10 minute presentation words

The 10-minute presentation

Ten minutes is more than enough time in which to give a compelling and effective presentation.

A lot of detailed information can be presented in ten minutes without the presentation dragging on and losing the audience’s attention. Structuring the presentation correctly is still vitally important. No one likes to be waffled at.

A basic four-section structure for your 10-minute presentation could be something like this:

1. Introduction. Tell the audience a little about yourself, briefly, and perhaps include a slide with your name and job title on as you do so.

It is also important to grab the audience’s attention during your introduction. Tell them an interesting story, or a joke, or quote some research with relevant findings.

2. With ten minutes to fill it is possible to make several main points, supported by slides or visual aids, and reinforced with details to form a compelling argument or overview of the subject matter.

Succinctly run through the points you intend to make, simplifying them to suit the audience and enable them to understand without difficulty. Trying to give too much information will overload and confuse the audience. Instead, cover a few main points well and thoroughly explain anything that might be hard to understand.

3. Use the ‘rule of three’ to explain your points. This is a memorable structure for delivering information in blocks of three items. For example, you might consider illustrating your presentation with three case studies from the real world, or three practical examples of your argument in action.

4. Finish with something that suitably rounds off your presentation. Due to the recency effect, the end of your presentation is likely to be one of the most memorable parts for most people in the audience. Make it count with a sales call-to-action, or details of a future opportunity, a web address for further contact, or even just a final summary of your points.

Don’t try to learn your presentation word-for-word

A lot of words can be said in ten minutes. Learning the entire presentation off by heart is difficult and time consuming. Instead, aim to learn the outline and key facts of each point you wish to make, and work out cues to remind yourself when to change slides.

Write out reminders on cue cards to prompt your memory, but don’t try to read your presentation entirely from paper. With practice, it will become easier to speak continuously for ten minutes without having to refer to your cue cards too often. The presentation will also flow far more smoothly.

Try to tell a story

Ten minutes can seem like a long time, and it is easy to lose the thread of your presentation. To avoid this, try to imagine your presentation as a story. All stories have a beginning, middle and end, and this can be used to keep your presentation coherent and focused. What story are you trying to tell the audience? Try to remember this if you start to go off-topic during the presentation.

Focus on the whole audience

It is often tempting to pick out an individual member of the audience and give the presentation as if you were speaking only to him or her. This can be effective over a short time, but over ten minutes, it would be hard to maintain. Instead, spread your eye contact across the whole audience, looking at different people periodically. No one likes to be stared at, but making eye contact is important.

Similarly, if you feel nervous during the presentation don’t drop your eyes to look down at your lectern or, even worse, the floor. Instead, take a breath, smile, pause momentarily if you need to, and continue.

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• How many words per minute in a speech

How many words per minute in a speech?

A quick guide for slow, average and fast rates of speech.

By:  Susan Dugdale  

If you're preparing a speech or presentation with a strict time limit it’s useful to have an estimate of the number of words you’ll need to fit the number of minutes you've been given.

And it's even more useful to have those guidelines before you rush into writing, only to discover when you’re done, you’ve written far too much. Something I used to do on a regular basis! (And then, I had the tedious job of pruning to fit.)

What's on this page:

How many words are there in a 1-minute speech, how many words are there in a 2-minute speech, how many words are there in a 3-minute speech, how many words are there in a 4-minute speech, how many words are there in a 5-minute speech, how many words are there in a 6-minute speech, how many words are there in a 7-minute speech, how many words are there in an 8-minute speech, how many words are there in a 9-minute speech, how many words are there in a 10-minute speech, how many words are there in a 15-minute speech, how many words are there in a 20-minute speech, how many words are there in a 25-minute speech, how many words are there in a 30-minute speech.

• How to calculate your own speech rate: 2 easy methods
• How many pages is a 4, 7 or 20-minute speech?     

About this quick reference guide

The following table (below) shows the average number of words spoken per minute for speeches from 1 to 30 minutes long. It's a quick reference guide: one only intended to provide general information.

Who, and what, is truly average?

An average word count for any timed speech (one minute, two minutes, three, four, five, six...or more, minutes) is impossible to give. As there really is no such thing as an average person, who uses an average rate of words per minute when they speak.

We are individuals: each of us different. Speech patterns and speech (speaking) rates vary considerably between person to person for a great many reasons. The best you’ll ever get is an educated guess.

Use as an estimate: test yourself to be sure

That aside, the following estimates will give you a handy indication of the number of minutes it takes to say x number of words depending on whether you talk at a slow speed, a medium speed or you're one of the world's fast talkers.

(And, no, it's never a good idea to gabble at a mile a minute to fit everything you've prepared into the length of time you've been given!)

To be absolutely sure what you've done will fit the time allocation you've been given it's a good idea to test yourself to establish your own speaking rate or speed of speech .

How many pages is a 'x' minute speech?

Multiple variations on the question how many pages are needed for a speech are frequently asked. For instance:

• How many pages is a 4-minute speech?
• How many pages is a 7-minute speech?
• How many pages is a 20-minute presentation?

Unfortunately, the answer is not simple. Calculating the number of A4 pages of text you need for a speech of any number of minutes long is tricky for two reasons.

How many words are on an A4 page?

The first reason is that the number of words on an A4 page depends on how the page has been formatted. The answers to the questions below make a very big difference to the total number of pages needed to print a speech.

• What is the font family being used? (Different fonts take up differing amounts of space because of the shape/design of their characters.)  
• What is the size of the font? (The font size you're reading right now is 20px.)
• What is the spacing between each of the letters in a word?
• What is the spacing between each line of text? Is it single spacing, 1.5 or double line spacing?
• What spacing has been set for paragraphs?
• What size have the margins of the page been set at?
• Are there headings? Sub-headings or lists?

On average if the font is plain, (sans-serif, without embellishment), like Arial or Verdana, its size is set for 12px, and the line spacing is set for 1.5, then a page may have between 400-500 words on it.

Speech rate changes how we calculate the number of words we need

The second reason why using the number of pages to gauge how long a speech will take to deliver is problematical is because we speak at different rates. 

A 500-word page may take someone speaking at very slow rate 4 minutes to get through.

Another person, who has a much faster speaking rate, may take about 2.5 minutes to deliver exactly the same text.

Using the number of pages as a guide for a speech that has to fit a time limit is completely unreliable.

If you need to use a 'guesstimate' use the speech rate table below. Forget about counting the pages! 

If you are a slow speaker, less than 120 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 120 - 160 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 160 - 200 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 240 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 240 - 320 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 320 - 400 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 360 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 360 – 480 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 480 - 600 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 480 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 480 – 640 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 640 - 800 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 600 words,

If you speak at an average speed between: 600 – 760 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 760 - 1000 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 720 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 720 – 960 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 960 - 1200 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 840 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 840 – 1120 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 1120 - 1400 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 960 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 960 – 1280 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 1280 - 1600 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 1080 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 1080 – 1440 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 1440 - 1800 words.

