5 minute presentation for a large onsite event.

Defining the Objective & Core Message

Our presenter is faced with the challenge of highlighting the importance of data analysis in marketing these days, and why marketing professionals should be adaptable to the latest trends. Therefore, using Minto’s Pyramid Principle, the presenter who already knows the answer – that hunch-based decisions need to be turned into data-driven decisions – plans how to convey the importance of that statement into the presentation’s flow.

Then, a powerful hook comes to mind on how to start this presentation: “Today, I want to share why embracing change isn’t just necessary; it’s our most powerful tool for growth in the marketing world.” Since that statement can sound somewhat vague, the presenter opts for a quote to impact the audience. A definition of what Social Listening is, indicating the connection between data and consumer behavior analysis.

Concise Content Tailored for the Audience

Research or inquire about the audience’s background in marketing. Are they novices or seasoned professionals? What challenges are they facing? Use this information to shape your presentation content.

In our presenter’s case, the event’s organizer gave some basic information about the demographics and audience’s background. Returning to the “ideal audience persona” concept, this presenter’s audience consists of mid-level marketing professionals facing rapid industry changes. Some already have experience working with data analytics but couldn’t extract the full potential. Therefore, rather than losing time with basics, the presenter prepares a compelling dashboard slide showing metrics of how working with data helped a client grow its revenue rate by 19% in three months.

The time limit for this presentation is 6 minutes in total, as a 1-minute Q&A session is contemplated. Therefore, using our word-per-minute calculation, the presenter opts for a 5 minute speech word count of 600 words, as it’s best to impact with powerful visuals and data storytelling rather than to rush the speech. As the recommended slide deck length for this presentation format is between 5 and 10 slides, the presenter opts for 3 extra slides, totaling 13 slides, since the two main points require 2-3 slides each.

The Introduction for this presentation is a powerful statement, as we mentioned above, taking one full minute to deliver the phrase and share the information that backs up such a statement.

The Body will take 3 minutes to be presented, and it shall cover a three-tier structure with the following premises:

• Challenge: “The digital marketing landscape is evolving faster than ever before, leaving many behind.”
• Strategy: “Yet, some marketers are thriving by adopting agile methodologies and data-driven strategies.”
• Success Story: “Take, for example, a small business that doubled its online engagement and grew its revenue rate by 19% in three months just by simply listening to its audience through social media analytics.”

The Conclusion takes another minute, using a powerful slide to leave a lasting thought that the audience can dwell on.

As the format is brief, the presenter will use powerful graphics to boost audience engagement. Additionally, there’s a short exercise at the beginning of the presentation where the speaker promptly says: “Turn to the person next to you and share one change you’ve embraced in your marketing strategy this year that made a difference.” This is a fine example of how to implement interactive presentation techniques to boost audience engagement.

Leveraging this kind of strategy helps the audience to connect with the importance of making changes in the marketing strategy of their work environments, but not just any change, something that’s measurable and has a significant impact. The presenter expects that not many members can successfully relate to change with results due to their inexperience in marketing data analytics – a piece of information disclosed by the event’s organizer – so the remaining of the presentation consists of ‘wowing’ the audience on the importance of data and how to measure that impact to stay tuned with the latest trends.

Although it seems an easy-to-adapt format, presenters working under 5-minute presentation can face some challenges that affect the overall outcome of their presentation delivery. Most of these presentation mistakes apply to any kind of presentation. In particular, we consider the following list as beginner mistakes we can easily prevent.

• Using Jargon or Complex Language: This can alienate your audience. Use clear, accessible language.
• Reading from Slides: This is literally “death by PowerPoint.” Use slides as a visual aid, not a script.
• Overuse of Animations or Transitions: While they can be engaging, too many can be distracting and appear unprofessional.

Check the following slide decks and PPT templates to maximize your performance in 3-5 minute presentations.

1. 5 Minute Business Marketing Presentation Template

Create eye-catching marketing presentations by using this best PPT template with a clean layout and wavy backgrounds. The information can be structured around the included icons, maximizing the retention rate by giving an area to focus on just the core information to be disclosed.

Use This Template

2. Business Executive 5-Minute Presentation Template

Geared toward business presentations, this slide deck layout contains cutting-edge graphics that grab your audience’s interest. It can be easily customized to speak about your company’s growth process, reach out to potential investors, or even for non-business topics.

3. Modern Hexagon 5-Minute Pitch Deck PowerPoint Template

Another clean layout template with vivid colors to highlight the information shared. This professional PPT slide deck helps us discuss data or compare features between competitor products in the blink of an eye. The color palette uses gradients to transition between sections smoothly.

4. Kaleidoscope 5-Minute Company Profile PowerPoint Template

Although it is intended for company profiles or company overview presentations, this highly visual PPT template can be repurposed for many niches. Due to its limited-space placeholder text areas, the 5 minute speech word count can be significantly reduced, aiming for concise content.

5. Academic 5-Minute Presentation Template

An ideal template for presenting thesis dissertations, this slide deck features designs to introduce the scope of our research, problem statement, methodology used, outcomes, and their significance while preserving a cohesive aesthetic.

As we can see, concise presentation formats like the 5 minute presentation have their own challenges when we strive for quality. Consider rehearsing your presentation multiple times, opting for the slideshow mode , to spot any areas where you can trim the speech or change text for graphics. 

Speak reasonably, and remember it’s best to fall short some seconds and allow for a Q&A session rather than rushing and not giving a proper closure to your speech.

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How Many Words are in a Five-Minute Speech?

How many words are in a five-minute speech?

Presenting a speech in front of a crowd of people can be scary. If you’re someone unaccustomed to giving big speeches, your palms may start to sweat and your body may shake, all before you ever utter your first word. It’s normal to experience stage fright. Most expert speakers agree, preparing well can be your best protection against nervousness. If you’re going to speak in public, it may help to write down the words you want to say.

Let’s imagine you need to give a 5-minute speech at a wedding. How much text should you prepare? In order to give that wedding toast, you should probably write 625-750 words. We arrived at that figure by taking the number of words per minute (WPM) that the average person speaks and multiplying it by the number of minutes you’ll need to speak, which is 5. The average person speaks 125-150 WPM.

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It’s easy to do this math on your own. For a 3-minute speech, you would just multiply 125 by 3 to get the minimum number of words you’d need. The answer is 375. Now, picture a scenario where you have to give a 20-minute speech. What’s your maximum word count? Just take the high end of the WPM range and multiply it by 20. 

150 x 20 = 3,000

So, for a 20-minute speech, you’d be well-prepared by writing something with less than 3,000 words. Remember, if you prepare a text that’s too lengthy, you could get cut off before you reach your conclusion. 

A Note on Accuracy

Keep in mind, the average reading speed that’s cited above is just an average. You may find that you tend to talk faster or slower than other people. If you know you speak very quickly when you’re nervous, you may want to write an 850-word speech for your 5-minute toast, just to be safe. Someone who speaks slowly might only need 600 words to fill five minutes. 

In order to calculate your own speaking speed with precision, you should record yourself. That way, you’ll get an accurate personal WPM count, which reflects your true speaking pace. Once you have that figure, you can use it to calculate the word count for any speech you plan to give. It can also be helpful to rehearse with a stopwatch, whenever you’re working within a time limit. By timing yourself, you can see exactly how many seconds you need to cut or add to your speech. 

Advice for All Public Speakers

Excellent speakers practice their  presentation skills , so that they feel confident in their ability to make it through a speech without stumbling. It’s common for a speaker to write a phrase that looks good on the page. Then, when they present the speech, the phrase proves difficult to say out loud. By practicing your actual speech before going onstage, you’ll be able to identify your own speech patterns. If there’s a better way to say something, you can rewrite the words to make things flow more organically. 

Writing out a speech is a good idea; however, as you get more comfortable with speech writing, you may find yourself improvising more often. Someone very comfortable with  public speaking  can go “off script,” adding extemporaneous content, while still paying attention to the passage of time. Until you develop that advanced-level ability, it’s best to write out your speeches. Preparing something, even a simple outline with the key topics you want to discuss, can help you stay organized and calm.

Remember, the most important part of giving a speech is connecting with your audience . If you can do that, you’ll succeed no matter what subject matter you’re discussing.

• Seven-ways-to-write-a-better-speech
• https://wordcounter.net/blog/tag/5-minute-speech
• http://www.speechinminutes.com

The Word Counter  is a dynamic online tool used for counting words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, and pages in real time, along with spelling and grammar checking.

Kari Lisa Johnson

I’m an award-winning playwright with a penchant for wordplay. After earning a perfect score on the Writing SAT, I worked my way through Brown University by moonlighting as a Kaplan Test Prep tutor. I received a BA with honors in Literary Arts (Playwriting)—which gave me the opportunity to study under Pulitzer Prize-winner Paula Vogel. In my previous roles as new media producer with Rosetta Stone, director of marketing for global ventures with The Juilliard School, and vice president of digital strategy with Up & Coming Media, I helped develop the voice for international brands. From my home office in Maui, Hawaii, I currently work on freelance and ghostwriting projects.

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How to Make a 5 Minute Presentation with 30 Topic Ideas in 2024

Leah Nguyen • 27 Oct 2023 • 9 min read

So, how to make a 5 minute presentation ? What should I cram into my presentation? Is it okay if I cut this out? What information is valuable to the audience? 

The struggle is real, guys. The five-minute presentation, though intriguing to your audience (no one likes to sit through a one-hour-feels-like-a-decade kind of talk), is a nuisance when you have to decide what to cut and what to put in. It may seem like everything happens in a blink of an eye.  

The clock is ticking, but you can keep your panic attack at bay with our step-by-step guide with free topics and examples. Get the full lowdown on how make 5 minute presentation for a team meeting, college class, sales pitch, or wherever else you need it! So, let’s check out 5-minute presentation samples!

Table of Contents

• Present better with AhaSlides
• 5-Minute Presentation Topic List
• How to Make a 5-Minute Presentation
• 5 Common Mistakes

5-Minute Presentation Examples

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• Use Randomness to Decide your Fate by AhaSlides  Spinner Wheel

5 Minute Presentation Ideas

How to make a 5-Minute Presentation? What are the best topics for a 5-minute oral presentation? Ignite the sparkle in the eyes of the audience with this 5-minute presentation topics list.

• The danger of cyberbullying
• Freelancing under the gig economy
• Fast fashion and its environmental impacts
• How podcast has evolved
• Dystopian society in George Orwell’s literature
• Common health disorders you might have
• What is aphasia?
• Caffeine myths – are they real?
• The perks of having a personality test
• The rise and fall of Genghis Khan 
• What happens to the brain when you’re in long-distance relationships?
• Is it too late to care about the environment?
• The consequences of relying on Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• The ways anxiety disorders disrupt our life
• 6 economic terms you need to know 
• Gods in Greek mythology versus Roman mythology
• Origins of Kungfu
• Ethics of genetic modification
• The supernatural strength of cockroaches
• Is social media detox necessary?
• The history of the Silk Road
• What is the world’s most dangerous disease in the 21st century?
• Reasons to do self-journaling everyday
• New trends in careers
• Five reasons to get some quality time for yourself
• The best food to cook when you’re in a hurry
• How to order the best Starbucks drink ever
• Ideas and practices that you follow and would like others to know about
• 5 ways to make a pancake
• Introduction to blockchain 

Start in seconds.

Get any of the above examples as templates. Sign up for free and take what you want from the template library!

Hope you’ve had abundant ideas for your 5-minute presentation topics. Before going way to deep of how to make a 5-minute presentation, together, let’s walk through tips for 10-minutes presentation one! With the clock starts running down, every single second counts, and you begin to sweat then how can you pull out a great 10 minutes presentation under that pressure?

In this video, we want to share with you how we overcome the challenge to create 10 minutes presentation structure. Hope you enjoy this video and find it helpful in preparing for your quick presentation! Let us know what you feel.

Bonus Video ▶ Going for 10 Minutes ?

If you feel like a 5-minute presentation would be too stifling, stretch it to 10! Here’s how to do that…

How to Make a 5-Minute Presentation?

Remember, less is more, except when it comes to ice cream. 

That’s why amid hundreds of methods to use, we’ve boiled it down into these four simple steps to make a killer 5-minute presentation.

Let’s jump right in!

#1 – Choose your topic  

How do you know if that topic is “the one” for you? For us, the right topic ticks everything on this checklist:

✅ Stick to one key point. It’s unlikely you’ll have time to address more than one topic, so limit yourself to one and don’t go over it! 

✅ Know your audience. You don’t want to waste time covering information they already know. Everyone knows 2 plus 2 is 4, so move on and never look back.

✅ Go with a simple topic. Again, explaining something that requires time should be off the checklist since you can’t cover it all.

✅ Don’t dwell on unfamiliar topics to minimise the time and effort you spend preparing the presentation. It should be something you already have on your mind.

Need some help finding the right topic for your short presentation? We’ve got 30 topics with different themes to captivate your audience.

#2 – Create your slides 

How many slides for a 5-minute presentation? Unlike the long presentation format in which you can have as many slides as you want, a five-minute presentation typically has significantly fewer slides. Because imagine each slide would take you roughly 40 seconds to 1 minute to go through, that’s already five slides in total. Not much to think about, eh? 

However, your slide count doesn’t matter more than the essence each slide contains. We know that it’s tempting to pack it full of text, but keep in mind that you should be the subject your audience focuses on, not a wall of text. 

Check these examples below.

