A 3-minute speech is approximately 390 words at average speaking pace (130 wpm). See word counts for different speaking speeds, plus tips for timing your presentation.
Published: April 2026 | Last Updated: April 2026
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A 3-minute speech is approximately 390 words at an average speaking pace of 130 words per minute.
| Speaking Pace | Words Per Minute | Words for 3 Min |
|---|---|---|
| Slow (deliberate, formal) | 100 wpm | 300 |
| Conversational | 120 wpm | 360 |
| Average presentation | 130 wpm | 390 |
| Brisk (TED Talk pace) | 150 wpm | 450 |
| Fast (auctioneer-style) | 170 wpm | 510 |
~390 words (at 130 wpm)
~3.1 pages
~4 paragraphs
~2 slides
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Open Word CounterHow many words is a 3-minute speech?
A 3-minute speech is approximately 390 words at an average speaking pace of 130 words per minute. A slower, more deliberate pace (100 wpm) would require 300 words, while a faster pace (150 wpm) would need 450 words.
How many pages is a 3-minute speech?
A 3-minute speech (~390 words) is approximately 3.1 pages double-spaced using 12pt Times New Roman font. This is useful for formatting your speech notes.