If you are a slow speaker a little less than 1200 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 1200 – 1600 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 1600 - 2000 words.

If you are a slow speaker, a little less than 1,800 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 1,800 - 2,400 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 2,400 - 3,000 words.

If you are a slow speaker, a little less than 2,400 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 2,400 - 3,200 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 3,200 - 4,000 words.

If you are a slow speaker, a little less than 3,000 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 3,000 - 4,000 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 4,000 - 5,000 words.

If you are a slow speaker, a little less than 3,600 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 3,600 - 4,800 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 4,800 - 6,000 words.

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Find out more about speech rate

• How to calculate your own words per minute speech rate - two easy methods
• The factors influencing a faster rate or slower rate of speech
• How to develop an ideal rate of speech : one matching content, speech purpose and your audience: six exercises for flexible speaking rate

Words per minute calculator

Lastly here's the link to a useful online words per minutes calculator . Once you've completed your speech enter the total number of words, and select whether you want it to give you an average for a minute of your speech at a slow rate, average or fast rate. Again, it's a 'guesstimate'. ☺

The only really safe way to find out whether your speech fits your time allocation is to say it aloud at an ideal rate or pace: one taking into account the content, and the audience who is going to listen to it, while timing it.

(Use the record function on your phone. It will assist in lots of other ways too! You'll hear where you need more vocal variety, where your pronunciation is blurred ...and, so on. It's super helpful.)

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How Many Words Are There in a 10 Minute Speech?

Some people speak slowly when giving a speech while others speak quickly. Those who speak quickly will need to write more words for each minute of their speech than those who speak at a slower pace. That being said, there are some general guidelines which can help you make an educated guess at approximately how many words will be needed for a speech.

The general rule for speech giving is 100 to 200 words per minute. With this in mind, a 10-minute speech would require 1,000 to 2,000 words . The WordCounter speaking time detail defaults 150 words per minute (an average speed which would give a result of 1,500 words, as this is the recommended speed for audiobooks to be read at for best listening), but you can use the options section to adjust to a slower or faster pace. Simply click on “Options” then the “Details” tab and then the wrench next to the “Speaking Time” button.

If want to know how many words per minute (WPM) you personally say when giving a speech, you can use a timer to time yourself, then input that number into the options section. Time yourself for one minute of your speech, then copy to where you made it into WordCounter to see how many words you speak per minute. This will give you a more accurate estimate of how many words you must write for however long the speech you need to make will be.

It’s important to remember that speech patterns can increase when a person is nervous. This means that even when determining the number of words needed for a 10-minute speech when practicing at home by yourself, you may actually need more during the actual speech if you get nervous.

While the number of words in a speech will depend heavily on how fast or slow the person giving the speech speaks, for those who are looking for a basic estimate of how many words would be in a speech, you can use the following estimates. These estimates use the average speaking pace of 150 words per minute to estimate.

How many words in a 1-minute speech? There are 150 words in a 1-minute speech. How many words in a 2-minute speech? There are 300 words in a 2-minute speech. How many words in a 3-minute speech? There are 450 words in a 3-minute speech. How many words in a 4-minute speech? There are 600 words in a 4-minute speech. How many words in a 5-minute speech? There are 750 words in a 5-minute speech. How many words in a 6-minute speech? There are 900 words in a 6-minute speech. How many words in a 7-minute speech? There are 1050 words in a 7-minute speech. How many words in an 8-minute speech? There are 1,200 words in an 8-minute speech. How many words in a 9-minute speech? There are 1,350 words in a 9-minute speech. How many words in a 10-minute speech? There are 1,500 words in a 10-minute speech. How many words in a 15-minute speech? There are 2,250 words in a 15-minute speech. How many words in a 20-minute speech? There are 3,000 words in a 20-minute speech. How many words in a 25-minute speech? There are 3,750 words in a 25-minute speech. How many words in a 30-minute speech? There are 4,500 words in a 30-minute speech. How many words in a 45-minute speech? There are 6,750 words in a 45-minute speech. How many words in a 1-hour speech? There are 9,000 words in a 1-hour speech.

How minutes is 250 words? 250 words is 1.67 minutes of speaking time. How minutes is 500 words? 500 words is 3.33 minutes of speaking time. How minutes is 750 words? 750 words is 5 minutes of speaking time. How minutes is 1,000 words? 1,000 words is 6.67 minutes of speaking time. How minutes is 1,500 words? 1,500 words is 10 minutes of speaking time. How minutes is 2,000 words? 2,000 words is 13.33 minutes of speaking time. How minutes is 2,500 words? 2,500 words is 16.67 minutes of speaking time. How minutes is 3,000 words? 3,000 words is 20 minutes of speaking time. How minutes is 4,000 words? 4,000 words is 26.67 minutes of speaking time. How minutes is 5,000 words? 5,000 words is 33.33 minutes of speaking time. How minutes is 7,500 words? 7,500 words is 50 minutes of speaking time. How minutes is 10,000 words? 10,000 words is 66.67 minutes of speaking time.

(Photo courtesy of Scott Schiller )

How can you estimate the number of minutes a speech is going to be if you know you get nervous during the speech, but you don’t get nervous when you practice? That’s my problem. My speech needs to be 5 minutes, but 5 minutes when I practice won’t be long enough when I do the speech. I need to know how much faster it will be so I can write more. How do I calculate that?

There is no tried and true method to get the exact number of minutes it will take you to do a speech except to practice. Keep records of how long it takes you to do a speech when you practice, and then when you actually give a speech. After doing this a few times you should be able to estimate how much faster you speak when giving a speech than when you practice.

Well, I’m sure this is an estimate because the amount of words a person speaks will also be determined by how confident or nervous they are. Confident people can normally say more in less time than nervous people. It also depends on how many times they pause when they talk. There are a lot of different factors to consider.

i HEAVILY agree with this

Nervous people tend to speak faster because the fact that they are nervous. Confident people can adjust their speed of talking as they seem fit

Why does everybody speak so slowly? I speak at about 250 words per minute. All of you must speak like you are talking to a child that doesn’t understand what you are saying. I can’t believe that you waste so much time speaking slowly like that. Just learn to talk so that you’re not wasting other people’s time.

Seriously? Chances are you’re the person who is annoying everyone by talking so fast and always trying to get in an extra word like you did with your comment. Normal conversations don’t have to be spoken at bullet train speed. Before you call out other about how slowly they speak, you might want to look into the mirror and ask if you’re the one causing the issues with your opinionated nonsense.

I think I love you Giggy lol. Your comment made my night/year 🙂

Thank you. This will help me a lot in preparing for a speech I have to do at school. It’s good to know an estimate of how many words per minute my speech will take. At least that gives me a starting point when I put it together.