Make the text bold to highlight important parts and use italics primarily to denote titles and the names of particular works or objects to allow that title or name to stand out from the surrounding sentence. The underlining text also helps draw attention to it, but it is most commonly used to represent a hyperlink on a webpage.

You obviously saw the second example and thought there’s no way you’re going to read through this on the big screen.

The point is this: keep slides straight, concise, and short, as you’ve got 5 minutes only. 99% of the info should come from your mouth.

When you’re keeping text minimal, don’t forget to befriend visuals , as they can be your best sidekicks. Startling statistics, infographics, short animations, pictures of whales, etc., all are great attention grabbers and help you sprinkle your unique trademark and personality on each slide. 

And how many words should be there in a 5-minute speech script? It mainly depends on the visuals or data you show in your slides and also your speech speed. However, a 5-minute speech is roughly 700 words long. 

Secret tip: Go the extra length by making your presentation interactive. You can add a live poll, Q&A section, or quiz that illustrates your points and leaves a lasting impression on the audience.

Get Interactive, Fast 🏃‍♀️

Make the most of your 5 minutes with a free interactive presentation tool!

#3 – Get the timing right

When you’re looking at this, we only have one thing to say: STOP PROCRASTINATING! For such a short presentation, there’s virtually no time for “ah”, “uh” or short pauses, because every moment counts. So, plan the timing of each section with military precision. 

How should it look? Check out the example below: 

• 30 seconds on the introduction . And no more. If you spend too much time on the intro, your main part will have to be sacrificed, which is a no-no.
• 1 minute on stating the problem . Tell the audience the problem you are trying to solve for them, i.e, what they are here for. 
• 3 minutes on the solution . This is where you deliver the most essential info to the audience. Tell them what they need to know, not what is “nice to have”. For example, if you’re presenting how to make a cake, list each item’s ingredients or measurement, as that’s all essential information. However, additional information like icing and presentation is not essential and can be cut.
• 30 seconds on the conclusion . This is where you reinforce your main points, wrap up and have a call to action.
• You can end with a small Q&A .  Since it isn’t technically a part of the 5-minute presentation, you can take as much time as you want to answer the questions. 

How many times should you practice a 5-minute speech? To nail these timings down, make sure you practice religiously. A 5-minute presentation requires more practice than a regular one, as you won’t have as much wiggle room or chance for improvisation.

Also, don’t forget to check your equipment to ensure everything runs smoothly. When you’ve only got 5 minutes, you don’t want to waste any time fixing the mic,  presentation, or other equipment.

#4 – Deliver your presentation 

Imagine you’re watching an exciting video but it keeps.lagging.every.10.seconds. You’d be super annoyed, right? Well, so would your audience if you keep confusing them with abrupt, unnatural speech. 

It’s normal to feel pressured to talk because you feel every minute is precious. But crafting the convo in a way that makes the crowd understand the assignment is so much more important. 

Our first tip for delivering a great presentation is to practice flowing . From the introduction to the conclusion, every part needs to connect and link with each other like glue.

Go between the sections repeatedly (remember to set the timer). If there’s any part in which you feel the urge to speed up, then consider trimming it down or articulating it differently.

Our second tip is for reeling in the audience from the first sentence .

There are countless ways to start a presentation . You can get factual with a shocking, on-topic fact or mention a humorous quote that gets your audience laughing and melting away their (and your) tension.

Secret tip: Don’t know if your 5-minute presentation makes an impact? Use a feedback tool to collect the audience’s sentiment right away. It takes minimal effort, and you avoid losing valuable feedback along the way.

5 Common Mistakes When Giving a 5-Minute Presentation

We overcome and adapt through trial and error, but it’s easier to avoid rookie mistakes if you know what they are👇

• Going way past your allotted time slot. Since the 15 or 30-minute presentation format has long dominated the scene, keeping it brief is difficult. But unlike the long format, which gives you a bit of flexibility on time, the audience knows exactly what 5 minutes feels like and, therefore will expect you to condense the information within the time limit.
• Having a decade-long introduction. Rookie mistake. Spending your precious time telling people who you are or what you’re going to do isn’t the best plan. As we said, we’ve got a bunch of beginning tips for you here . 
• Don’t dedicate enough time to prepare. Most people skip the practice part since they think it’s 5 minutes, and they can quickly fill that up, which is an issue. If in a 30-minute presentation, you can get away with “filler” content, the 5-minute presentation doesn’t even allow you to pause for more than 10 seconds.    
• Devote too much time explaining complicated concepts. A 5-minute presentation doesn’t have room for that. If one point you’re explaining needs to link to other points for further elaboration, it’s always a good idea to revise it and dig deeper into only one aspect of the topic.
• Putting too many complex elements. When making a 30-minute presentation, you might add different elements, such as storytelling and animation, to keep the audience engaged. In a much shorter form, everything needs to be straight to the point, so choose your words or the transition carefully.

To help you grasp how to make a 5-minute presentation, check these short presentation examples, to nail any message!

William Kamkwamba: ‘How I Harnessed the Wind’ 

This TED Talk video presents the story of William Kamkwamba, an inventor from Malawi who, as a kid experiencing poverty, built a windmill to pump water and generate electricity for his village. Kamkwamba’s natural and straightforward storytelling was able to captivate the audience, and his usage of short pauses for people to laugh is also another great technique.

Susan V. Fisk: ‘The Importance of Being Concise’

This training video offers helpful tips for scientists to structure their talk to fit the “5 Minute Rapid” presentation format, which is also explained in 5 minutes. If you plan to create a “How-to” quick presentation, look at this example.

Jonathan Bell: ‘How to Create a Great Brand Name’

As the title refers to itself, the speaker Jonathan Bell will give you a step-by-step guide on how to create a lasting brand name. He gets straight to the point with his topic and then breaks it down into smaller components. A good example to learn from.

PACE Invoice: ‘5 Min Pitch at Startupbootcamp’

This video shows how PACE Invoice , a start-up specialising in multi-currency payment processing, was able to pitch its ideas to the investors clearly and concisely.

Will Stephen: ‘How to Sound Smart in Your TEDx Talk’

Using a humorous and creative approach, Will Stephen’s TEDx Talk guides people through the general skills of public speaking. A must-watch to craft your presentation into a masterpiece.

Frequently Asked Questions

Got a question? We've got answers.

Why 5-Minute Presentation is important?

Who gave the best 5-minute presentation, why is ted talks famous for presentation.

Leah Nguyen

Words that convert, stories that stick. I turn complex ideas into engaging narratives - helping audiences learn, remember, and take action.

More from AhaSlides

How to Create an Engaging 5-Minute Presentation

A 5-minute speech can feel both incredibly short and infinitely long.

While this short format encourages audiences to pay more attention, presenters often struggle to fit everything into five minutes even as they navigate nervousness that seems to stretch out each second.

As a result, preparation is key for 5-minute speech success.

But how can you ensure your presentation accomplishes everything it needs to within just five short minutes? We’ve put together an (appropriately condensed) guide on five-minute presentations to help you get started.

How many words are in a 5-minute presentation?

A five-minute presentation is approximately 700 words long. The average person speaks 120 to 160 words a minute, which means the average five-minute presentation is 600 to 800 words.

To calculate your own personal speaking speed (words per minute, or WPM):

• Make an audio recording of yourself speaking for one minute.
• Use a free transcription service to generate a text version of your speech.
• The number of words you spoke in that minute is your personal WPM.

When constructing a longer presentation, you might be more concerned about transitions and keeping the audience engaged with more extensive narrative elements.

In a short presentation, everything you say should directly tie back to your central premise and further advance your main point.

Keeping a tight scope and using your words carefully ensures your time isn’t wasted and the audience leaves with a clear, singular takeaway.

How many slides are in a 5-minute presentation?

Five or six slides, or about one per minute, is a good baseline for a 5-minute presentation. Depending on your subject matter, however, you might use up to 20 slides and spend about 10 or 15 seconds on each.

More important than your slide count is what each slide contains. It‘s a good rule of thumb to keep your slides simple and focused on visuals instead of text for a presentation of any length.

This becomes especially important when you’re dealing with a condensed presentation window.

Trying to cram in as much information as possible within a short time frame can be tempting. Resist the urge. Instead, focus on simple, clean visuals that all tie back to your central premise.

You can also use these free presentation templates to arrange your slides in a way that makes the most sense for your delivery and the content of your presentation.

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How Many Words in a Five-Minute Speech?

Five minutes can seem like five hours when you haven’t prepared a speech properly. It seems so easy in front of the mirror, reciting the key points, throwing in a few jokes.

But then the big day arrives, the nerves kick in, and you drone through your speech in a monotone, forget half the information, and anxiously fiddle with your notes. No one wants to hear an audience snoring.

So just how much should you try to fit into a five-minute speech? Presentation Magazine put the question to readers. The responses were varied.

Most estimated the number of words per minute around 80-150, but some said it could be as high as 180.

Some advised a slow, measured speech with pauses for effect, whilst others simply said that more words would equal more information, provided your speech isn’t too fast to understand. We’ve collected the best hints and tips from readers and included them below.

Settling on a word limit is less important than taking time to prepare and practise a structured presentation. Melvin Vu said:

“It is up to you. I don’t think we should set the number of pages or even the number of words a five-minute speech should contain. Know your audience. Know your material. Write it down. Even if it’s 10 pages (the font may be size 38 or something) so be it. You will know it is too long once you have practised out loud.”

Another strategy is to work out exactly what information you want to present, and divide it into clearly defined points. Sarah Liddle said:

“It’s not about the quantity but the quality. I wouldn’t be focusing so much on the number of words but on the points that you want to put across. In five minutes you should be able to get across 2 points (3 max) for the audience. It’s all about the audience, remember, words are insignificant. It is how you use and deliver those words that makes the difference between good and great.”

It is important not to try to cram too much into five minutes. Don’t over-complicate ideas either, the presentation may sound robotic as you try to remember everything. A Toast Master said:

“If you are focused on ‘writing’ a speech, then go ahead and worry about the number of words. If you are truly focused on ‘giving’ a speech then you really shouldn’t write a full speech. If you are, you write it, then read it. Check the time. Then outline it. Then practise giving it with the outline 2-3 times. Then you break the outline down to index cards, but only as much as you need.

Usually a key word to help remember the introduction, all the points you are making, and then the conclusion is the simplest way to go. Try presenting a speech which you hold passion for, the time will pass much more smoothly. Only pause if it is calculated to dramatise your point or lead someone along in anticipation of a pay-off line at the end.”

The best approach might simply be to become so familiar with the subject matter that the presentation can become more like something you’re explaining to a colleague in conversation. Eulogy website remembrance-book.com gave this advice:

“Sort out what you want to say, get a beginning, middle and end. Practise it until you know it by heart. Keep practising it until you are passionate about what you’re saying. Then time yourself. Alter it by cutting things out or add things until it’s the right length. Keep practising. Throw your notes away (or keep the briefest of notes on a card). On the day, you will know your subject, you will know how long your talk will last, you will be passionate about what you’re saying, and it’ll go fine.”

With a little preparation and practice, that five minutes of hell will become a great opportunity to impress your audience.

Matthew Brown

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thx a lot =)

this is really nice and informative!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11111111

It tink it wil help me a lot hey… Tx l0l

im only eleven and i need a speech. What do I do?

thank you so much for these inportent informaitogn

very useful ……….

thanks for the help

Sometimes it can even be more than 180 words

Thank you for the useful info. I love to public speak(I’ve been public speaking for 4 years) and I am doing an illustrated talk this year and I’m getting into the higher public speakers(Im 14)and people come to me for help. I always have to keep tooking for new and helpful tips and ideas. THanks so much, this will help my speech a lot. 🙂

Nice experience

Thanks a lot!

Great advice. I’m preparing my second toastmasters speech now and was trying to figure out how many words I should write.

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Speech Length: How Many Words Is A 5 Minute Speech

• October 21, 2023

Table of Contents:

Word count metrics for memorable speeches, a comprehensive guide to writing and delivering impactful 5 minute speeches, 1- dynamics of speech length, 2- the importance of timing in speeches, 3- engagement and audience attention, 4- timing tips for keeping audience engagement, 5- decoding the 5 minute speech, 6- word count guide for a 5 minute speech, 7- factors influencing speech speed, 8- examples of 5-minute speeches, 9- how to write a 5 minute speech, 10- planning and structuring your speech, 11- speech writing tips and techniques, 12- perfecting your 5 minute speech delivery, 13- practice makes perfect, 14- speech delivery techniques, use a conversational tone, maintain eye contact with your audience., modulate your voice, faqs about 5 minute speech, how many pages is a 5 minute speech, how many words per minute in a speech, how much does it cost to write a five minute speech, conclusion:.

Experience the whole article by listening!

When it comes to public speaking or presentations, understanding the concept of speech length is critical. The common question is, “How many words in a 5 minute speech?” It’s an interesting query, pointing towards the essence of timing and pace in speeches. 

In this article, we’ll delve into the intricacies of length, including factors that influence it and how to gauge the ideal number of words for a five-minute discourse. Whether preparing for a business presentation, a school debate, or a toast at a wedding, knowing how to manage your length effectively can be a game-changer.

Speech length isn’t just about counting words but also understanding the speech rate. According to various studies, the average speaking speed ranges from 125 to 150 words per minute (wpm). But this isn’t a hard and fast rule. Several factors can influence the speed at which a person speaks, including their natural speaking style, comfort level, and type of communication. For instance, a nervous speaker might rush through their points, while an experienced speaker might take their time, utilizing pauses for effect.

