Writing Length and Speech Planners
Speech minutes to pages.
Turn a speech time limit into a page count, or a script of a given length into speaking minutes. Choose your speaking pace and page layout, or type your own figures. Estimates only. Runs in your browser; nothing is sent or stored.
Your speech
Result
Fill the form and press Calculate.
Worked example
A 10 minute speech at 130 words per minute is 1,300 words, which fills 1,300 / 300 = 4.3 to 1,300 / 275 = 4.7 double-spaced pages, about 4.5 at the midpoint. In the other direction, 5 double-spaced pages is about 5 x 287.5 = 1,438 words, which takes 1,438 / 130 = 11:03 at 130 wpm.
How it works
Words = minutes x words per minute. Pages = words / words per page. In reverse, minutes = pages x words per page / words per minute. Page figures use the midpoint of the preset range (287.5 for double-spaced); the forward result also shows the low and high page counts.
Words per page is a common rule of thumb, not a published standard: double-spaced 12 pt Times New Roman is usually quoted at about 275 to 300 words a page and single-spaced at about 500 to 550. Real pages vary with font, margins, headings and paragraph breaks, and instructors differ, so check your assignment; for a font-aware figure use the Words to Pages Calculator, which models font, spacing and margins and gives lower words-per-page figures than this quick rule of thumb. The 110 to 170 words per minute presets are planning rules of thumb, not a published standard. For reference, Wikipedia, “Words per minute” says audiobooks are recommended at 150 to 160 words per minute and slide presentations tend to be closer to 100 to 125 wpm for a comfortable pace; Brysbaert (2019), “How many words do we read per minute? A review and meta-analysis of reading rate”, Journal of Memory and Language puts the average adult oral reading rate at 183 wpm (based on 77 studies). Spoken delivery usually runs slower once you add pauses, so rehearse the real script aloud.
Sources and basis (opened 2026-10-08): Wikipedia, “Words per minute”; Brysbaert (2019), “How many words do we read per minute? A review and meta-analysis of reading rate”, Journal of Memory and Language. Page and pace figures: rules of thumb, not published standards. Arithmetic only otherwise.
FAQ
How many pages is a 10 minute speech?
About 4.3 to 4.7 double-spaced pages at 130 words per minute (1,300 words). At 150 wpm it is 1,500 words, about 5.0 to 5.5 pages.
How many pages is a 5 minute speech?
About 2.2 to 2.4 double-spaced pages at 130 words per minute (650 words).
How long does a 5 page double-spaced speech take?
About 11:03 at 130 words per minute, using the midpoint of 287.5 words a page (1,438 words).
Does the page layout change the result?
Yes. Single-spaced pages hold roughly twice as many words, so the same speech needs roughly half the pages.