Happy to hear that this article was helpful to you for your speech. I hope that the speech goes well!

I hate giving speeches for class. I think they should be based on word count and not how long it takes to speak. Everyone should write 500 words and then it doesn’t matter how long the speech is because all students will say the same number of words. Should I really have to write more just because I speak fast?

Another way of looking at this is that you have the opportunity to say more in a given amount of time than your classmates because you are a fast speaker. This can give you an advantage over your fellow students by allowing you to say more in a shorter period of time. Instead of looking at the negative that you have to write more, look at it as the positive that you can see more.

I hate giving speeches as well. Some of us just aren’t good at it and it’s embarrassing having to look stupid in front of all our classmates. I’m dreading the speech I have to give next week 🙁

I just use a stopwatch while I read whatever I write and that’s how I can tell how long it’s going to take me to do my speech. I find that when I memorize the words, I speak a little faster than when I read so I have to take this into account as well. Anybody who wants to know how many words they need to write for a 10 min. speech should try the stopwatch method. It’s really the easiest way to figure it out.

This is fine if you have already written the speech, but it’s sometimes useful to have an estimate of how much you have to write when you begin to write the speech. That’s how I ended up at this article. I needed a general rule of thumb so I could have a word count goal when I started to write my speech.

Wow. This is very useful and would have really helped me out back when I was in school. We always had to write our speech and then just practice timing it so that we would know how long it was going to take. We all just tried to make it all last as long as possible since the topics were often quite difficult to spend so much time talking about.

I hate it when I have to give speeches for class. It’s the stupidest thing in the world and I think that it would be better if we just didn’t have to do it. Why do teachers want to make us stand up in front of the class and embarrass ourselves? When am I ever going to have to give a speech when I become an adult? I hate that I have to do this and try to figure out how much to write for this stupid class.

Welcome to life. There will be plenty of time you have to do things you don’t want to, and it only gets worse when you become an adult.

Very interesting but it will differ from person to person. Not everyone speaks in the same manner or with the same confidence and there are times when people will speak less due to stress. You have to know yourself and how stress affects your speaking to know how fast you will say things.

I think that was made abundantly clear in the article. Everyone speaks at a different pace, but the above explanation is a general estimate or approximation of how many words it will take to do a 10 min. speech ( for however long your speech happens to be).

I don’t understand why everybody gets so uptight when the estimates aren’t exactly what applies to them. They’re estimates folks.

Estimates matter because they’re useless if they don’t apply to you. What’s the use of trying to find out how many words are in a certain time speech if the estimates that are given aren’t accurate? It’s useless to give out estimates on how long different speeches are if those estimates aren’t accurate for most people.

Wow they weren’t useful for you. They may have been for others. Like me! “they’re useless if they don’t apply to you”. Great but what if they do apply. Goodbye have a good day.

My teacher wasn’t happy with me at all when my 5 min. speech was only 10 words long. In my defense, he never said how slowly we could speak when giving the speech. Apparently, one word every 30 seconds is slow enough to send you to detention…

This is actually pretty funny if it’s true. While you may have gotten detention, it will be a story that you will tell your friends throughout your life. Now, this isn’t something I suggest that other people do as you’re going to get a bad grade if you try it, but it’s also funny.

I guess it depends the reason you did this. If you did it just to be a pain to your teacher or because you didn’t want to do the work, it’s a pretty awful thing for you to do. On the other hand, if you were trying to be creative or make a relevant point, then I don’t have an issue with it. The reason why you do things has a big impact on whether your actions are worthwhile of just trolling.

I should try this in my class. That way I could go to sleep now and not stay up all night trying to write a speech that’s going to suck anyway. I think I will!

What if you need to know how many words are in a 4 – 5 minute speech and not a 4 minute speech or a 5 minute speech? There are two different numbers so which one should I use. I need to write a 4 – 5 minute speech for my class and I don’t know which number to use.

Not sure if this is real or somebody just trolling, but I’ll go ahead and answer it anyway. Everything listed above our estimates. How long it actually takes you to do the speech will very because you speak differently than all your other classmates. What you need to do is take the low number estimate (600 words for a 4 min. speech) and write that many words. Then reach what you have written well time yourself and see how long it takes. If what you have written is under 4 minutes, then you need to write more. If it’s over 4 minutes, but under 5 minutes, then your perfect, and if it’s over 5 minutes, you need to shorten it.

I just dropped by to let everyone know I HATE SPEECHES! I just needed to get that off my chest…

Even if you don’t like speeches, it’s worth getting better at them. It can help you tremendously in the real world. I suggest you check out toastmasters. Well worth it!

That was 72 words. We can see how over a hundred can be a problem for you. 😝

I don’t understand why speeches have to be within a time limit? Shouldn’t a speech go as long as it needs to to get the information across? If you limit the time or have a minimum amount of time it must be, then you are forcing the speech to be written to a time rather than being written for what needs to be said.

Time limits can make speeches better. If you have all the time in the world, you can ramble on about things that aren’t really relevant to the topic. A time limit forces you to hone in your speech on the really important points.

Exactly what I have been thinking this whole time! I always write a longer speech than the time that we’re supposed to write to. If the speech should be two minutes? Then I write one for 8 minutes. Is it supposed to be five minutes long? Then I’ll write one that’s twenty. My teachers (and my comrades) hate me for that, but even if I try to make it shorter it still becomes longer than allowed. I just can’t make a good speech without making it so long. It’s always easier to make a good argument/presentation/thought experiment if the text is longer. Time limits should really be forbidden.

I have the opposite problem, getting time limit/word count high enough. That’s why I support time limits and such, because they force me to write a good, well thought out speech.

It’s for people who are going to get kicked off the metaphorical and literal stage when time runs out. And people who get marked n speeches.

So, if my assignment is to write a 5 minute speech, I need to write 750 words?

So helpful!

this page was a blessing and saved me 40 minutes rather then reading and recording self for a screenplay, your a goddesses whoever wrote this page !!!!! 💖✨

I enjoyed reading this article but I am poor at speaking in front of people so what should I do to master at speaking

How long should à speech be? A professor of mine once said, “like skirts, long enough to cover the subject and short enough to make it interesting”. Granted he was thinking of gender as well, so very inappropriate in that way. However a skirt on any body, such as a kilt for instance, makes the same point.

Thanks for your very helpful information, and all the comments that follow. This is exactly what I needed to know.

Thank you! Now I know that my speech will take about 3 1/2 minutes!

Thank you for this article it helped me alot!

hi i was wondering if you knew how to get a speech to be 3-5 minutes long

Mine’s not so much a speech, but a bit for a station that needs to be 3 mins each. I was taught by my Writing for Broadcasting that 30 seconds is 85 words, and 1 minute is 185. NOT 150. This is now throwing me off and forcing me to do math I was ALWAYS horrible at even as a kid. Nice.

i said 2,000 words in 3 minutes.