One might wonder why we stress timing in speeches. The answer lies in engaging and keeping the audience’s attention. We live in an era of short attention spans, where every second counts. A speech that drags on can lose its impact, leaving listeners bored or disinterested. In contrast, a speech that’s too rushed might leave the audience confused and unable to keep up. Therefore, balancing the timing and pacing of your speech is essential in delivering an effective presentation. The optimal length allows for a comfortable pace that aligns with the listeners’ attention span.

Understanding your audience’s attention span is paramount when it comes to speeches. It is reported that the human attention span is about 10-20 minutes long, depending on interest, distractions, and individual variations. Therefore, a 5-minute speech is an excellent duration to maintain audience engagement. If you’re looking for techniques on how to memorize a speech fast , we have resources that can help. It is short enough to keep the audience from losing interest and long enough to allow the speaker to deliver a compelling argument or tell a captivating story. 

Crafting an engaging speech isn’t just about the content; it’s also about managing your speech length. Breaking your speech down into digestible segments can help maintain audience engagement. Instead of providing an information overload, deliver your points concisely, and take regular pauses. This gives your audience time to process and absorb the information. Furthermore, using a conversational tone can make your speech more relatable, helping to keep your audience engaged throughout.

A 5-minute speech, given the average speech speed, can fit approximately 625 to 750 words. But remember, this is just an approximation. Each speaker is unique, and so is their rate of speech. Some people naturally speak faster, while others prefer a slower pace. Your comfort level, the complexity of your topic, and your audience can all impact your speaking speed.

An effective way to plan your 5-minute speech is to estimate the number of words it should contain. Here’s a rough guide:

• Slow speakers: 100 wpm, approximately 500 words in 5 minutes.
• Average speakers: 125-150 wpm, about 625-750 words in 5 minutes.
• Fast speakers: 200 wpm, nearly 1000 words in 5 minutes. Remember that these numbers are approximate and can vary based on several factors.

Speech speed can vary significantly from person to person due to language fluency, nervousness, and the nature of the communication. A speaker might talk faster due to nervousness or excitement, or they might speak slowly to emphasize points or create suspense. Moreover, a speaker might adjust their pace based on audience reactions. Knowing these factors can help you manage your length and deliver a successful presentation.

Examples of impactful 5-minute speeches abound in history. For instance, Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic ‘I Have a Dream’ speech lasted just over 5 minutes, as did Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. These speeches show you can deliver powerful messages within a brief period, provided you manage your speech length effectively.

Writing a 5-minute speech might seem challenging, but it’s a skill you can master with some practice and guidance. If you’ve ever considered taking your skills to a professional level and want to become a speech writer , there are steps you can take to make it a reality. Begin with a clear objective for your speech, and make sure every word you pen down serves that goal. 

Be concise and straight to the point. Also, consider your audience when crafting your speech. A complex topic might require simpler language to ensure comprehension, while an educated audience might appreciate the use of technical terms or industry jargon. Moreover, you can always have the option of speech writers for hire and get help from them.

Structuring your speech correctly is critical to effectively managing length. If you’re intrigued by the art of speech and its potential career paths, learn about how to become a speech therapist . Start with a strong and engaging opening, followed by your main points, and conclude with a powerful ending reinforcing your message. A well-structured speech keeps the audience engaged and helps you stay within your time limit. Remember, every word counts in a 5-minute speech, so avoid unnecessary fluff and focus on the message you wish to convey.

• Keep your sentences short and clear.

Short sentences are easier to speak and understand. They keep your speech crisp and to the point.

• Use bullet points to organize your thoughts.

Bullet points can help you break down complex ideas into digestible pieces, making it easier for your audience to understand and for you to speak.

• Avoid jargon or complex language.

Unless it’s necessary for your topic or audience, avoid complex language. Simple, everyday language makes your speech more relatable and easily understood.

Creating an impactful 5-minute speech isn’t just about the words you write – it’s also about how you deliver them. If you need assistance in creating impactful written pieces, you can always hire a book writer or explore our professional ghostwriting services . Speech delivery can make or break your presentation, regardless of how well-written your speech might be.  Therefore, understanding and perfecting the art of speech delivery is crucial.

The key to perfecting your 5-minute speech? Practice. And lots of it. Rehearsing your speech multiple times helps you get comfortable with the words and also helps you understand how to manage your speech length effectively. By practicing, you can gauge whether you need to slow down or speed up, take more pauses, or emphasize certain points more.

Here are some tips to improve your speech delivery:

This makes your speech sound natural and engaging. It also helps manage your speech length, as you’re less likely to rush or slow down too much.

This helps keep the audience engaged and gives you feedback on how well your speech is being received.

This helps keep your audience interested and makes your speech more dynamic. Changing your pitch, tone, and volume can emphasize certain points and manage the overall speech length.

The number of pages in a 5-minute speech depends on your speaking pace and formatting choices. Here’s a breakdown:

• Average speaking pace: 100-120 words per minute
• 5-minute speech word count: 500-650 words
• Pages at 12pt font, single-spaced:  1-1.5 pages

Remember, this is just an estimate. Consider these factors for more precise results:

• Your actual speaking speed:  Time yourself delivering your speech to gauge your pace.
• Font size and spacing:  Larger fonts or double spacing will increase page count.
• Visual elements:  If you include slides or images, they won’t add to page count but affect delivery timing.

The average English speaker utters approximately 130 words per minute. A brisk speaker may reach up to 160 words per minute, while a more deliberate speaker might use around 100 words. Understanding your natural pace is key to delivering a well-timed and engaging speech.

A five minute speech would be around 500 words to 650 words.” Writing a 5 minute speech typically ranges from $250 to $300, influenced by factors such as complexity, writer experience, and customization

Understanding speech length and managing it is a valuable skill in public speaking. If you need to have your skills or achievements documented, Wikipedia writers for hire can help. Keeping your speech within the optimal length can maintain audience engagement and effectively convey your message. 

Whether you’re a fast speaker or slow, a seasoned orator, or a novice speaker, mastering the art of the 5-minute speech is a skill that can be honed with practice and understanding. Remember, it’s not just about the number of words but how you use them that counts.

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Words per Minute Calculator

Words per minute (speech), words per minute (reading), how many words is a 5 minute speech.

Have you ever wondered how long it takes to deliver a speech? Or how much time you need to read a book? This words per minute calculator (or WPM calculator for short) will help you convert between the number of words and the time taken to read or say. This way, you will not only learn how many words is a 5-minute speech but also how long it takes you to read a document with 2000 words.

If you want to know how much time you need to finish a book, head straight to our reading speed calculator !

In order to determine how long your presentation takes, you first need to find your speaking speed - how many words per minute of speech you can deliver. For example, the average speaking speed in English is 130 wpm (words per minute). If, however, you are frequently told that you speak very slowly or very fast, you should adjust this value accordingly.

You could also measure your speaking speed experimentally. Set a timer to one minute and start reading a passage of text aloud. Once the timer stops, count the words you managed to read. This number is your words per minute speech speed - you can input it directly into our calculator after clicking the advanced mode button.

The same principle as your speaking speed applies to your reading speed - the number of words per minute of reading. The average reading speed for the English language is between 170 and 240 wpm , depending on the text difficulty and your English ability.

Naturally, you can measure your reading speed and input it directly into this reading words per minute calculator. All you have to do is set a timer to one minute and start reading a book (or an e-book ), this time silently. Once the timer rings, count the words you read and input the number into the respective field (in the advanced mode ).

Once you know your speaking and reading speed, the calculations are a piece of cake! All you have to do is input the number of words you have to say into this words per minute calculator, which will tell you how long your presentation should take.

Of course, you can also use this calculator to figure out the maximum number of words in a speech with a limited time frame - for example, 5 minutes. Let's look at how to use this tool in more detail.

Choose whether you will speak to an audience or silently read the text. In this case, we are going to choose speech.

Select your speaking speed. We will stay with the average value of 130 wpm.

Determine the duration of the speech - here, we will pick a 5-minute elevator pitch.

Multiply the reading speed by the time to find out how many words are in a 5-minute speech:

130 × 5 = 650 words

Your speech can have a maximum of 650 words.

How many words per minute in a speech?

The average speaking speed in English is 130 words per minute . However, the average speaking rate changes according to the task before a speaker - for presentations, it goes down to 100-120 wpm, while for YouTubers, it's up to 150-160 wpm. When picking the right pace, you should also consider your audience, e.g., the presence of kids or non-native speakers!

How many words per 10 minute speech?

To deliver a successful ten-minute talk, prepare between 1000-1200 words. The absolute maximum you should have is 1300 words.

How many words are in a five minute speech?

A 5-minute speech should have between 500 - 600 words. Be careful not to exceed 650 words, or you'll talk too fast and, as a result, lose the audience!

How do I calculate the number of words in a talk?

To determine the number of words in a talk that will last m minutes:

• Average: 130 wpm (words per minute);
• Slow: 100 wpm; and
• Fast: 160 wpm.
• Multiply the speaking rate by the time you have in minutes: r × m
• The result in 2 is the number of words your talk should contain.

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5-minute speech topics: Everything You Need to Know (With Examples)

Hrideep barot.

• Presentation , Public Speaking , Speech Topics

Coming up with 5-minute speech topics is a more tedious task than researching, framing, and delivering your speech altogether.

It is a general rule that having a fantastically written and presented speech adds less value when the speech topic isn’t interesting and effective enough.

In 5-minute speeches, your topic becomes more crucial as the length of your speech increases compared to any 1–2-minute speeches which are very brief.

How long are 5-minute speeches?

When we talk about how long 5 minutes speeches should be, we are essentially answering the question,

How many words are there in a 5-minute speech?

With an average individual speaking about 130-150 words per minute, 5-minute speeches are usually 650-750 words long .

But to gauge the exact number of words you should speak for your 5-minute speeches, try to understand your pace of speaking. Your pace of speaking is the number of words you can talk in a minute. And then frame the speech accordingly.

How many slides are there in a 5-minute speech?

As a general rule, adding 5-6 slides for your 5-minute presentations is ideal . However, there are compulsions which means you can add as many slides as you wish as long as you are able to present your topic effectively.

What do 5-minute speech topics look like?

Before coming up with a 5-minute speech topic for your speech, you must understand what the topic should look like so as to grab everyone’s attention and instill enough curiosity in them.

Keep your title short. Very lengthy titles are challenging to recall and can be very boring for the audience members. Keeping the title of your article within the limit of 50 characters is usually a good idea.

2. Informative

After reading the above point, you might be tempted to cut down words and that is okay but try to make sure that it doesn’t steal the very essence of the speech. The title should give a brief idea to your audience so that they know what they can expect to gain from your speech.

3. Relevant

Make sure that your topic is relevant to the occasion and preferences of your audience.

How to go about selecting a 5-minute speech topic?

There are 2 ways to find a topic for your 5-minute speech:

• Research and elimination : When you try to come up with a topic yourself by conducting research about your audience, your own interests, and knowledge areas and then narrow it down to a specific topic, it is the process of research and elimination.
• Picking a topic from the internet : A very convenient way to choose 5-minute speech topics is to find one on the internet!

Research and Elimination

To find a perfect 5-minute speech topic for yourself, you will have to take into consideration a couple of things while researching. Here is a list of things to consider before selecting a 5-minute speech:

1. Audience

Before selecting a topic for your 5-minute speech, ask yourself “who is my audience?”

The idea is to understand what the majority of your audience would comprise. Are you giving a speech to college students? Or working professionals? Which gender makes the majority of your audience? What ethnicity do they come from?

Answering all these questions will give you an idea of what your audience would likely prefer to hear.

For example, if you have to give a speech on future financial planning, you can focus on retirement planning in case your audience is made up of mid to senior-level working professionals. Or you can focus on the trending investment options like cryptocurrencies and small cases if your audience comprises a young crowd.

2. Occasion

Understand the occasion for which you will be giving the speech. Is it a wedding toast or for a product launch? In both cases, your language, humor, and the same content of your speech would be very different.

A speech for a wedding toast for example would sound more like,

“To all those who know Nisha, I am her best friend. We have been friends since the 2nd grade and have been inseparable since. On this wonderful day, if I am happy to see her as a beautiful bride, I am equally saddened to see her leave all of us behind. But as she always says, She will just be a call away”

On the other hand, a speech for a product launch would look like this,

“Hello and good evening, everybody. We are excited and elated to have you here with us today to experience the magnificence of a new powerful gadget that would be the future of hair drying: Stylion ”

3. Interests

No matter how good a speaker may be, if he or she isn’t passionate about a topic, it will be visible to their audience. This is where the interests of the speaker come into the picture.

Having an immense interest in the topic you would like to speak on is important because it helps you reach the audience and makes the entire process of researching, formatting, and delivering the speech very enjoyable for you!

4. Knowledge

You could be very interested in astrology but if you have no idea how these planetary movements affect individuals’ lives, then giving an effective speech could be challenging.

Besides interest, you also need to have enough knowledge about the topic that you’ll be speaking on so that you have some credible content to deliver passionately to your audience.

The last and the most important factor to take into consideration is the purpose for which you are giving the speech.

Are you trying to educate your audience or sell a product or give them a different perspective on a topic?

Whatever your purpose is, it needs to be taken into consideration so that you can narrow down your topics and select one that perfectly fits your requirements.

