Free tool
How long is your speech, really?
Paste your speech or type a word count. You get the time at a real wedding pace, the time if nerves speed you up, and whether it fits the right length for your role. Nothing is uploaded.
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Paste a speech or type a word count
0 words at a wedding pace
A best man speech should run 3 to 5 minutes, which is 390 to 650 words.
At a wedding pace
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With pauses and laughs. Plan on this one.
If nerves speed you up
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Most first-time speakers end up here.
Slow and deliberate
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A big room, or a speaker who takes their time.
Green is the right length for this role: 390 to 650 words.
The number on a page is a guess. Saying it out loud is the real one.
Rehearsal Mode times you line by line as you practice and flags where you rush. The free speech check tells you which part to cut if it runs long.
Words to Minutes for a Speech
At a wedding pace of about 130 words a minute, with pauses and laughs. The nervous column is how most first-time speakers actually sound.
| Words | Wedding pace | Nervous | Slow |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 words | 0:46 (about a minute) | 0:38 | 0:55 |
| 150 words | 1:09 (about a minute) | 0:56 | 1:22 |
| 200 words | 1:32 (about a minute and a half) | 1:15 | 1:49 |
| 250 words | 1:55 (about 2 minutes) | 1:34 | 2:16 |
| 300 words | 2:18 (about 2 and a half minutes) | 1:53 | 2:44 |
| 400 words | 3:05 (about 3 minutes) | 2:30 | 3:38 |
| 500 words | 3:51 (about 4 minutes) | 3:08 | 4:33 |
| 600 words | 4:37 (about 4 and a half minutes) | 3:45 | 5:27 |
| 700 words | 5:23 (about 5 and a half minutes) | 4:23 | 6:22 |
| 800 words | 6:09 (about 6 minutes) | 5:00 | 7:16 |
| 1000 words | 7:42 (about 7 and a half minutes) | 6:15 | 9:05 |
| 1200 words | 9:14 (about 9 minutes) | 7:30 | 10:55 |
How Long Each Wedding Speech Should Be
| Speaker | Minutes | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Best Man | 3 to 5 | 390 to 650 |
| Maid or Matron of Honor | 3 to 5 | 390 to 650 |
| Father of the Bride | 3 to 4 | 390 to 520 |
| Mother of the Bride | 2.5 to 4 | 325 to 520 |
| Parent of the Groom | 2.5 to 4 | 325 to 520 |
| The Couple (Thank-You Speech) | 2 to 3 | 260 to 390 |
| Sibling | 1.5 to 3 | 195 to 390 |
| Friend or Other Guest | 1.5 to 3 | 195 to 390 |
The whole round of speeches should come in under twenty minutes. The reasons behind each number, and what to cut first, are in how long a wedding speech should be. For a reception toast or an engagement party, a minute is plenty: see short wedding toasts.
Why the Number on the Page Lies
A word count is a guess. Three things make a real speech run longer than the arithmetic says: laughs (wait for them, or the next line is lost), the moment you have to stop because your voice goes, and the speaker before you running late, which makes you rush. And one thing makes it run shorter: nerves. Most people speed up in front of a room, which is why a speech that timed at four minutes at home is over in three and feels like it was.
So time it out loud, standing up, at least twice. Rehearsal Mode does the timing for you line by line and shows exactly where you rush. If you are still over, the free speech check says which part to cut.
Questions
How long is a 500 word speech?
About four minutes at a wedding pace, which is roughly 130 words a minute once you allow for pauses and laughs. Read fast, as most nervous speakers do, it takes a little over three minutes. Read slowly and deliberately, about four and a half.
How many words is a 3 minute speech?
About 390 words at a wedding pace. A five minute speech is about 650 words, and a two minute toast about 260. If you are timing a draft at home, read it out loud at the speed you would use in a big room, not the speed you would use in conversation.
Why 130 words a minute, when people usually speak faster?
Ordinary conversation is usually quoted at around 150 words a minute or more. A wedding speech is slower: you pause for laughs, you wait for the room after the line about the grandmother, and a good speaker slows down on purpose. 130 is a realistic planning number. Nerves push most people faster, which is why the calculator shows that pace too.
How long should a best man speech be?
Three to five minutes, and four is the sweet spot, which is about 390 to 650 words. A maid of honor speech is the same. The father of the bride runs three to four minutes, the couple's thank-you two to three, and a friend or other guest one and a half to three.
Is my speech uploaded anywhere?
No. The calculator counts the words in your browser. Nothing is sent to a server and nothing is stored.
What if my speech is too long?
Cut a whole story rather than trimming words from every sentence. Most long speeches have two stories doing the same job; keep the better one. Then cut the thank-you list down to the people the room actually knows. The free speech check on this site will tell you which part is weakest.