READ SLOWER. Put breaks in your speech. For example, “Magnets produce a magnetic force called a magnetic field. [Pause] This field is invisible to the human eye but iron fillings can be used to show these fields. [Deep Breath] All magnets have two ends – a north pole and a south pole. Magnetism either attracts magnetic objects or pushes them away.” (Little House of Science 1) When you do something like this it will eventually help you to be a better speaker.

Wow they weren’t useful for you. They may have been for others. Like me! “they’re useless if they don’t apply to you”. Great but what if they do apply. Goodbye have a good day.

Vote: 5 1 Reply to boostedbonobo Lucas did this good thing

this is the reason i don’t like speeches you have to work extremely hard to actually get a good one and it can get V E R Y annoying.

I’m gonna test my speech right away, and those who think giving a speech to your classmates at school (like what i’m doing at the moment) really sucks. Maybe think of it as an opportunity to convince someone such as your teacher to do something.

I am 100% ok with speeches, and honestly, I find that they can be sort of fun. The only problem I have is delivering them. They always seem monotone and boring, and I have no idea why.

At first, I thought this was just a rig, but when I read my speech (practicing) it was actually kind of accurate! I just wanted to know, how did you find out? Just read speeches with those amount of words?

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How Many Words In A 10 Minute Speech? [A Word Count Guide]

/ By Alan Reiner

/ September 6, 2022

One of the first thoughts that typically crosses the mind of anyone who is expected to deliver a speech is, “How many words is this going to be?” 

The issue is that there is no definitive response to this query. The speaker will have a significant impact on how many words are required for the speech.

When giving a speech, some people talk slowly while others talk swiftly.

Those who talk quickly will have to produce more words than people who speak more slowly for every minute of their conversation. 

Nevertheless, there are several fundamental rules that can assist you in estimating the general number of words required for a speech.

It helps to estimate how many words you’ll need to squeeze into the allotted number of minutes when writing any speech with a stringent time limit.

It’s even more helpful to have these principles before you start writing quickly only to find that you’ve written way too much when you’re done. This article will serve as your guide to writing a 10 minute speech with the appropriate word count.

What Is The Average Word Count Of A 10 Minute Speech?

It is impossible to provide a timed speech’s average overall word count. 

The truth is, because we are all individual in the way we deliver speeches, there is no such thing as an average reading speed, average speech rate, average conversational talk rate, or average speaking speed. 

As individuals, we are all unique. For a variety of reasons, speech patterns and rates differ greatly from person to person. The best you can hope for is a guess and lots of practice.

How Do You Estimate How Many Words You Speak Per Minute?

You could use a stopwatch to time yourself while giving a speech if you would like to determine how many words you typically speak at per minute. Then, enter that figure in the settings area. 

Time your speech for one minute, then paste the text into a word counter to determine how many words that you got through in that time.

This can help you determine how many words you’ll need to write for however lengthy your speech needs to be.

Regardless, the following estimations can help you get a good idea of how long it will take you to say a certain number of words based on your speaking speed—slow, medium, or fast.

And no, it’s not a good idea to talk nonstop in order to cover everything that you’ve prepared in the time allotted!

How Many Words In A 10 Minute Speech?

• Below 1200 words if you speak slowly.
• if you speak at an average speed, between 1200 and 1600 words per minute.
• If you speak quickly, aim for between 1600 and 2000 words.

Practice Your Speech To Get The Timing Right

Once you’ve finished writing your presentation’s outline or script, reading it aloud might help you identify any passages that are either too lengthy or too short or simply don’t sound right. 

You might realize that you omitted a crucial detail or dwell on an issue excessively.

You’ll start to hear a few of your rough edges if you read your speech aloud a few times. After some revision, practise it once more.

Practice more after you have rounded out the jagged edges. Dogs are a terrific audience for testing, but for presentations with bigger stakes, find some human test audiences.

When reading from a script, it can be very challenging for a presenter to sound natural, and the audience may find the monotone delivery and lack of intonation to be quite dull.

It is far preferable to use a few or no notes than to take the stage while holding a complete script.

Nobody likes to have a speech read to them by someone who is too preoccupied with their notes to notice the audience.

As you practise, you get more familiar with your speech and depend less on your notes. You may not have every word memorized, but you are aware of what you intend to say when and for how long.

Tips For Practicing A Speech

Instead of using an outline, write out your complete script. Read the script first, then use the note cards as an outline, one notecard as an outline, and last keywords.

Get to the stage where you no longer require anything gradually.

After you understand it but still need to strive to remember each component, keep practicing.

The objective is to continue moving forward through this phase until you reach a point where you can deliver your lecture regardless of your location or what you’re doing.

Assist the process by using some memory techniques such as a memory palace method. You should frequently listen to the speech you recorded yourself giving.

Tips For Writing The Perfect 10 Minute Speech

• Select the subject with care

Pick a subject that you are enthusiastic and interested in. It ought to be a subject that interests you or about which you have some knowledge. 

You can still choose the angle even if a topic has been assigned to you.

Avoid attempting to cover an overly wide subject. Instead, concentrate on a certain aspect or standpoint that can be adequately covered in a short presentation.

The more focused your subject, the simpler it is to collect and arrange your information and convince the audience of your point of view.

2. Examine your audience

Analyzing your audience is crucial once you’ve decided on your topic.

This requires taking into account the audience you will be talking to in terms of their demographics and interests, as well as their size and the environment in which you will be speaking.

3. Consider the situation

Think carefully about the purpose of the audience’s attendance at your presentation. 

Knowing the reason for the speech would enable you to take into account elements pertinent to the situation in which you’re speaking, and this knowledge can assist you in further improving your speech.

4. Determine the goal of your speech

Establishing your speech’s purpose upfront will help you write it more effectively.

Any presenter wants their audience to pay attention to what they have to say. 

However, the objectives a speaker has when giving a speech are not necessarily the same.

So that you can organize the information to support you in achieving your goal, clearly describe the kind of speech you’re giving.

5. Utilize simple language

If you’re not convinced that everybody in the audience will understand what you’re saying right away, avoid using jargon. 

Instead, use words that the visitor in the audience with the least understanding will understand.

This will help you maintain suitable, universally understandable language.

Final Thoughts

The significance of practice cannot be overstated. Without preparation, it is impossible to produce a well-planned, structured, assured, and logical speech. 

How can you tell whether your timing is ideal? How will you determine if the flow of your speech makes sense?

Instead of simply reading your outline, practise giving the presentation aloud as many times as you can fit in before the big day.