Some purposes of 5-minute speeches could be:

Informative speeches are where the speaker tries to inform his audience about the topic. It doesn’t focus on tweaking the audience’s perception in any way. Rather the idea is to share with the audience some facts and statistical figures or events in history with as detailed speech as possible.

An example of an informative speech would be a speech on the Indian freedom struggle.

To Persuade

Persuasion is an act of asking others to behave a certain way or do a certain thing. Oftentimes, politicians and salespersons are famous for using persuasion techniques like rhetoric and metaphors to persuade the crowd to do something.

To celebrate

Wedding toasts are the best example of celebratory speeches. The purpose of these speeches is to s hare an emotional or fun memory or tell stories to the audience in an attempt to enjoy and celebrate the event.

How can I talk for 5 minutes straight?

5 minutes is actually a very convenient time to give an effective speech. However, it can seem very daunting to talk for 5 minutes straight if you are trying to memorize your speech by heart.

So the first thing to effectively talk for 5 minutes straight is to avoid memorizing it by heart. You can use various interactive methods like storytelling , using props, or dividing your speech into points to make it easier for you to give your speech for such an extended time.

Create a well-defined outline for your speech and practice it a couple of times in order to make the task of giving 5-minute speeches a little easier for yourself!

All this discussion would suggest that 5-minute speeches are tricky but is that really the case?

Is a 5-minute speech hard?

While from the audience’s perspective, 5-minute speeches are nothing but a blessing; for you as a speaker, 5-minute speeches could actually be a little too less or too much. Thus making it a tad bit difficult to give effective and engaging 5-minute speeches.

If for instance, you are to present your research proposal, then 5 minutes would not do justice to years of your dedicated efforts. While on the other hand, if you are giving a speech on some generic topic like climate change then even 2 minutes would be sufficient to get your point across.

So whether 5-minute speeches are hard or not would depend completely on how you perceive them.

If you do feel that they are difficult then remember the old saying “Practice makes the man perfect!”

5-minute speech outline

Once you come up with a topic for your speech, the next step is to look at its outline. The outline of any speech refers to the way in which you plan on structuring it.

Usually, 5-minute speeches are structured in the format given below:

1. Opening the speech

For a 5-minute speech, you can spend about a minute introducing yourself and the topic you will be speaking about.

Make sure to give the audience a glimpse of what you’ll be talking about so that they get a clear idea of what to expect from your speech.

It is also recommended to start with a very effective and attractive opening line so as to grab the audience’s attention quickly.

A few ways you can open your speech are:

• Proactive Statements : Provocative statements are the ones where you try to break the audience’s long-held views and later provide an alternative through your speech.

An example of this is

I want to discuss with you this afternoon why you are going to fail to have a good career Larry Smith

• Imagination : Imagination is a great tool to give your audience a chance to relate to you.

You can begin your speech with the word “imagine” and then proceed to narrate an incident that is relevant to your speech. An example of this is given below.

Imagine a big explosion as you climb through 3000 feet. Imagine a plane full of smoke. Imagine an engine going clack, clack, clack. Rick Elias

Check out the video below to get a more detailed idea about the opening lines.

2. Main body

The main body of any speech is where the main essence of your speech lies. You can structure this segment in 2 ways:

a. Pointer format

In the pointer format, the idea is to divide the main content into smaller parts or points. This helps in allocating specific time to each topic. It also helps in easy recall for the audience members.

b. Flow format

A flow format is one wherein two ideas are not separated by points. Rather there is a flow maintained throughout the speech.

3. Conclusion

It is necessary to summarise your speech in the last one minute. This is also the time wherein you will have to restate your takeaway.

Ending any speech on a high note is always recommended. You can do that by quoting a famous personality or calling for action from the audience members.

Check out the short video below to understand more about closing lines in a speech.

Examples of 5-minute speeches

1. the danger of silence.

Clint Smith has done a great job with his 5-minute TED speech wherein he begins by quoting Martin Luther King Jr . He further establishes credibility when he states that he is a teacher and how the quote inspires him to challenge his students to embrace silence in their life.

He speaks as if it were spoken word poetry , emphasizing events that happened in his life and how they changed him to perceive silence in a different light.

2. 3 Things I learned while My Plane Crashed

Ric Elias has used the most effective technique to get the audience to relate to you, the technique of imagination . He begins his speech by asking the audience members to imagine being a part of a plane crash and to feel all the things that he felt when he experienced a similar incident.

There is the use of good humor as well in his speech, taking a dig at how he didn’t have to ask the flight attendant for anything as they clearly knew they were all about to die. He further jokes about his daughter when he says,

About a month later, I was at a performance by my daughter. First grader, not much of an artistic talent…Yet!

Lastly, He very effectively divides the main content of the speech into 3 points or things that he learned from his experience.

3. Being an Introvert is a Good Thing

Crystal Robello has given this amazing 5-minute speech on How being an Introvert is a good thing.

The speech is worth taking a look into as her speech provides a great argument in favor of introverts and tries to break the long-held view against them by society. She shares her own story adding a personal touch to her speech.

Further, she makes use of rhetorical questions which are questions that do not necessarily require an answer from the audience. Check out the rhetorical questions she uses below:

• ..and I have opinions. I just didn’t want to share them, but is there anything wrong with that?
• (mentions famous introverts) Do you think being an introvert has stopped them from achieving their goals or being happy?

Lastly, she ends her speech on a very powerful note by quoting a line from the book Quite and saying,

So the next time you see that quiet kid in the back of the class who doesn’t participate very much, I want you to think “I wonder what wonderful things they are going to come up with next?”

5-minute speech topics

In case you don’t have enough time to go through the entire topic selection process, the second-best option is to select a topic that is available on the internet.

Don’t worry, you don’t have to do another google search.

We have curated a list of 5-minute speech topics so that you can take a look at it and select a topic that suits you!

General 5-minute speech topics

• Climate Change
• Domestic Violence
• Environment
• Importance of Cleanliness
• Women’s Day Speech
• Teachers’ Day Speech

5-minute speech topics depending on the type of the speech

The purpose of your speech defines the type of your speech. A few broad speech types are

• Informative speech
• Demonstrative Speech
• Persuasive speech

Informative Speech Topics

Informative speeches focus on educating or introducing the audience to new concepts or ideas. thus, it provides information about a topic to the audience and doesn’t try to make them believe in a particular viewpoint or opinion., 5-minute informative speech topics:.

• The reality of adoption in India
• Technological developments in organ transplantation
• The freedom struggle of any country
• History of body art
• Women warriors who made a difference
• The Indian freedom struggles
• Story of the greens
• Side effects of Anti-depressants
• The rise of Adderall uses among college students
• Impact of diet on Mental health
• Impact of sleep deprivation on productivity
• The great resignation
• The reality of beauty pageants
• All about sustainable traveling
• The efficiency of ayurvedic medicine
• Western influence on traditional yoga
• Impact of music on mood
• Why does playing musical instruments keep you healthy?
• Evolution of the electric guitar
• COVID restrictions around the world

Demonstrative Speech Topics

The only difference between an informative speech and a demonstrative speech is the use of visuals.

In a demonstrative speech, the speaker tries you help you understand a new topic or information by demonstrating a few fundamentals of the topic to you.

For example, a salesperson trying to pitch his product through his speech would make use of the product to show his audience how that product can make their lives easy.

A few verbs or phrases that you can use in your demonstrative 5-minute speech topics are:

• N ways to..
• Structure..

Examples of Demonstrative 5-minute speech topics

• How to ace a test in 5 days
• How to make mac n cheese
• How to Organize a party
• How to prevent a financial loss
• How to stop procrastinating
• How to learn a new language in 30 days
• How to start a successful business from home
• How to use chopsticks
• How to wear a scarf in 5 ways
• 10 steps to writing a blog
• 20 ways to add protein to your diet
• 4 ways to motivate yourself every morning
• 5 ways to calm your anxiety
• Top 3 ways to deal with stress
• 5 ways colors can elevate your mood
• 3 tips for studying abroad
• 5 ways to know if someone is lying to you
• Top 3 tips to take care of your white shoes
• 10 reasons why people prefer online shopping
• How to revive a dead plant?

Persuasive Speech Topics

Persuasive speeches are the ones wherein the speaker aims to persuade the audience to do something or act in a certain way. as discussed, it is a very common speech type used by salespeople and politicians., examples of 5 -minute persuasive speech topics.

• How advertisements trick you
• Why money can’t buy happiness
• 21: the only legal age to get married
• Being vegan and sustainable
• Why wearing sustainable clothes should be a norm
• Fast fashion: A compromise on the quality of clothes
• Why reality TV shows need to stop
• Impact of online classes on poor grades
• Why investing early is necessary
• Dogs over cats
• Private colleges are not fair
• Why do schools need to start late
• Cults need to be banned
• Global warming is not real
• We can save our planet
• Endangered species need to be saved
• Rainwater harvesting should be mandatory in all houses
• Why xenotransplantation is unethical
• Depression is overrated
• Legalizing prostitution

5-minute speech topics for college students

• Implications of online dating
• Are movie reviews an accurate indicator of the movie?
• Teen depression and suicides
• Should uniforms be compulsory?
• Academic stress
• Moving abroad for education
• Dangers of substance abuse
• 5 tips for finding the perfect major
• Can poverty be eradicated?
• How can world hunger be curbed?
• Are electronic vehicles a solution to the pollution problem?
• Legalizing same-sex marriages
• Brain drain
• Impact of meat production on the environment
• Importance of communication
• Offers and Benefits of being a college student
• Cashless economy
• Need for gun control
• Is school really a safe place?
• The dangers of Artificial Intelligence

Motivational 5-minute speech ideas

• Not giving up: A guide for anyone with depression
• How I overcame my anxiety
• You are more than your thoughts
• 3 Reasons why you need to stop comparing yourself to others
• 4 techniques to beat procrastination
• Being a great leader is more than the position
• Importance of positive thinking
• Breaking societal stereotypes
• More than my skin color
• Embracing everybody
• Failure: A way to learn and grow
• Time management and self-growth
• Self-development: a key to self-growth
• Consistency over motivation
• The joy of being in nature

General 5-minute presentation ideas

• The future of communication
• Population problem
• Climate Crisis
• The melting glaciers
• Pollution and its solution
• Changes required in the education system
• Discrimination and hate crimes
• The rise in migration and poor housing facilities in urban areas
• Advantages of Artificial intelligence
• Everything you need to know about the metaverse

5-minute presentation topics for a job interview

• The future is cashless
• Data is the new oil
• Dangers of data privacy
• women empowerment
• Gender equality
• Importance of communication skills
• The education system in India
• My biggest accomplishment
• My role model

5-minute funny presentation ideas

• How to memorize notes for exams without studying
• How to pretend to be interested in the conversation?
• If your boss was honest with you
• Tips to handle a bridezilla
• How to prepare a presentation you forgot about?
• Way to steal your boyfriend’s sweatshirts
• 4 tips to be the center of attention
• How to Get a Toddler to stop talking in 383 Easy Steps?
• How to Live in Your Mom’s Basement?
• Ways to ruin a date
• The perfect way to lie
• When is it okay to give up?
• 5 things That Are Better Than Doing the Dishes
• Where to find your missing sock?
• How do you win in life?
• Why being a millionaire is overrated?
• How to bathe a dog?
• How to order at the subway?
• How to ask for directions?
• Top pick-up lines ever used in history

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Finding the right 5-minute speech topic can be a task, but ensuring the audience’s preferences, your own interests, and knowledge areas can help in narrowing down the range of topics to a large extent.

If you do not have enough time to research and narrow down on one topic, you can pick out one topic from a plethora of topics available online.

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Mastering 5-Minute Presentations: Slides for Maximum Impact

How many slides for a 5-minute presentation? It’s the million-dollar question in the context of giving a concise and impactful speech.

Let’s put it this way: you only have 300 seconds to not only convey your message but also to captivate your audience. It’s a tightrope walk between informative and overwhelming, and the number of slides you choose can make or break your presentation.

In this article, we’re not just counting slides; we’re unlocking the secrets to making every second and every slide in your 5-minute talk count.

Whether you’re pitching an idea to your team, presenting a project to clients, or speaking at a conference, the insights here will transform your approach to quick presentations. Let’s dive right in!

Understanding the 5-Minute Presentation

A 5-minute presentation is a tight, focused discourse where every word counts. It’s not just a brief talk; it’s a concentrated blend of your key points , delivered with precision and clarity .

This is where the question of how many slides for a 5-minute talk becomes crucial. The answer isn’t one-size-fits-all ; it hinges on your content’s complexity and your delivery style. Typically, a range of 5 to 10 slides is recommended, ensuring each slide gets enough time to be absorbed without rushing through.

The unique challenges of a 5-minute presentation lie in its brevity , along with other aspects like the best PowerPoint presentation design template to use. After all, you have a limited window to make an impression, which means every second and slide must be purposeful. 

Here are a few slides from a pitch deck by Copper Cow Coffee, which shows brevity and simplicity:

Remember, a well-executed 5-minute presentation can be more impactful than a 30-minute monologue.

Determining the Ideal Number of Slides

When addressing the pivotal query, “how many slides for a 5-minute presentation,” it’s essential to understand that the ideal number is influenced by several key factors:

Content Complexity

For complex topics with intricate data or concepts, fewer slides with clear, concise information are preferable. Simpler topics can be complemented with more slides to maintain a dynamic flow.

