There is no single average speaking speed that fits every person and situation. Around 150 words per minute is a useful starting point for spoken English, but presentations may need a slower pace. Topic difficulty, pauses and the audience all affect the rate.
In this article, we will explore more on average words per minute a person speaks and why it varies. Keep reading to learn more!
Also, be sure to check out our handy guide on how many words should be in your speech (based on number of minutes).
Contents
How Average Speaking Speed Varies
There are a number of factors that can affect how fast someone speaks. Here are some of the most common reasons:
Speaking Speed at Regular Condition
For spoken English, around 150 words per minute is a useful reference rather than a target everyone must meet. A rehearsed presentation and an informal conversation can have different rates, and the same speaker may vary across both. For example, nerves may speed up your delivery, while tiredness or unfamiliar material may slow it down.
Terms Complexity
The average number of words per minute can increase or decrease depending on the complexity of the terms being used. If you’re explaining technical jargon, allow time to define unfamiliar words and give examples. An expert audience may need less explanation, so technical vocabulary alone does not determine the right speed.
On the other hand, if you’re speaking with a group of friends about something that doesn’t require complex language, your speech will naturally be faster.
Pauses in Speaking
Speaking rate in words per minute (WPM) includes the pauses within the passage you time. Researchers also measure syllables per second and may calculate articulation rate with pauses excluded. Those measurements answer different questions, so compare rates calculated in the same way.
There can be different types of pauses in speech, such as:
- Breath pauses, which happen when you take a breath in between phrases or sentences.
- Thinking pauses happen when you need a moment to think about what you’re going to say next.
- Emotional pauses can add emphasis or communicate how you’re feeling about what you’re saying.
- Verbal pauses happen when you take a moment to let someone else speak or to give them time to respond.
Difficulty of the Topic
The average words per minute can also be affected by the difficulty of the topic. If you’re giving a presentation on a complex subject that is new to you, your speech will naturally be slower than if you were discussing something that you are familiar with. On the other hand, if you’re discussing a topic that is easy for you, your speech will naturally be faster.
Speaking to an Audience
When speaking to an audience, the speaking rate can change based on how well you know them. Familiar listeners may follow your examples quickly, while a new audience may need more context and time to process your point.
Knowing your audience can help you judge which terms to explain and where to pause. Familiarity does not mean you should automatically speak faster.
Adjust to what listeners need rather than assuming their age, gender or culture determines their preferred pace. If they are following a presentation in an additional language, explain unfamiliar terms and leave time for questions.
Urgency
The urgency of the situation can also affect your speaking speed. If you’re giving a speech that has a lot of time pressure, such as in an interview or debate, you’ll speak faster than if you were delivering a presentation with no time limit.
Time pressure also tends to shorten the pauses between sentences, which makes the overall rate climb even when the words themselves are coming out at a normal pace. In a heated debate or a job interview where you only have a couple of minutes to make your point, you may find yourself stringing thoughts together with very little air in between. The listener still hears the same number of words, but the gaps that usually give them a beat to catch up are missing, so the speech feels rushed.
A useful trick when you notice the clock pressing in on you is to plan two or three short anchor sentences for the start of the talk and read them slightly slower than feels natural. Setting the pace early gives you a reference point to return to whenever the urgency tries to drag your delivery forward. Audiences read confidence partly from cadence, so a steadier opening usually buys you more attention than a faster one, even when the time on the clock is the same.
Anxiety
Anxiety and stress can also affect speaking speed. If you’re nervous about giving a speech, you may speak more quickly than usual or struggle to get started. A moment of stage fright does not establish a diagnosis of selective mutism, which involves being unable to speak in particular situations despite speaking in others.
Cultural Variances
Cultural variances can also affect words per minute. For example, in some cultures, it is considered impolite to speak quickly, while in others it is seen as a sign of confidence. In some cases, the language itself may dictate how quickly someone speaks.
Comparing languages by words per minute can be misleading because word length and structure differ. A language spoken with more syllables per second does not necessarily convey more information per second. Count words within the language you will actually use rather than treating an English benchmark as universal.
Can a Person Control How Fast They Speak?
There are a few things that you can do to try to control your speaking speed. If you’re nervous about speaking, practice beforehand so that you can get a feel for the natural flow of your speech. It may also help to focus on breathing deeply and evenly. You can also try to be aware of how fast you’re speaking and make an effort to slow down when you need to.
To calculate your speaking rate, divide the words you actually say by the elapsed minutes. For example, 420 words delivered in 3 minutes equals 140 WPM. For a recording timed in seconds, use words ÷ seconds × 60. Include your natural pauses, and count a transcript of the recording if you depart from your script.
Time a representative passage, then rehearse the full talk with slide changes, demonstrations and pauses. At 140 WPM, 700 spoken words take about five minutes before any extra activity. Leave room for that activity instead of filling every minute with script.
However, it’s important to note that there is no one “correct” speaking speed. What matters most is how well you’re understood, not how quickly or slowly you’re speaking. So if you find that you’re naturally a fast speaker, don’t worry – as long as your audience can understand you, you’re doing just fine.
Average Words Per Minute: Why Does It Matter?
So why is it important to know your average words per minute? Well, there are a few reasons.
If you’re giving a speech or presentation, knowing your average words per minute can help you to stay within the time limit that you’ve set for yourself. It can also help you to pace your speech evenly, so that you’re not speaking too quickly in some places and too slow in others.
If you’re a student or someone who is learning English as a second language, knowing your average words per minute can help you to track your progress. It can be helpful to know whether you are speaking more slowly than usual because of the difficulty of the topic, or because you’re feeling anxious.
Besides, if you’re interested in finding out how fast you speak compared to other people, knowing your average words per minute can be a fun way to see where you fall on the spectrum.
Conclusion
Although it’s difficult to estimate exactly how many words per minute one speaks, we can get a general idea of the average person’s speaking speed. This information can be helpful for people who want to become better public speakers or improve their vocal delivery when recording audio content.
Keep in mind that everyone speaks at different speeds, so don’t worry if you’re not on the high end of the scale – just aim to be as clear and concise as possible when communicating with others. Do you know your average words per minute?