Alan Reiner

Hi, my name is Alan Reiner and I have been in the writing industry for almost seven years. I write articles that can span from 200 words all the way to 20,000 words every single day. How do I do it? With a lot of determination. All my way through school and college, I hated long-form assignments. I could never get into the groove of working on one piece for an extended period of time. My pieces were always late because I didn’t have the motivation to type them, let alone edit them.

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10 tips for the 10-minute conference presentation

July 21, 2016

By Elizabeth Saewyc

You’ve spent months on your research, but have only 10 minutes to present it to the world. Yikes! But, fear not! There are some easy, practical ways to make it memorable.

In a striking back-to-back comparison showcased in the video below, I give a standard 10-minute research talk riddled with features that characterize too many dry scientific presentations. You’ll nod your head as you recognize them from your own and colleagues’ past efforts. Then watch, as I transform the same material in a subsequent presentation that showcases the potential of strong science communication to bring research alive with a little preparation. And no, we’re not talking about animating your slide deck. This is about the power of words to truly communicate research.

RESEARCH TOOLBOX; 10 Tips for a Dynamic 10-Minute Conference Presentation from UBC Nursing .

My top 10 tips are:

• Aside from the “I have nothing to disclose” statement, don’t start by thanking by name all the people on your first slide (your co-authors). Instead, say good morning or good afternoon, whichever is relevant, then start your presentation with a bit of dramatic statement – either the scope of the issue, something people don’t normally think of, something that sounds contrary to what people normally believe but hints at your results, or at least makes it clear why this research was needed. It’s a way of being compelling and catching attention, it projects confidence and draws people in. Not humour, though, that’s hard to pull off.
• The slides should illustrate your presentation points, not be your presentation. They should have no more than 3-4 points per slide, in phrases, not sentences, and no more than two lines per point (preferably one). Use bar charts or graphs or pictures where you can, with limited words.
• Don’t read the slides, make the points with slightly different words, and expand on them a bit.
• Speak slowly, way, way slower than you think you need to – we will always talk faster during a public speaking situation, so it’s important to speak slowly and clearly, especially since there will be people who have English as a second language in the audience, and are likely jet-lagged. Most of us speak at 120 words a minute, so that means, for a 10 minute presentation 1200 words max. Write out your script so that you have exactly those many words—the minute you digress, you run over time.
• Don’t be afraid to make a short statement with a bar chart or table on the slide, like “As you can see from this table, Southeast Asian girls reported poorer mental health than boys,” and then fall silent for a bit, letting people absorb the info before you switch to the next slide (this can heighten the drama/attention, and makes you look very polished and confident–even if you’re counting in your head how long to wait before you switch the slide and speak again!).
• Never, ever say, “okay, I know you can’t read this, but…” If it’s unreadable, too many lines, too small font, or too busy a table or figure, do not include it . Come up with a different way to convey the key points, because the minute you apologize for your slide, you’ve lost them.
• Avoid swooping transitions, nifty animations, cutesy cartoon graphics, and wild shifts of colour or font; anything that might make your audience seasick or dizzy won’t win you respect or attention.
• Remember to put in the “so what?” conclusion, or a concrete couple of clinical implications–or go back to your dramatic opening statement and bring it into the ending. If you’ve paced yourself with your 1200 words or fewer, you’ll have time to give the final punchline of what we should do now, or what we know now, because of this work.
• Say thank you! But don’t say, “I’d like to thank my supervisor, my committee, my colleagues, my family, my carpool, my dog…” and don’t mention the funding source, even if it’s listed on your last slide as an acknowledgment. Leave it for people to read during questions.
• Wear something bright red–a scarf, a tie, a blouse, a pocket handkerchief, a jacket, a dress; it draws the eye, enhances their alertness, and will help people find you afterwards to tell you what a fabulous job you did on your presentation, and what they liked about your study, or ask another question about it.

 About Elizabeth Saewyc

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How Many Words is a 10 Minute Speech

How many pages is a 10 minute speech

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How Many Words Should Be in My Speech? (Based on Number of Minutes)

Crafting a speech? Typically, individuals speak at 125-200 words per minute. For instance, a 5-minute speech is about 625-1000 words. Keep this pace in mind to tailor your speech’s length to your time limit. Familiarity and nerves can also influence speed.

You can use our handy guide to find out how many words should be in your speech, based on the number of minutes you have to speak. We will also discuss the ideal word count for different lengths of speeches. Let’s get started!

At a Glance:

• Average speaking rate is 125-200 words per minute.
• Word count for a 5-minute speech is typically 625-1000 words.
• Speaking speed varies based on personal style, familiarity, and nerves.
• Several factors influence the ideal word count for a given speech duration.
• Regular rehearsal ensures effective speech delivery.

Speech Duration vs. Word Count

Estimating speaking time for a manuscript, factors affecting the word count in your timed speech, number of words based on the number of minutes.

The average person speaks at a rate of about 125 to 200 words per minute, but this can vary depending on your natural speaking style and the context of your speech. Other factors like how well you know your material and how nervous you are can also affect your speaking rate.

When it comes to speeches, many people worry about how many words they should use per minute. The truth is, there is no specific number. However, knowing the average word count for different speech lengths can help you plan and pace your words more effectively.

Here is a breakdown of the average word counts for speeches of different lengths.

To simplify things, let’s look at word counts for standard time intervals:

1-minute speech: 125 – 200 words 5-minute speech: 625 – 1000 words 10-minute speech: 1250 – 2000 words 15-minute speech: 1875 – 3000 words 20-minute speech: 2500 – 4000 words 30-minute speech: 3750 – 6000 words 45-minute speech: 5625 – 9000 words 60-minute (or 1-hour) speech: 7500 – 12000 words

For intermediate minutes, you can use the average rate of 125-200 wpm to estimate.

If you have a written speech or manuscript, you might be curious about its duration when spoken.

Here’s a quick guide based on word counts:

100 words: About 0.5 to 0.8 minutes 200 words: About 1 to 1.6 minutes 250 words: About 1.25 to 2 minutes 500 words: About 2.5 to 4 minutes (And so on, using the average speaking rate of 125-200 wpm.)

Several factors can impact how many words your speech should ideally have for a given time frame. Understanding these variables can help you deliver a presentation that’s both engaging and perfectly timed. Here’s a breakdown of these influential factors:

• Natural Speaking Rate: Every individual possesses a unique speaking pace. Some naturally express thoughts swiftly, clocking in around 200 words per minute or even faster. In contrast, others may speak more deliberately, averaging around 125 words per minute. This inherent rhythm greatly influences the word count of a speech for a given time frame.
• Audience Demographic: Your audience’s age, background, and familiarity with the topic can dictate the speed at which you should present. For example, a technical presentation for industry experts might proceed faster than one for novices, even if the word count remains consistent.