Speaking Pace

Fast speakers might cover more slides effectively. Slower speakers, on the other hand, should opt for fewer slides to match their natural rhythm .

Time Management in Presentations

Aim for each slide to represent approximately 30 to 60 seconds of speaking time . Include brief pauses after each slide for the information to be absorbed or for quick clarifications.

The general guideline for how many slides for a 5-minute presentation falls between 5 to 10 slides. This range is strategic, allowing for information to be presented clearly without overwhelming the audience.

Here’s how to optimize your slides:

• First 30 Seconds: Introduction Slide . Start with a compelling opening that outlines what the presentation will cover.
• Middle Segment (3-4 minutes): Main Content Slides . Divide the core content into digestible segments, each represented by a slide. In addition, choose a presentation design that would allow you to use visuals and bullet points to convey key ideas succinctly.
• Final 30 Seconds: Conclusion Slide . Here, you summarize the main points. End with a strong closing statement or a call to action.

Here’s an example of Buzzfeed’s conclusion slide on their pitch deck uploaded in 2016. The slide emphasized the strengths of the platform and how big it could get in the next years:

Remember, slides are a visual aid, not the main script. They should enhance your verbal communication, not overshadow it.

Content Strategy for 5-Minute Presentations

Crafting the perfect 5-minute presentation hinges on your ability to develop concise content for presentations that captivates and informs. Here’s how to strike that crucial balance:

Focus on Key Messages

Identify the core points you want to convey. Limit them to three or four to avoid overloading your audience. Each slide should represent one key idea, ensuring clarity and focus.

Engaging Storytelling

Use storytelling techniques to make your content more relatable and memorable . Incorporate real-life examples, anecdotes, or relevant statistics to illustrate your points vividly.

Here are a few slides from the pitch deck of Match Box now more popularly known as Tinder:

The story presented may be simple and short, possibly taking only 30 seconds, but it was relatable and was a good material to hook the audience. 

Simplicity is Key

Avoid jargon and complex language. Opt for clear, straightforward wording that’s accessible to all audience members. Use bullet points or numbered lists to break down information into digestible chunks.

If you’re looking for pegs in slide simplicity, check out these first four slides in Purple Go’s pitch deck:

Visual Harmony

Leverage the power of visuals to complement your spoken words. Images, graphs, and charts can convey complex information quickly and effectively. Ensure your slides are not cluttered. Adequate white space enhances readability and focus.

Professional Design Touch

Consider enlisting design experts to elevate your slide aesthetics . After all, a well-designed presentation can significantly enhance message delivery. Professional designers (like those we have here at Penji ) can help create a cohesive visual theme that aligns with your message and brand identity.

Here’s an example of a professional presentation we’ve done for one of our clients:

The Informative-Engaging Balance

Mix facts with narrative elements. While data lends credibility, stories evoke emotional responses. Use rhetorical questions or quick polls to engage the audience and make the content interactive.

The Bottom Line

After going through the essentials of crafting a compelling 5-minute presentation, you now know the tricks to determine the ideal number of slides to create content that strikes the perfect balance between informative and engaging . 

But there’s one more crucial element that can elevate your presentation from good to unforgettable: professional design. This is where Penji’s expertise comes into play. Our team of professional designers understands the power of visual storytelling and can transform your presentation into a visual masterpiece. 

Sign up today and let our team bring your vision to life.

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How many words per minute in a speech?

A quick guide for slow, average and fast rates of speech.

By:  Susan Dugdale  

If you're preparing a speech or presentation with a strict time limit it’s useful to have an estimate of the number of words you’ll need to fit the number of minutes you've been given.

And it's even more useful to have those guidelines before you rush into writing, only to discover when you’re done, you’ve written far too much. Something I used to do on a regular basis! (And then, I had the tedious job of pruning to fit.)

What's on this page:

How many words are there in a 1-minute speech, how many words are there in a 2-minute speech, how many words are there in a 3-minute speech, how many words are there in a 4-minute speech, how many words are there in a 5-minute speech, how many words are there in a 6-minute speech, how many words are there in a 7-minute speech, how many words are there in an 8-minute speech, how many words are there in a 9-minute speech, how many words are there in a 10-minute speech, how many words are there in a 15-minute speech, how many words are there in a 20-minute speech, how many words are there in a 25-minute speech, how many words are there in a 30-minute speech.

• How to calculate your own speech rate: 2 easy methods
• How many pages is a 4, 7 or 20-minute speech?     

About this quick reference guide

The following table (below) shows the average number of words spoken per minute for speeches from 1 to 30 minutes long. It's a quick reference guide: one only intended to provide general information.

Who, and what, is truly average?

An average word count for any timed speech (one minute, two minutes, three, four, five, six...or more, minutes) is impossible to give. As there really is no such thing as an average person, who uses an average rate of words per minute when they speak.

We are individuals: each of us different. Speech patterns and speech (speaking) rates vary considerably between person to person for a great many reasons. The best you’ll ever get is an educated guess.

Use as an estimate: test yourself to be sure

That aside, the following estimates will give you a handy indication of the number of minutes it takes to say x number of words depending on whether you talk at a slow speed, a medium speed or you're one of the world's fast talkers.

(And, no, it's never a good idea to gabble at a mile a minute to fit everything you've prepared into the length of time you've been given!)

To be absolutely sure what you've done will fit the time allocation you've been given it's a good idea to test yourself to establish your own speaking rate or speed of speech .

How many pages is a 'x' minute speech?

Multiple variations on the question how many pages are needed for a speech are frequently asked. For instance:

• How many pages is a 4-minute speech?
• How many pages is a 7-minute speech?
• How many pages is a 20-minute presentation?

Unfortunately, the answer is not simple. Calculating the number of A4 pages of text you need for a speech of any number of minutes long is tricky for two reasons.

How many words are on an A4 page?

The first reason is that the number of words on an A4 page depends on how the page has been formatted. The answers to the questions below make a very big difference to the total number of pages needed to print a speech.

• What is the font family being used? (Different fonts take up differing amounts of space because of the shape/design of their characters.)  
• What is the size of the font? (The font size you're reading right now is 20px.)
• What is the spacing between each of the letters in a word?
• What is the spacing between each line of text? Is it single spacing, 1.5 or double line spacing?
• What spacing has been set for paragraphs?
• What size have the margins of the page been set at?
• Are there headings? Sub-headings or lists?

On average if the font is plain, (sans-serif, without embellishment), like Arial or Verdana, its size is set for 12px, and the line spacing is set for 1.5, then a page may have between 400-500 words on it.

Speech rate changes how we calculate the number of words we need

The second reason why using the number of pages to gauge how long a speech will take to deliver is problematical is because we speak at different rates. 

A 500-word page may take someone speaking at very slow rate 4 minutes to get through.

Another person, who has a much faster speaking rate, may take about 2.5 minutes to deliver exactly the same text.

Using the number of pages as a guide for a speech that has to fit a time limit is completely unreliable.

If you need to use a 'guesstimate' use the speech rate table below. Forget about counting the pages! 

If you are a slow speaker, less than 120 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 120 - 160 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 160 - 200 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 240 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 240 - 320 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 320 - 400 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 360 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 360 – 480 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 480 - 600 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 480 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 480 – 640 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 640 - 800 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 600 words,

If you speak at an average speed between: 600 – 760 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 760 - 1000 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 720 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 720 – 960 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 960 - 1200 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 840 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 840 – 1120 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 1120 - 1400 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 960 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 960 – 1280 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 1280 - 1600 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 1080 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 1080 – 1440 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 1440 - 1800 words.

If you are a slow speaker a little less than 1200 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 1200 – 1600 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 1600 - 2000 words.

If you are a slow speaker, a little less than 1,800 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 1,800 - 2,400 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 2,400 - 3,000 words.

If you are a slow speaker, a little less than 2,400 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 2,400 - 3,200 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 3,200 - 4,000 words.

If you are a slow speaker, a little less than 3,000 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 3,000 - 4,000 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 4,000 - 5,000 words.

If you are a slow speaker, a little less than 3,600 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 3,600 - 4,800 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 4,800 - 6,000 words.

Return to Top

Find out more about speech rate

• How to calculate your own words per minute speech rate - two easy methods
• The factors influencing a faster rate or slower rate of speech
• How to develop an ideal rate of speech : one matching content, speech purpose and your audience: six exercises for flexible speaking rate

Words per minute calculator

Lastly here's the link to a useful online words per minutes calculator . Once you've completed your speech enter the total number of words, and select whether you want it to give you an average for a minute of your speech at a slow rate, average or fast rate. Again, it's a 'guesstimate'. ☺

The only really safe way to find out whether your speech fits your time allocation is to say it aloud at an ideal rate or pace: one taking into account the content, and the audience who is going to listen to it, while timing it.

(Use the record function on your phone. It will assist in lots of other ways too! You'll hear where you need more vocal variety, where your pronunciation is blurred ...and, so on. It's super helpful.)

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How Many Words is a 5-Minute Speech

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Published Date : February 16, 2024

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Giving a speech is not as easy as you may think. After all, being in front of many people will surely give you pressure.  You can feel all sweaty and nervous. Fortunately, giving a speech is usually planned, so you can still prepare before it happens. 

That’s why if you present something or give a speech , you should first know how many words per minute of a speech .

It is crucial, especially if you are asked to do a speech in a limited time, for instance, a 5-minute speech . Will you be able to finish the task perfectly? 

You might ask yourself how to compose a speech with that time limit, or more importantly, how many words is a 5-minute speech ? 

Here is some information to guide you to ensure you can do your job flawlessly while looking and sounding smart. Please read on.

How many words per minute of speech?

Aren’t you curious how many words a person can say in a minute? How about in a speech ? Have you ever thought about why it’s essential to know how many words per minute of speech speakers can use?

How about longer speeches? How many words is a 3-minute, 5-minute, or 10-minute speech ? These are questions that might confuse speakers, especially those who are new to public speaking .

Theoretically, a person can talk up to 100 to 150 words in a regular conversation, but this still depends on how people deliver their words. After all, some people talk fast while others are slower than average.

Those who talk fast can put more words in their speech , while the average or slower should follow the standard or minimum prescribed words. 

A table shows how many words per minute of speech an average speaker can do.

How do you estimate your spoken words?

Now that you know the average number of words a person can say, you surely want to estimate how many words you can say. The number of words you speak depends on your pacing or how fast or slow you talk. 

• Timing yourself while giving a speech is the easiest way to estimate it. Use a timer to count how many words per minute of speech you can do. 
• There is also an app that can count how many words you speak in a speech . These apps can even determine the speech ’s pacing, diction, or filler words. Use these applications to make estimating the number of words you will use in your speech easier.
• You can also use your phone to record your voice and then manually count each word you say.
• A video can also do the trick. You can take a video of yourself while doing a speech to count how many words you said. You can even see your appearance with the video when giving a speech .

Choose any of the above ways so you know how many words you can say. Once you have the estimated count, you can reference how many words per minute of speech you can do.  

However, this number can change depending on your situation. 

For example, an impromptu speech can make you nervous, affecting your pacing. With the change of pace,  you can talk faster or slower than usual. 

Changing the pacing is sometimes useful to show dynamics in your speech . However, ensure that your pacing will not distract your listeners, and they won’t feel your nervousness.

How many words are in a 3-minute speech?

As mentioned earlier, the average number of words a person can say in a minute of speech is around 100 to 150, but this can change depending on the speaker’s pace and situation. That is why if you want to know how many words are in a 3-minute speech , the short answer is about 300 to 450 words.

However, would that be enough for you to say everything you want to say in your speech ? Although you can say many things within 3 minutes, it might not be enough to fully explain your subject to your listeners.

Here are some tips that can help you finish your 3-minute speech with ease with that kind of problem.

• First, you need to focus on your subject. Since you’re constrained with time, you must limit your speech by directly attacking the topic. Do not be vague on your points to convey your ideas within the time limit.
• After that, choose one main key point on your subject. It should be something you are very familiar with or good at. It is vital to leave a striking impression on your listener. Ensure you sound smart when discussing the subject; you can only do that if you master the topic. 
• Revolve your speech on that particular point so you can quickly and confidently speak about it with your audience.

With this, you will not have difficulty adjusting the words you need to say in your speech . You can also convey your thoughts better and attract your audience’s attention. By knowing how you can emphasize your subject, you won’t have a problem estimating how many words per minute of speech you need to use. You can also learn more about public speaking by visiting this site .

How many words do I need for a five-minute speech?

If you have given a time limit for a speech , then it means that you need to adhere to it. You may ask yourself how many words are in a 5-minute speech .

Based on the table above, it should be around 500 to 750 words. With this amount of words and time, you can convey many things to your audience. 

However, it doesn’t mean you can bombard your audience with much information. You can’t be like a robot in front of them and spew out information.

If this is your first time giving a speech , let this guide help you. Here are some do’s and don’ts when giving a speed to an audience.

How many words do I need for a ten-minute speech?

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In a 10-minute speech , you can say about 1000 to 1500 words. But this number can change depending on how many words per minute of speech you can do.

Some people tend to talk fast, while others speak slower than average. However, there are also times when a person’s pacing or speaking rate changes because of their situation. Just like estimating how many words a 5-minute speech is, you can take a video of yourself to evaluate your pacing when giving the speech . 

It’s also good to plan your 5-minute speech since you have ample time to expound on your topic. Planning your speech will also help you sound coherent, especially when explaining a difficult subject.  You must also make your discussion relevant so your listeners will not get bored.

