How Many Words Is a 2 Minute Speech?
1 min read
Short answer
Words in 2 minutes, by pace
| Pace | Words a minute | Words in 2 minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Slow | 130 | 260 |
| Natural | 150 | 300 |
| Fast | 170 | 340 |
At the natural pace the script is 300 words: about0.6 pages single spaced or1.2 pages double spaced in 12pt Times New Roman.
Check your own numbers
300
Words needed at 150 wpm
About 1.2 double-spaced pages.
150 words per minute · average is 150
Common durations
150 wpm1 minute is roughly 3 words.
What 300 words gives you
Two minutes is enough for a beginning, a middle and an end, which one minute is not. You can tell one short story or make two points, and still have time to close properly. It is also short enough that the audience never wonders how much longer you will be.
Aim for 260 to 280 words. Two minutes goes quickly once you add a pause for a laugh, a glance at your notes and a closing “thank you”.
Where 2 minutes comes up
- Toasts at weddings, birthdays and retirements.
- Acceptance and thank-you speeches. Award ceremonies often ask winners to keep it under a minute or two.
- Self-introductions in interviews and at the start of panels.
- Class speaking exercises and short debate rounds.
- Video applications that allow up to two minutes.
A toast in 300 words
| Part | Words |
|---|---|
| Who you are and how you know them | 40 |
| One story that shows who they are | 150 |
| What that story says about them, or about the couple | 70 |
| Raise your glass: the toast itself | 40 |
One story, told well, beats a list of five memories. The story should be about the person being toasted, not about you, and should be one their grandparents can hear.
A thank-you speech in 300 words
Thank people for something specific, not just by name. “My editor, who read every draft twice” means more to everyone in the room than a list of twelve names. If you must thank many people, group them, and finish on the one thing you want the audience to remember.
Checking the length
Read it aloud at the pace you will use on the day, then paste the script into the speaking time calculator. If you are over, cut the weakest sentence of the story rather than the close; endings are what people remember.