• Topic Complexity: More intricate or challenging subjects demand a slower pace to ensure comprehension. In such cases, even if the speech’s duration is lengthy, the word count might be on the lower side to accommodate pauses and explanations.
• Use of Visual Aids: Incorporating slides, charts, or videos can mean fewer words spoken. Visual elements often require pauses, allowing the audience to process the information visually rather than just auditorily.
• Nervousness: Unsurprisingly, nervousness can speed up one’s delivery. A speaker might rush through their material when anxious, resulting in a higher word count in a shorter time frame.

Crafting a speech that’s both engaging and appropriately timed is an art. While the word count provides a framework, considering the factors above ensures your speech is not just well-timed, but also effective. As you prepare, always prioritize clarity, engagement, and resonance with your audience over sticking rigidly to word counts.

It’s important to know how many words your speech should be so that you can plan and structure it accordingly. We hope this guide will help you determine the number of minutes your speech should be based on the number of words. Keep in mind that this is just a general guideline, and you may need more or less time depending on your content.

So use this as a starting point, and then adjust as needed. And most importantly, practice, practice, practice! The more you run through your speech beforehand, the smoother it will go when you’re up in front of an audience. Thanks for reading!

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10-Minute Presentation Topics | 50 Unique Ideas in 2024

Lawrence Haywood • 11 September, 2024 • 14 min read

For 10 minutes, what can you really do? A shower? A power nap? An entire presentation?

You might already be sweating at the idea of that last one. Cramming an entire presentation into 10 minutes is tough, but doing it without even knowing what to talk about is even tougher. So let's check out 10-minute presentation topics

No matter where you've been challenged to give a 10-minute presentation, we've got your back. Check out the ideal presentation structure below and over fifty 10-minute presentation topics, you can use for your big (actually, pretty small) speech.

Table of Contents

• The 10-Minute Presentation Structure
• Topics for College Students
• Topics for Interviews
• Relatable Topics
• Interesting Topics
• Controversial Topics

Frequently Asked Questions

Start in seconds.

Get free 10-minute presentation topics and templates. Sign up for free and take what you want from the template library!

Tips from AhaSlides - 10-minute presentation topics

• Types of Presentation
• Product presentation
• Business presentation

The 10-Minute Presentation Topics Structure

As you might imagine, the hardest part of a 10-minute presentation is actually sticking to 10 minutes. None of your audience, organisers or fellow speakers will be pleased if your speech starts running over, but it's hard to know how not to.

You might be tempted to cram as much information as possible, but doing so is just going to make for an overbearing presentation. Especially for this type of presentation , knowing what to leave out is as much of a skill as knowing what to put in, so try and follow the sample below for a perfectly structured presentation.

• Introduction (1 slide) - Start your presentation with a quick question, fact or story relayed in a maximum of 2 minutes.
• Body (3 slides) - Get into the nitty gritty of your talk with 3 slides. Audiences struggle to take home more than three ideas, so spacing all three out over the course of 6 or 7 minutes can be very effective.
• Conclusion (1 slide) - End it all with a quick sum up of your 3 main points. You should be able to do this in 1 minute.

This 10-minute presentation example format contains a fairly conservative 5 slides, based on the famous 10-20-30 rule of presentations. In that rule, an ideal presentation is 10 slides in 20 minutes, meaning a 10-minute presentation would only require 5 slides.

Use various features with AhaSlides to gain better engagement in any type of presentation! You can spin the fun to the presentation, by gathering crowd ideas with an idea board and word cloud , or surveying them by top free survey tool , online polling , and also test their knowledge with an online quiz creator !

10 Topics for Presentation for College Students

A 10-minute presentation is all you need as a college student to show your knowledge and forward-thinking values. They're also great practice for presentations you might be making in the future. If you feel comfortable within 10 minutes, chances are that you'll be alright in the future, too.

• How to work alongside AI - Artificial intelligence is making huge steps forward daily. We'll soon be in a different world, so how are you, the worker of the future, going to deal with it? This is a super interesting topic and one that's very relevant for your classmates.
• Fighting the climate catastrophe - The issue of our age. What is it doing to us and how do we solve it?
• Portable homes - The portable home movement is on the way to revolutionising the way we live. What's good and bad about having a house you can move around and what does your ideal one look like?
• The thrift life - How to save money on clothes, along with the pros and cons of throwaway fashion for youngsters.
• The future of streaming platforms - Why is TV on demand so great and why is it not universal? Or is it stealing too much of our free time?
• What happened to newspapers? - Newspapers are probably ancient technology to college students like you. A deep dive into history will reveal what they were and why they're on their way out of print.
• The evolution of the mobile phone - Has any device in history advanced as quickly as mobile phones have? There's so much to talk about in this 10-minute presentation topic.
• The life and times of your hero - A great chance to show your love for someone who inspires you the most. This can be within or outside of your college subject.
• My permaculture future - If you're looking for a greener existence in your future, try explaining to your classmates the advantages and logistics of having a permaculture garden.
• E-waste - We dump out so much electrical waste these days. Where does it all go and what happens to it?

10 Interview Presentation Ideas - 10-Minute Presentation Topics

More and more nowadays, recruiters are turning to quick-fire presentations as a means of testing a candidate's skill and confidence in presenting something.

But, it's more than that. Recruiters also want to learn about you as a person. They want to know what interests you, what makes you tick and what has changed your life in a profound way.

If you can nail any of these presentation topics in your interview, you'll be starting next Monday!

• Someone who inspires you - Pick a hero and talk about their background, their achievements, what you've learned from them and how it's shaped you as a person.
• The most eye-opening place you've ever been - A travelling experience or holiday that blew your mind. This might not necessarily be your favourite ever abroad experience, but it was one that made you realise something you had not thought about before.
• An imagined problem - Set out a hypothetical problem at the company you're applying for. Show the recruiters the steps you would take to eradicate that problem for good.
• Something you're proud of - We've all got achievements we're proud of, and they do not necessarily work achievements. A quick 10-minute presentation on something you've done or made that has made you proud can reveal a lot of good stuff about you as a person.
• The future of your field - Make some interesting, bold predictions about where you think the industry is heading in the upcoming years. Do research, get stats to back up your claims, and avoid being condescending.
• A workflow you've fixed - Untidy workflows are rampant in many workplaces. If you've had a hand in turning something inefficient into a well-oiled machine, make a presentation about it!
• A book you'd love to write - Assuming you were a top-class wordsmith, what's the one topic you'd love to write a book about? Would it be fiction or non-fiction? What would the plot be? Who are the characters?
• Your favourite work culture - Choose the job with the best work culture in terms of office atmosphere, rules, after-work activities and trips away. Explain what was so great about it; it might give your potential new boss a few ideas!
• Pet peeves in the workplace - If you fancy yourself as a bit of a comedian, listing out the things that grind your gears in the office could be a good laugh and a nice bit of observational comedy for your recruiters. Make sure it's actually funny though, as listening to a candidate moan for 10 minutes is not normally something that leads to recruitment.
• The good and bad of remote working - Surely every office worker in the world has experience of remote working. Pry open your own experiences and discuss whether or not they've been for the better or for, the worse.