Several factors can affect a person’s speaking rate or pacing.

• Regular pacing/speaking rate 

Your standard speaking rate is influenced by the environment you have. These factors include where you grew up, the culture, how your parents or family speaks, and mannerisms.

• Nervousness

When people feel tense or jittery, they tend to talk faster than their regular speaking rate, affecting how many words per minute of speech they can do.

• Urgent or emergency matter

When you need to say something hurriedly, you tend to speak fast to convey your thoughts swiftly to the listener. You can change your pacing when you show dynamics in speech , but make sure your listener can still understand what you’re saying.

Tiredness is also a factor that can affect people’s speaking rates. When you are tired, your mind will function slower, which makes you speak slowly.

• Pauses/fillers

Your pauses and fillers can occupy your speaking time, so find ways to avoid it . Some listeners are also very sensitive when hearing a lot of fillers. Hence, too many fillers and pauses can disrupt your flow of discussion and bring discomfort to your listeners. 

• Use of complex words

If the subject is a bit complicated, you might need to speak slowly and consider how many words per minute of speech so your audience can slowly digest everything you say 

How to prepare a 5-minute speech for public speaking?

Now that you know how many words per minute of speech you can do and how many words is a 5-minute speech , you can easily prepare a speech .

Here are some ideas on how to prepare yourself for your speech .

• Quality over quantity – Ensure you prioritize your speech ’s quality instead of the number of words in your speech . Make sure that you convey all important and necessary information to your listeners.
• Crack a joke – Don’t be afraid to say jokes , but ensure they relate to your topic. After all, you don’t want to make your audience feel awkward, but you don’t make it boring.
• Do your research – Ensure you are prepared and ready before your speech . Do your research and study well to provide credible information to your listeners.
• Keep it simple – You will avoid getting sidetracked on your topic by keeping the speech simple . It will also prevent you from rambling, unnecessary things to make your speech better. You can expound on the subject but always remember to know how many words are in a minute of speech .
• Tell a related story – People will understand you better if you tell them relatable things. You don’t need to say everything about yourself, but enough for them to get hooked and hear you out until the end. 
• Practice, practice, practice! Even if you know how many words a 5-minute speech is, your performance might still not be successful if you don’t practice. By practicing your address, you can fluently convey all facts and information to your listeners. It will also prevent you from making mistakes and improve the whole thing.

This video can also help you practice your public speaking :

What are some tips for writing a 3-minute speech?

Giving a speech within 3 minutes may seem very fast, but you can convey many things within that time as long as you plan. First, you must know how many words is a 3-minute speech before writing anything.

Depending on how many words per minute of speech you have to convey your topic even with a limited time.

Here are some tips on putting an informative and useful speech within 3-minutes to help you.

• Research 

Before knowing how many words a 3-minute speech is, researching your topic to create a good speech is imperative.

• Create an Outline 

Break down what you need to say in your speech . Create a structure and a step-by-step procedure you need to follow when giving the speech .

• Write an opening statement. 

The opening statement is crucial when you are giving a speech . It lets you get your audience’s attention and engage them to listen.

• List down the main points. 

Don’t also forget to list down 1 to 3 main points. This central point has all the essential facts and information you must convey to the audience. As long as you know your main points, it’s easy to assess how many words per minute of speech you will do.

• Don’t forget to memorize 

Remember to practice and memorize the speech that you have written. This way, you can confidently stand before your audience and finish your speech .

Methods on How You Can Improve When Giving Speech

Are you going to give a 5-minute speech at the next event you’re going to? Are you nervous, and do you know how many words is a 5-minute speech ?

If not yet, then let this help you out. A 5-minute speech has 500 to 750 words; if you are still not ready to give a speech , here are some methods to help you.

• Make sure that you practice before you give a speech . You can ask someone to help you or video yourself to know what you need to change to deliver a better speech .
• Listen to how other speakers do their speech . You will surely get some ideas on how to make your speech better.
• Experiment on your own and try different pacing to get the right speaking rate you want to have when you give your speech .
• Read books or news and familiarize yourself with the information. See how it flows and try to say it aloud. Repeat it several times, and try changing your pacing on each repetition. 
• You can also visit sites that can help you develop your speaking skills.

How can you tailor your speech to resonate with your specific audience?

Captivate your audience by tailoring your speech ! Understand their age, interests, and knowledge. Research their values and speak their language. Use relatable examples and address their specific needs. Visuals and clear structure keep them engaged, while feedback helps you refine them for future success. Speak effectively and resonate deeply.

Why is it important to know your audience when crafting a presentation?

Knowing your audience unlocks presentation magic! Customize content, language, and examples to fit their age, interests, and knowledge. Adapt your tone, address potential questions, and maximize impact. Craft a message that resonates and leaves a lasting impression. Remember, presentations thrive on audience understanding!

How can you engage your audience throughout your speech?

Captivate your audience! Hook them with a surprising fact, story, or question. Share relatable stories and examples. Use visuals and encourage participation. Speak naturally and clearly, and keep it concise. Engaging audiences is your presentation superpower!

How does the type of speech you’re giving affect its length?

The ideal speech length depends on its type and purpose. Persuasive speeches, rich in evidence, may need a quicker pace to fit everything in. A few hundred words and a slower delivery suffice for introductions or thank-yous. Informative speeches with technical details might be longer. Tailor your speech ’s duration and pace to its goals for maximum impact.

How can you ensure you don’t ramble or rush through your points in a 5-minute speech?

This blog delves into public speaking , offering diverse resources – from presentation software options to inspiring speech analysis. Explore their content spanning different aspects like delivery tips, unique elevator pitches, and even tool recommendations. They emphasize confident, engaging delivery and welcome you to their community on social media to learn and connect!

How should you practice your delivery for an effective speech?

To nail your speech delivery, practice is key! Focus on clarity and comfortable pacing, allowing your audience to follow easily. Speak with inflection and use natural body language for emphasis. Consider tools like Speeko for feedback, and remember, practice makes perfect! Don’t rush or ramble, and your 5-minute speech will resonate!

What should you focus on in your speech’s core message?

A 10-minute speech is 1000-1500 words, but don’t get hung up on length. Prioritize a concise, focused core message. Build a clear outline with key ideas that support it. Remember, quality over quantity! Ditch unnecessary tangents and practice for confident delivery. Your audience will appreciate a focused, impactful speech that resonates.

How can you maximize your 5 minutes for a powerful speech?

Master your 5-minute speech ! Prepare and rehearse beforehand, then focus on engaging your audience. Balance info with conciseness , use an outline for focus and find the sweet spot between energy and composure. Speak, project your voice, and stick to the word count. Most importantly, practice! Speak to mirrors, friends, or anyone receptive – the more you do, the better you’ll be! Be prepared, engage your audience, and confidently deliver your powerful message.

What should you consider when writing a powerful 5-minute speech?

Craft a strong 5-minute speech by staying focused! Pick a clear, concise topic, choose a key point you shine in, and tailor your words to revolve around it. This ensures smooth flow and audience connection and helps estimate your pace. Remember practice and engagement; your impactful message will resonate within the time limit.

Knowing how many words per minute of speech you can say is essential, especially when making a speech . It will give you an estimate of how many words you can say with a speech that has a time limit. 

Knowing how many words are in a 5-minute speech will give you a limit on how many words you can convey. You can also quickly outline what you must say since there is a time limit. 

With these tips and information, you can easily do your speech without any problem. Remember everything you read here; it will help you ace the public speaking task. Download the Orai app at the App Store today to start your free trial with your AI speech coach ! 

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How to Create an Engaging 5-Minute Presentation

A 5-minute speech can feel both incredibly short and infinitely long. while this short format encourages audiences to pay more attention, presenters often struggle to fit everything into five minutes even as they navigate nervousness that seems to stretch out each second..

A 5-minute speech can feel both incredibly short and infinitely long.

While this short format encourages audiences to pay more attention, presenters often struggle to fit everything into five minutes even as they navigate nervousness that seems to stretch out each second.

As a result, preparation is key for 5-minute speech success.

But how can you ensure your presentation accomplishes everything it needs to within just five short minutes? We’ve put together an (appropriately condensed) guide on five-minute presentations to help you get started.

To calculate your own personal speaking speed (words per minute, or WPM):

• Make an audio recording of yourself speaking for one minute.
• Use a free transcription service to generate a text version of your speech.
• The number of words you spoke in that minute is your personal WPM.

When constructing a longer presentation, you might be more concerned about transitions and keeping the audience engaged with more extensive narrative elements.

In a short presentation, everything you say should directly tie back to your central premise and further advance your main point.

Keeping a tight scope and using your words carefully ensures your time isn't wasted and the audience leaves with a clear, singular takeaway.

How many slides are in a 5-minute presentation?

Five or six slides, or about one per minute, is a good baseline for a 5-minute presentation. Depending on your subject matter, however, you might use up to 20 slides and spend about 10 or 15 seconds on each.

More important than your slide count is what each slide contains. It‘s a good rule of thumb to keep your slides simple and focused on visuals instead of text for a presentation of any length.

This becomes especially important when you’re dealing with a condensed presentation window.

Trying to cram in as much information as possible within a short time frame can be tempting. Resist the urge. Instead, focus on simple, clean visuals that all tie back to your central premise.

You can also use these free presentation templates to arrange your slides in a way that makes the most sense for your delivery and the content of your presentation.

Download for Free

5-Minute Presentation Outline

To help you get started, we’ve created a basic outline below that you can use to organize your initial thoughts in the planning stage.

Ideally, your slides should answer four key questions: What, why, how, and what comes next?

1. Cover Slide (What)

Your cover slide needs to answer the question that’s on everyone’s mind: What’s in it for me?

Specificity is your friend. For example, if you’re delivering a presentation on improving writing skills, avoid titles such as “How to Refine Your Craft.”

Instead, opt for titles such as “Five Tips to Improve Your Writing Skills” or “A Quickstart Guide to Creating Better Written Content.”

A clearer title helps your audience understand the focus and prevents you from going too broad with your topic.

2. Thesis Slide (What, Continued)

Your second slide should be a clear thesis statement. This is what you want listeners to take away from your presentation and remember tomorrow when they’re back at work.

Writing a thesis benefits both your audience and you. Establishing a one-sentence summary of your presentation forces you to articulate and focus your message, which will help you craft the rest of your slides that support this point.

To write your thesis, “Start at the end and ask yourself what you want to accomplish in 5 minutes,” said leadership communications coach Nausheen I. Chen .

“Keep it super simple: the fewer the goals of the presentation, the higher the chance of you achieving them.”

In Nausheen’s five-minute presentation, she explicitly states the most important takeaway for viewers at the beginning of her presentation:

Image Source

3. Problem Slide (Why)

Once you’ve established what, talk about why. This is the problem that needs to be solved or the issue that needs to be addressed.

In our writing presentation example above, the problem could be that written content isn’t driving engagement — or is creating a negative user experience.

Speaking of negativity, don’t be afraid to frame your problem in a negative light. Audience members will be more motivated to listen if you steer them away from a problem, rather than helping them achieve a better outcome.

Think of this as “pain over gain.”

Here’s an example of a short presentation on the benefits of quitting caffeine:

• Gain — you could ultimately have more energy by quitting caffeine.
• Pain — your caffeine intake is hurting your energy levels, not helping.

After you’ve identified the problem, deliver the solution.

4. Solution/Analysis Slide (How)

Now that your problem has been introduced, tell your audience what they need to know about this topic. In shorter presentation formats, you’ll want to focus less on the details and more on the big-picture items.

Ask yourself: What does your audience need to know about this topic? Anything that falls into the “nice to know” category can be cut and delivered to stakeholders in a follow-up email after the meeting.

5. About You — Optional (Who)

Does your five-minute presentation need an “about me” slide? Only if it reinforces your thesis and gives authority to your words.

For example, a short presentation about cancer screenings would be more credible if a doctor was the presenter.

However, given the brevity of your presentation, you can find a creative way to lend that same authority to what you’re saying without shortening your message.

It might be possible to achieve the same authority by a doctor wearing a white coat for a presentation in real-life and adding the “Dr.” prefix to their name on Zoom.

6. Conclusion (What’s Next)

The conclusion slide allows you to coherently end your presentation and summarize the important takeaway points for your audience.

Don’t skimp on your conclusion just because it’s a short presentation — it’s the last thing your audience will hear from you.

On this slide, include contact information so interested audience members can follow up. Reinforce the points you presented and ultimately make your presentation more memorable.

5-Minute Slide Decks

We weren’t in the room when these presentations were originally given — and therefore can’t confirm with 100% certainty that they ran for only five minutes.

However, these decks clock in at under 16 slides and use a simple format to convey a problem and solution.

Oracle Cloud

In only 10 slides, this deck explores the benefits of Oracle Cloud. When crafting your presentation, remember that data can speak more with words. You can communicate a powerful point with a simple statistic, helping you move through your presentation quickly.

There’s no need to give a comprehensive history or timeline. Your slides can do the talking. In this presentation, Accenture shows a timeline-style plan of how teams use OSDU to accelerate innovation.

Instead of discussing each point in depth, you can signal the most important milestones. Those who are interested can revisit the slides after your presentation.

When it comes to words, choose wisely. Your slides don’t need to be packed with complete sentences. Your audience likely won’t have time to read it all in five minutes.