10 Relatable 10-Minute Presentation Topics

People love stuff they can relate to their own experiences. It's the reason why your presentation on the problems of the post office was a hit, but your one on the use of thermoplongeurs and suspension compression on modern fatigue carousels was an absolute travesty.

Keeping topics nicely open and accessible for everyone is a great way to get a good reaction. Do you need some topics for the presentation that participants can get involved in quickly? Check out these fun presentation topic ideas below...

• The best Disney princess - The best interesting presentation topics! Everyone's got their favourite; who's the one that gives you the most hope for generations of strong, independent girls?
• The greatest language ever - Maybe it's the language that sounds the sexiest, looks the sexiest or the one that just works the best.
• Coffee vs tea - Most people have a preference, but very few have the numbers to back it up. Do some scientific research into what's better between coffee and tea and why.
• Stand-up - You may not initially think it, but a stand-up comedy performance is definitely a presentation of sorts. 10 minutes is a great time window for some witty observations that make everyone laugh.
• Reasons for procrastination - List out all the things that keep you from doing what you're supposed to be doing. Remember to tell some stories in this - chances are that almost all of your audience will be able to relate.
• Is social distancing for life? Introverts, assemble. Or actually, don't. Should we keep social distancing an opt-in, opt-out kind of thing?
• Paper books vs ebooks - This one is all about physical touch and nostalgia against modern convenience. It's a fight for our age.
• Identity of the decades - We all know the distinction between the 70s, 80s and 90s, but what were the unique cultural points of the 2000s and 2010s? Will we see them later or will they just never get their own identities?
• Pluto's a planet - Believe it or not, there are a surprising number of Pluto aficionados out there. Talking about how Pluto's a planet could really get them on your side, and they're a powerful bunch.
• Observational comedy - A dive into the most relatable of short presentation topics. What makes observational comedy so relatable?

10 Interesting 10-Minute Presentation Topics

This one is the exact opposite of 'relatable topics'. These short presentation topics are all about super interesting scientific phenomena that a lot of people don't know about.

You don't have to be relatable when you can be fascinating!

• Crown shyness - A presentation that explores the phenomenon of the crowns of trees that grow in such a way as not to touch each other.
• Sailing stones - There are rocks that can sail across the floor of Death Valley, but what causes it?
• Bioluminescence - Dive into what makes certain animals and plants light up the night using just their bodies. Include heaps of pictures in this one, it's a glorious sight!
• What happened to Venus? - Venus and Earth came into existence at the same time, made of the same stuff. Yet, Venus is a real hellscape of a planet - so what happened?
• Music therapy in Alzheimer's treatment - Music is very effective in treating Alzheimer's disease. Take a dive into the interesting reason why that is.
• What the hell is slime mould? - An exploration of the mould made up of single cells that can solve mazes when those cells combine forces.
• All about Havana Syndrome - The mysterious illness that struck the US embassy in Cuba - where did it come from and what did it do?
• The origins of Stonehenge - How did people 5000 years ago drag boulders from the Welsh highlands to lowland England? Also, why did they even decide to build Stonehenge?
• Intuition - Gut feeling, sixth sense; whatever you want to call it, scientists don't really know what it is.
• Deja vu - We all know the feeling, but how does it work? Why do we feel deja vu?

10 Controversial 10-Minute Presentation Topics

Check out some controversial

• Cryptocurrency: good or bad? - It resurfaces in the news every few months, so everyone's got an opinion, but we often only hear one side of the cryptocoin and not the other. In this 10-minute presentation, you can introduce the good and bad of crypto.
• Should we ban Black Friday? - Mass consumerism and mass tramplings at store entrances - has Black Friday gone too far? Some will say it's not gone far enough.
• Minimalism - A new way to live that's the opposite of everything Black Friday represents. How does it work and why should you try it?
• The best stuff for your health - Another one about which everyone's got something to say. Do the research and give the facts.
• Disney whitewashing - This one's definitely a controversial topic. It could be a quick exploration of how Disney seemingly chooses and alters skin tones depending on the story being told.
• Time to eat some bugs - As the world will soon have to move away from meat, what are we going to replace it with? Hope your audience likes cricket sundaes!
• Free speech - Is free speech something we still have? Are you having it right now while you give this presentation? That's a pretty easy one to answer.
• Gun laws around the world - See how the world's most gunned-up country compares to other countries in terms of weapons available and its ramifications.
• 1 million vs 1 billion - The difference between $1,000,000 and $1,000,000,000 is much bigger than you think. There are so many ways to highlight the enormous wealth gap in a 10-minute presentation.
• Military spending - We could solve all world issues in a flash if every country dissolved its military and used its funds for good. Is it feasible?

Bonus Topics: Vox

Looking for unique topics for presentation? Being your great idea source, Vox is an American online magazine with a real knack for making insightful video essays on interesting topics you may never have thought about. They were the guys behind the ' Explained ' series on Netflix, and they've also got their own YouTube channel full of topics.

The videos vary in length, but you can choose any of these to present if you feel like it's interesting enough for your crowd. They are not only the best topics for presentation in college but also unique topics for presentation in the office. Contract or expand the information in the video to 10 minutes and make sure you can present it comfortably.

Some of Vox's videos include trendy topics for presentation...

• How music on TikTok goes viral.
• London's super basements.
• The AI behind creating art on demand.
• The end of oil.
• The rise of K-pop.
• Why diets fail.
• Many, many more...

Wrapping Up

10 minutes is, categorically, not a long time , so yes,

Above is your choice of

Nailing yours starts with the right topic. Any of the 50 unique ones above would be a great way to kick off a 10-minute presentation (or even a 5-minute presentation ).

Once you have your topic, you'll want to craft the structure of your 10-minute talk and the content. Check out our presentation tips to keep your presentation fun and watertight.

3 magic ingredients of Amazing Presentations?

The Audience, Speaker and Transformation in between.

How do you present for 15 minutes?

20-25 slides are perfect, as 1-2 slides should be spoken in 1 minute.

Is a 10-minute presentation long?

a 20-minute presentation should be 9 - 10 pages long, while a 15-minute presentation should be 7-8 pages long. Therefore, the 10-minute presentation should be around 3-4 pages long

Lawrence Haywood

Former ESL teacher and quiz master converted to the wild slide. Now a content creator, traveller, musician and big time slider preaching the good word of interactivity.

Tips to Engage with Polls & Trivia

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Craft skills for students and supervisors

Tips for a 10-minute presentation

Prioritise.   Select.  In a 10-minute talk, you can hope to convey one key idea.  So:  what’s your ‘take-away message’?