This presentation from Weekdone focuses more heavily on data visualization and illustrations. The number of words on the screen is limited. The listener is then more likely to focus on your speech instead of trying to read slides.

How to Create a 5-Minute Presentation Your Audience Will Love

Here are some best practices to follow when crafting a short presentation.

1. Make it about your audience.

A presentation may feel like it’s about you , but it’s actually about your audience .

“To know how to create a real transformation in a short amount of time, you need to know who you are speaking to and have a sense of what they know and don’t know,” said Learning Experience Designer Lyssa Leigh Jackson.

Lyssa encourages presenters to clearly define what their audience will walk away knowing and feeling.

2. Make specific points.

It’s easy to become overambitious or overwhelmed by the information you want to present. Choosing a single idea to focus on gives you clarity when designing your speech and allows you to cut extraneous details. It also provides a narrative structure that your audience can more easily grasp.

One of the most frequently made mistakes with short presentations is being vague. Malcolm Lewis advises you to combat that by leveraging data: “Get specific with examples and numbers. Be as precise as possible.”

This presentation slide from Lyssa Leigh Jackson explicitly writes data and also visualizes it with the funnel graphic:

3. Research, fact-check, and do it twice.

Your presentation is your chance to shine — but the shorter format also means that each point you make will be more visible, memorable, and, consequently, more vulnerable to scrutiny.

Take the time to thoroughly research the subject of your presentation and ensure every point you make is:

• Technically accurate.
• Tailored for your audience.
• Jargon-free and easy to understand.

With a strong command of your subject matter, your delivery will also be more confident and convincing.

4. Appeal to how people learn best: stories.

A story can give meaning to your presentation and elevate it to more than just facts, figures, and flashy slides. Building your presentation around a simple, easy-to-understand narrative makes your content more digestible.

Your presentation will only last for a few minutes, but stories naturally help humans understand and retain information more easily. Make sure to keep your story short, focused, and to the point.

5. Practice, practice, practice.

“Short presentation” doesn’t mean “spontaneous presentation.” From CEOs to interns, everyone will benefit from practicing their short presentations in advance, no matter how confident they are.

Practicing your presentation will help you:

• Remember your talking points.
• Reliably hit the 5-minute mark.
• Increase your overall confidence.

Film a run-through of your presentation on your phone and watch it back to help you self-critique.

Try to deliver much (or all) of your presentation by heart. Your delivery will be more natural, allowing you to develop a stronger connection with your audience. And once nerves hit, you’ll have the muscle memory to fall back on and carry you through the presentation.

If you need to speed through your slides to squeeze everything into a five-minute window, you’re likely trying to do too much.

6. Relax, and don’t rush.

In addition to working out timing issues, practicing will also help you feel less nervous in the moment and maintain your normal WPM.

It’s natural to speak more quickly when you’re public speaking, but prepare enough to feel relaxed throughout your presentation so that you don’t speed through your talking points.

Staying focused on your presentation (and not getting distracted by nerves) will improve your delivery and give you more confidence, even if you’re anxious about public speaking.

7. Expect your presentation to be shared.

Every presentation should be created with the expectation that it will be viewed on its own.

For this reason, don’t put sensitive or private information on the slides. Make sure that each slide presents enough information for viewers to understand the big bullet points of your short presentation.

This positive trend means your work can live beyond the initial presentation. Consider sharing the link yourself on your LinkedIn profile to highlight your work.

5-Minute Presentation Examples

These five-minute presentation samples explore different presentation settings and narratives that will help inspire you as you create your own presentation.

1. Speak as a Leader Bootcamp Welcome

This five-minute presentation by Nausheen I. Chen perfectly balances minimalism with informative text. The design uses background color to help create contrast within the presentation, and the final call-to-action is unique and actionable.

What we like: This slide deck is for a more interactive presentation, providing clear objectives and structure for the audience to follow along and feel comfortable. The value they can expect from the presentation is communicated and delivered.

2. Digital Finest Pitch Deck

This high-contrast five-minute presentation design by Gabe Marusca uses color to tell a story and bold text to engage the audience.

Where some presenters would’ve put an “about me” slide at the end, Gabe kept the spotlight directly on the viewer by showcasing client success testimonials.

What we like: This slide deck follows the classic problem–solution–results storyline. His conclusion slide summarizes the main point and provides a clear takeaway for audiences.

3. Women in the Workplace Briefing

This presentation grabs viewers’ attention immediately with powerful statistics and continues to articulate talking points with data.

While the presentation likely didn’t discuss every graph and data point in-depth, it paints a persuasive picture. This creates a highly valuable resource even when viewed independently of the presentation.

What we like: This data-driven slide deck illuminates problems women face in the workplace, with only two slides proposing solutions at the end.

If the goal of your presentation is to wake your audience up to a problem that’s in their hands to fix, follow this example to drive your point home.

4. Legacy Speaker Tour

This colorful presentation by Jasmin Haley uses bold text and engaging imagery to introduce a one-day workshop.

The inspiring message and colorful design reflect the energy of a live workshop, and the minimal text complements the bold imagery on each slide.

What we like: This is an excellent example of an image-focused presentation. If you want the focus to be on you as the speaker, with the images amplifying your message, find fitting images to accompany you point by point.

Making the Most of 5 Minutes

A five-minute presentation is over before you know it. By putting in the time and effort beforehand, however, you can make the most of five minutes to connect with your audience and give them something they’ll remember.

In practice, this means creating specific, targeted slides accompanied by succinct talking points that quickly and clearly provide answers for what, why, how, and what comes next.

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Do you wonder how long it takes to deliver your speech?

This website helps you convert the number of words into the time it takes to deliver your speech, online and for free. This tool is useful when preparing a speech or a presentation. The number of minutes you will take is dependent on the number of words and your speed of speech, or reading speed.

Note: This calculator provides an indication only.

Enter details below

The overview below provides an indication of the minutes for a speech (based on an average reading speed of 130 words per minute):

• Words in a 1 minute speech 130 words
• Words in a 2 minute speech 260 words
• Words in a 3 minute speech 390 words
• Words in a 4 minute speech 520 words
• Words in a 5 minute speech 650 words
• Words in a 10 minute speech 1300 words
• Words in a 15 minute speech 1950 words
• Words in a 20 minute speech 2600 words
• How long does a 500 word speech take? 3.8 minutes
• How long does a 1000 word speech take? 7.7 minutes
• How long does a 1250 word speech take? 9.6 minutes
• How long does a 1500 word speech take? 11.5 minutes
• How long does a 1750 word speech take? 13.5 minutes
• How long does a 2000 word speech take? 15.4 minutes
• How long does a 2500 word speech take? 19.2 minutes
• How long does a 5000 word speech take? 38.5 minutes

How Many Words is a 5 Minute Speech?

You’re preparing to write a speech but there’s a 5-minute time limit. Now, you’re faced with the big question: How many words should you use then?

Any resource will tell you that you can only approximate the number of words it would take to write a 5-minute speech.

Publication coach Daphne Gray-Grant says that the average person speaks about 125-150 words per minute—meaning 5 minutes of talking would entail about 625-750 words. That’s about the typical length of a blog article!

Here’s a fun exercise for you—we’re keeping this blog article to 750 words so you can read it out loud to see if it would fit into the 5-minute time limit. How’s that for an experiment?

When you do this oral exercise, keep in mind that there are other factors which might affect the results. People speak in varying speeds—some speak slowly, others do the exact opposite. The good news is, it is easier to adjust the speed of delivery as compared to the number of words used. Beyond the word count, being able to communicate the essence of your speech clearly and eloquently is more important.

Pace Yourself

Pacing yourself helps you articulate better and emphasize the most salient parts of your speech. You’re not just putting yourself out there to say something — retention is key. You have to make your message (or at least the crux of it) memorable to your audience.

Just like a novel, the content needs to pack a punch in order to sustain the audience’s interest. If you think about it, a speech should work even harder because (1) it’s shorter and (2) it’s purely an aural experience which requires the full attention of your audience.

Before you start writing, Jeff Schmitt of Forbes advises keeping these two objectives in mind: “Make a good impression and leave your audience with two or three takeaways.”

Schmitt also highlights the importance of “striking the right tone.” Know your audience well, their reasons for wanting to listen to your speech, and what they want out of it.

Matt Eventoff of YPO elaborates on several “memorable ways to open a speech or presentation.” A quote, “what if” scenario, or statistic are some of the methods you can utilize to captivate your audience.

To make your speech more interesting, Gray-Grant advises “to tell stories or give examples” because stories “stick” and people actually recall them. Another approach is to use humor to break the monotony, but only when it serves an “organic” and relevant purpose for your topic or message. Try not to detract from the flow and coherence of your speech or from the essence of your message.

Just like what chapter breaks are to a novel, remember to integrate cues for pauses or breaks in between points of your speech in order to signal the end of one topic and to smoothly transition to the next.

Keep your language simple and conversational to maximize engagement with your audience. Scholastic gives some tips like using short sentences, contractions, and colloquialisms in your speech.

Avoid tongue-twisters or big words that are difficult to articulate in one breath. You will only subject yourself to potential blunders. This will deflate your confidence in delivering the speech effectively.

Most importantly, get your facts straight. Any speech can be engaging and witty, but people look for truthfulness and credibility more than anything. Citing concrete examples to prove a point is a persuasive method as well. Real-life actualizations are truths in the minds of your listeners. Thus, they will remain engaged on what else you have to say.

Toss a question or two for a bit of introspection. Some people actually do this either at the beginning or at the end of a speech. Making your audience think brings your message across more effectively because it opens up the opportunity for them to contemplate on an application of your insight into their daily lives.

After writing your speech, review the entire material for clarity and brevity. Simplify and tighten the language if need be.

Attention spans are shorter these days (8.25 seconds, according to a study made by the Static Brain Research Institute) so the more succinct you are, the better.

If you can, divide the word count equally among each salient point of your speech. For example, 750 words with 4 key topics would mean around 187 words dedicated for each topic.

Be concise yet comprehensive—and remember to use our word counter to keep it brief.

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How Many Words is a 5 Minute Speech?

• February 19, 2024
• E-Learning Software

Table of Contents

How Many Words is a 5 Minute Speech? A 5-minute speech typically has 625-750 words, based on an average speaking rate of 125-150 words per minute.

Public speaking can be a daunting task, especially when it comes to time management. One of the most frequently asked questions is, “How many words is a 5 minute speech?” Understanding speech length is crucial for effective communication and delivery. Whether it’s a presentation at work, a wedding toast, or a TED Talk, knowing how to structure your speech is key to capturing your audience’s attention and delivering your message effectively.

To answer the question, “How many words is a 5 minute speech?” the answer varies depending on the speaker’s pace and style. However, on average, a 5 minute speech consists of approximately 750-900 words. This number can vary depending on the complexity of the topic, the speaker’s delivery style, and the audience’s attention span. Understanding the components of a speech, such as the introduction, body, and conclusion, can help structure your speech and ensure that you stay within the allotted time frame.

Key Takeaways

• A 5 minute speech typically consists of 750-900 words.
• Understanding the components of a speech, such as the introduction, body, and conclusion, can help structure your speech and ensure you stay within the allotted time frame.
• Utilizing speech length tools and resources can help adapt to different speech formats and ensure effective delivery.

Link to external resource: How to Write a Speech: Step-by-Step Guide

Understanding Speech Length

When it comes to public speaking, one of the most common questions people have is how many words they should prepare for a certain amount of time. While there is no one-size-fits-all answer, understanding speech length can help you estimate how many words you need to write for a 5 minute speech.

Words Per Minute (WPM)

The average speaking rate for an English speaker is around 125-150 words per minute (WPM). However, this can vary based on factors such as the speaker’s accent, the topic, and the audience. Some speakers may speak faster or slower than this average rate, so it’s important to consider your own speaking rate when estimating the length of your speech.

Average Speaking Rate

To get a more accurate estimate of your own speaking rate, you can record yourself speaking for a few minutes and count the number of words you say. Then, divide the total number of words by the number of minutes you spoke to get your average speaking rate. This can help you determine how many words you need to prepare for a 5-minute speech.

Speech Time Variations

It’s important to note that speech time can vary based on factors such as pauses, audience reactions, and unexpected interruptions. It’s a good idea to practice your speech several times and time yourself to get a better idea of how long it will take you to deliver the speech. This will also help you identify any areas where you may need to adjust your speaking rate or cut down on the number of words.

To learn more about speech length and how to estimate the number of words you need for a certain amount of time, check out this resource , which provides tips and guidelines for estimating speech length.

Components of a Speech

When it comes to giving a speech, there are a few key components that can make or break its success. In this section, we’ll explore some of the most important aspects of speechwriting and delivery.

Structuring Your Speech

One of the first things to consider when crafting a speech is its structure. A well-organized speech will be easier for your audience to follow and understand. This can be achieved through the use of an outline , which can help you to organize your thoughts and ensure that your speech flows logically from one point to the next.

Incorporating Pauses

Pauses are an important part of speech delivery, as they can help to emphasize key points and give your audience time to digest the information you’re presenting. They can also help to break up the monotony of a long speech and keep your audience engaged . When incorporating pauses into your speech, it’s important to practice your delivery so that you can strike the right balance between too many and too few pauses.

Engagement Elements

Engagement is key to keeping your audience interested and invested in your speech. There are a number of elements you can incorporate into your speech to help achieve this, including humor, stories, and interesting facts. These elements can help to make your speech more relatable and memorable, and can also help to establish a connection between you and your audience.

To learn more about crafting a successful speech, check out this guide from Toastmasters International .

Speech Writing and Preparation

Crafting Your Message

Crafting a message for a speech is a crucial step in preparing a successful presentation. The message should be clear, concise, and relevant to the audience. The speaker should consider the purpose of the speech, the main points to be covered, and the desired outcome. It is important to organize the message in a logical and coherent manner to ensure that the audience can follow along. The use of storytelling, anecdotes, and humor can also help to engage the audience and make the message more memorable.

Rehearsal and Timing

Rehearsal is key to delivering a successful speech. It allows the speaker to become familiar with the material and to identify areas that may need improvement. Timing is also an important factor to consider. The speaker should aim to deliver the speech within the allotted time frame to keep the audience engaged and to ensure that all key points are covered. A useful tool for timing a speech is to practice with a timer or stopwatch.

Audience Analysis

Understanding the audience is crucial to delivering an effective speech. The speaker should consider the demographics of the audience, their interests, and their knowledge of the topic. This information can help to tailor the message and delivery to better engage the audience. The use of visual aids, such as slides or videos, can also be effective in capturing the audience’s attention.

To learn more about speech writing and preparation, check out this resource .

Delivery Techniques

When it comes to delivering a speech, the content is only part of the equation. The way in which a speaker delivers their message can make all the difference in how it is received by the audience. Here are some key delivery techniques to keep in mind when preparing a speech.

Pacing and Tone

Pacing and tone are important aspects of speech delivery. A speaker should aim to speak at a pace that is comfortable for the audience to follow, without rushing through the content or speaking too slowly. Varying the tone and inflection of the voice can help to keep the audience engaged and interested in the speech.

Language and Clarity

Using clear, concise language is essential for effective speech delivery. A speaker should aim to use language that is appropriate for the audience and easy to understand. Avoid using jargon or technical terms that may be unfamiliar to the audience. It is also important to enunciate words clearly and avoid speaking too quickly.

Handling Questions

Handling questions effectively is an important part of speech delivery. A speaker should be prepared to answer questions from the audience and should aim to do so in a clear and concise manner. It is important to listen carefully to the question being asked and to take time to formulate a thoughtful response.

To learn more about effective delivery techniques, check out this resource . Toastmasters is a well-respected organization that provides resources and training for public speaking.

Speech Length Tools and Resources

When preparing a speech, it is essential to know how many words are needed to fill a specific amount of time. Fortunately, there are numerous speech length tools and resources available online that can help you determine the appropriate length of your speech.

Word Counters and Calculators

One of the most effective tools for calculating the number of words in your speech is a word counter. Word counters are available online and can quickly determine the exact number of words in your speech. Some popular word counters include WordCounter.net and Word Count Tool. These tools are simple to use and provide accurate word counts for your speech.

Speaking Time Estimators

Another useful tool for determining the length of your speech is a speaking time estimator. Speaking time estimators use the number of words in your speech to calculate the approximate length of time it will take to deliver it. Some popular speaking time estimators include SpeechinMinutes.com and Speech Length Calculator. These tools are particularly useful when preparing for a time-limited speaking engagement.

It is important to note that while these tools are helpful, they should not be relied upon entirely. Factors such as speaking pace, audience engagement, and pauses can all affect the actual length of your speech. Therefore, it is always a good idea to practice your speech before delivering it to ensure that it fits within the allotted time.

For more information on speech length tools and resources, visit the National Speakers Association website. They provide a comprehensive list of resources that can help you prepare for your next speaking engagement.

Overall, utilizing these tools and resources can help you prepare a well-timed and effective speech.

Adapting to Different Speech Formats

When it comes to delivering a speech, there are various formats to consider. From informative to persuasive speeches, each format requires a different approach to effectively convey the intended message. Additionally, adjusting for different time frames is crucial to ensure that the speech is neither too long nor too short. In this section, we will explore the different formats of speeches and how to adapt to them.

Informative vs. Persuasive Speech

Informative speeches are designed to educate or inform the audience about a particular topic. They are often used in academic settings or to share information about a specific subject. On the other hand, persuasive speeches are intended to convince the audience to take a particular action or adopt a specific point of view. They are commonly used in political campaigns, advertising, and sales.

When delivering an informative speech, it’s essential to provide accurate and relevant information while keeping the audience engaged. Using visual aids, such as graphs and charts, can help illustrate complex concepts and make the speech more engaging. In contrast, persuasive speeches require a more emotional approach to appeal to the audience’s emotions and convince them to take action.

Adjusting for Different Time Frames

The length of a speech is a crucial factor to consider when planning a presentation. Depending on the occasion, speeches can range from a one-minute elevator pitch to a 30-minute keynote address. It’s essential to adjust the speech’s content to fit within the allotted time frame to ensure that the audience remains engaged and the message is effectively conveyed.

According to an article by Forbes, a five-minute speech should be around 600-750 words. This estimate allows for a comfortable speaking pace and time for pauses and audience interaction. However, it’s crucial to keep in mind that the ideal word count may vary depending on the speaker’s delivery style and the complexity of the topic.

In conclusion, adapting to different speech formats is crucial to deliver an effective presentation. Understanding the differences between informative and persuasive speeches and adjusting for different time frames can help ensure that the message is effectively conveyed. By using appropriate visual aids and adjusting the speech’s content to fit the allotted time frame, speakers can engage their audience and leave a lasting impression.

Here is a link to an external resource that provides more information on how to deliver a five-minute speech effectively.

Final Review and Adjustments

After finalizing the speech content, it’s essential to review it thoroughly before delivering it to the audience. The review process helps to ensure that the speech conveys the intended message and is within the allotted time limit.

One useful tool for reviewing a speech is a timer. By timing the speech, the speaker can determine if the speech is too long or too short. As a general rule of thumb, a five-minute speech should consist of approximately 750 words. However, the actual number of words may vary depending on the speaker’s pace and style.

Another aspect to consider during the review process is the core message or essence of the speech. The core message should be clear and concise, and the speech should revolve around it. The speaker should ensure that the speech stays on topic and does not deviate from the core message.

After reviewing the speech, the speaker may receive feedback from others. Feedback can be valuable in improving the speech and making necessary adjustments. It’s important to consider the feedback received and make changes that align with the core message and intended audience.

In conclusion, reviewing and adjusting a speech is a critical step in delivering an effective presentation. By reviewing the speech, considering the core message, and incorporating feedback, the speaker can ensure that the speech is engaging, informative, and within the allotted time limit. For more information on how to deliver a compelling speech, check out this resource from TED Talks.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ideal word count for a 5-minute speech?

The ideal word count for a 5-minute speech varies depending on the speaker’s pace, style, and topic. However, a general rule of thumb is that a 5-minute speech should be around 750-900 words. This word count allows for the speaker to convey their message effectively without rushing or dragging on.

How does speech pacing affect the word count of a 5-minute presentation?

Speech pacing can greatly affect the word count of a 5-minute presentation. If a speaker talks too fast, they may need to reduce the word count to avoid rushing through their speech. On the other hand, if a speaker talks too slowly, they may need to increase the word count to avoid running out of material before the allotted time is up.

What is the average speaking rate in words per minute for a speech?

The average speaking rate in words per minute for a speech is around 125-150 words. However, this can vary depending on the speaker’s pace, style, and topic. It is important for the speaker to find a comfortable speaking rate that allows them to convey their message clearly and effectively.

How can I estimate the length of my speech in minutes based on word count?

To estimate the length of a speech in minutes based on word count, divide the total number of words by the average speaking rate in words per minute. For example, a 750-word speech at an average speaking rate of 125 words per minute would be approximately 6 minutes long.

What are some tips for fitting my speech into a 5-minute time frame?

Some tips for fitting a speech into a 5-minute time frame include practicing pacing, using pauses effectively, and focusing on the most important points. It can also be helpful to time the speech during practice runs to ensure that it fits within the allotted time.

How do different speech styles or topics influence the number of words used in 5 minutes?

Different speech styles or topics can greatly influence the number of words used in a 5-minute speech. For example, a persuasive speech may require more words to effectively argue a point, while a humorous speech may require fewer words to convey a joke. It is important for the speaker to consider their style and topic when determining the ideal word count for their speech.

For more information on speech writing and delivery, check out Toastmasters International .

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How Many Words In A 5 Minute Speech? [A Word Count Guide]

/ By Alan Reiner

/ September 21, 2022

5 minute speeches are quite common. You may give them in your workplace, in an educational setting or even for things like weddings or funerals. 

Whatever the case, you will likely be asking yourself how many words you would need to write when you’re preparing what you’re going to say. 

In short, a 5 minute speech will require 750 words, based on the average talking length.

However, there’s a lot more information we must cover when exploring this topic.

In this guide, we’ve looked at the word length for 5 minute speeches, why it might be the case, and how you should prepare for the speech itself. 

So, if you’re looking for guidance on an upcoming speech, read on to learn more. 

What Is The Word Count For A 5 Minute Speech?

This is an area that has been explored multiple times over the years.

Academics and public speaking coaches have long researched this to try to help prospective students improve their speeches and presentation skills. 

According to publication coaches, the average person will speak between 125 to 150 words each minute. Resultedly, you would cover between 625 to 750 words per minute if you were to write a speech. 

In layman’s terms, your average blog post is about 750 words, so you can expect to be able to publicly read out a blog post in 5 minutes. 

Of course, this is only an estimate based on the average. Many people will speak much more quickly than others, and some speak much more slowly. 

The fact is, the only way you can categorically and conclusively work out how many words you can cover in 5 minutes is by practice and testing yourself. 

It’s also important to note that many speeches will not be read out word for word and you may end up going on a tangent, or even answering questions depending on what type of speech you are conducting.

Therefore, even if you can cover 750 words in 5 minutes word for word, you should also account for missing words or adding words to your speech. 

How To Deliver The Perfect 5 Minute Speech By Word Count

When it comes to the delivery of a 5 minute speech with a word count , there are various things you need to bear in mind. 

Let’s work under the assumption that you can cover 750 words in a five minute speech. You will need to prepare the speech in sections which provide your most salient points. 

Let’s look at this in more detail. 

Introduction

As always, your introduction should be the shortest part of your speech and should remain as concise as possible.

If we’re working under the 750 word assumption, your introduction should be between 50 and 100 words maximum.

This will mean that your introduction will take between 30 seconds and 1 minute long when it comes to the timing. 

Much like when you’re planning to write a type of essay or even for some fictional works, you will have a clear formatting. Introduction, main body and conclusion (or closing remarks). 

The main body is where the majority of your points will be made.

It is irrelevant what you are delivering the speech on, this is where you will provide the most important pieces of information or major talking points. 

As a result, the word count will be at its highest in this section. You should aim to write about 600 to 650 words in this section. 

Remember, this is the part of your speech that means the most. You should try to remain concise, but also provide the most important information. Do not waffle when it comes to this section. 

If you find during practice that your speech is not long enough, always try to put more relevant information into this section. Don’t be tempted to extend or prolong your introduction to account for more minutes. 

The same applies to the conclusion – you do not want to overdo those parts of a speech, as the overall meaning will be lost in the main body. 

Conclusion (Or Closing Remarks)

This area of your speech is where you will be summarizing your major points and simply reiterating or reminding your audience why you have made your speech, so they remember what the point was. 

A good conclusion or closing remarks in a speech will not repeat the same points, but rather act as a way to reinforce the points that were already made. 

A conclusion in terms of word count will cover about 50 to 100 words but should not exceed this really.

If you do too many words, you are in danger of repeating points that you have previously made and it will dilute the overall quality of the speech. 

Here’s an example from this guide:

“In conclusion, a speech will be about 750 words, split 50, 650, 50 for each section”. 

Tips For Delivering A Great Speech

Of course, it’s all well and good having your speech planned in terms of its word count, but you will need to know how to prepare and deliver this speech in the best possible way. 

Here are some of the best tips you can try to remember. 

Record And Time Yourself

As we mentioned earlier, 750 words is merely going to be a guideline. You will need to practice and will likely be rewriting your speech over and over again. 

We recommend writing a 750 word speech and then timing yourself as you deliver it on your own, before you do it for real. 

If you find that you are finishing your speech with plenty of time remaining, you will need to put more words into the main body of your speech. 

It’s important though that you remain concise and avoid putting points into your speech that are irrelevant or fruitless. 

Conversely, if your timer goes off and you have lots more to say, you will need to trim your speech down. 

It is often difficult to know what to remove, but we recommend trying to slim your introduction or closing remarks first before looking at what to edit in the main body. 

Take Your Time And Relax

It’s common for people to try to rush their speeches because they want to get it done with. This however usually gives off a bad experience for the audience and dilutes your quality. 

Take as much time as possible and try to relax. This will improve your delivery and should prevent you from running under your time limit. 

It’s important that you don’t pause for too long though, as you may run out of time! The best advice to give here is try to practice your speech as many times as possible before you give it properly. 

The Bottom Line

A 5 minute speech is about 750 words based on the average speaking speed. However, the only sure fire way to know how many words you should write is by practicing your speech and timing yourself.

Alan Reiner

Hi, my name is Alan Reiner and I have been in the writing industry for almost seven years. I write articles that can span from 200 words all the way to 20,000 words every single day. How do I do it? With a lot of determination. All my way through school and college, I hated long-form assignments. I could never get into the groove of working on one piece for an extended period of time. My pieces were always late because I didn’t have the motivation to type them, let alone edit them.

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