Think of a 10-minute talk as an extended abstract:  your aim is to convey the unique character of your research, with just enough detail so that the audience can grasp the big picture and understand what distinguishes your research from other related work. 

Plan the time:

If the talk is 10 minutes, then you can’t spend 5 of them on the introduction.  Associate time with important points – points essential to convey the character and shape of your research, points important to your line of reasoning, points concerning the implications of your research, and so on.  

It is essential to cover enough of the design and structure of your research for the audience to grasp its character.  So, your talk should include the classic key ingredients:

1.  Research question :  including what motivates you to address it, and why an answer will be important.  

2.  Context :   what is already known, what the issues are, what other approaches have been tried or are being tried – in brief.

3.  Your research design :   what you’re doing, what evidence you expect to find.

4.  Findings:    what evidence you have produced so far.

5.  Take-away message:   what you want the audience to remember about your research.

You’ll need balance among these elements:  don’t sacrifice the evidence, or your take-away message won’t be convincing.  Don’t short-change the context, or the research choices may not make sense.  Don’t forget to motivate the question, or the audience might wonder why you’re bothering.  And so on.

Start by giving a minute to each of the five – and then allocating the remaining five minutes to the elements that are most important to you to convey.  Note the time allocation on your running notes or script (whatever you use to guide yourself during your talk).

Plan the slides:

At 1 slide per minute, you need to contain your key points in 10 slides or so.  That doesn’t mean squeezing the material from 20 slides into 10; it means selecting key points and crucial material.  Remember:  if the audience is too busy trying to read your slides, then people won’t be listening to your words.  The purpose of the slides is to focus attention and reinforce key points.  If you have important supporting material (e.g., data, analyses) that won’t fit into the talk, keep them to hand in case they’ll help you answer questions.

Don’t just guess.  Make sure you’ve timed yourself giving the talk in a normal delivery pace at least once.  For example, give the talk to some friends or colleagues, and time it.  

Ideal Number of Slides for a 5, 10 and 15-Minute PowerPoint Presentation

How many slides for a 10 minutes presentation are needed? At first glance, it seems straightforward to answer the question; but when you face it, you realize that it is not that simple. If you want to be focused, efficient, and pay enough attention to the details, the number of slides is critical. Knowing the exact number of slides, and planning everything to perfectly fit your time slot gives you extra confidence during your presentation.

Here, I’ll show you how many slides you have to prepare for 5, 10, and 15-minute presentations.

Table of contents

• How many slides for a 5-minute presentation?
• How many slides for a 10-minute presentation?
• How many slides for a 15-minute presentation?
• How to automatically time your slides?

How to prepare to present with a timer?

• Tips for creating a short presentation

How Many Slides for a 5-Minute Presentation?

The short answer: 5 slides that are 1 minute long would be perfect. You could even add more slides, but you’ll get less time to spend on each slide.

Preparing a 5-min presentation is extremely difficult. It gets more arduous when you have less time to present since you have to select the most important details to cover your topic clearly and thoroughly.

Although 5 minutes is short for a presentation, you can present an efficient report on one topic if you omit fillers. It is enough to consider the limit of time, keep an organized structure, and capsulize the most helpful information for your presentation.

How many slides for a 5-minute presentation are sufficient?  To find the answer to this question, first you need to have a good understanding of the following points:

• What the topic and its needs are,
• How the information should be organized.

However, pay attention that the fewer number of slides, the better. We do not mean fewer than five slides, but we cannot recommend using more than six slides as well.

Notice that nobody will listen to your speech if they cannot read your text. So, decrease your text as much as possible. You can choose to include only the basics in your text.

On the other hand, you have less time to talk about the topic, so you should concentrate on the necessary words and make your speech as precise as possible. Remember that doing a lot of practice is recommended because:

• It helps you to keep the track of your scenario throughout the presentation
• It would be best if you matched the slides and text with your speech
• You should end your presentation in just 5 minutes.

If you’re short on time, we can help. You can take advantage of the many well-designed templates available on our website. They are great options to help you organize your slides and text. Check out our collection of PowerPoint templates and use them to create your slides within minutes!

How Many Slides for a 10-Minute Presentation?

The short answer: Anywhere between 10 slides of 1 minute each to 20 slides of 30 seconds each are ideal for a 10-minute presentation. Since you have ample time, be sure to go into more detail. Remember, a boring 10-minute presentation can feel like 30 minutes for your viewer! So be sure to keep your presentations interesting and engaging.

Ten minutes mean more time to cover more details of your topic. If in a 5-min presentation, you are forced to tell your story using a small number of words, a 10-minute presentation gives you more room to plan your slides and speech. So, what should you do with your time? How many slides for a 10-minute presentation are perfect?

To answer the former question, we have to say you have the following choices:

• Decide to go for a similar number of slides (around ten slides) and dedicate your time to discuss necessary points.
• Use more slides and determine the time you need to spend on each one.

Our typical answer to the latter question is to create 10-20 slides. It’s up to you to choose the exact number. However, note that each person, on average, speaks 120 to 160 words per minute. So, you have enough time to use 1200 to 1600 words in a 10-minute presentation.

When you determine the time you spend on each slide, you can decide on the exact number of slides for your 10-minutes presentation. However, choose 20 slides if only you can finish each one in 30 seconds. Remember that every word counts, so pick them carefully to support the main idea of your presentation.

While thinking of how many slides you need for a 10-minute presentation, you should also decide on the perfect font size. The correct size for fonts makes your slides perceptible and not troublesome. Moreover, use bullets and numbers to organize your text but overdoing them may not have the effect you are looking for.

We think that it would be better for everyone, even experienced presenters, if they get access to well-designed 10-min presentation templates. Check out our page and benefit from tons of our professional PowerPoint templates.

How Many Slides for a 15-Minute Presentation?

The short answer: Anywhere between 10 slides to up to 30 slides of 30 seconds each are perfect. We recommend an average of 20-25 slides if you have a lot to cover. However, 15 mins can take a toll on your audience, so be sure to make your presentations as engaging as possible.

There is a plausible relationship between how much time you have to present and how many slides you need. Accordingly, the importance of the number of slides decreases when the length of your presentation increases.

You are the person who decides on everything but recall the two options we mentioned earlier: 1. spending your time talking more about critical points, or 2. increasing the number of slides. These are also applicable to your 15-minute presentation.

How many slides for a 15-minute presentation are needed? Our answer is that you can use more, perhaps as many as 30, although you’d better not to go for a number much greater than a 10-min presentation.

If you prefer to stick to the standard, it is 10 to 20 slides on average. You may wonder, this is similar to our answer to the question,  how many slides for a 10-minute presentation . The reason is that it is only a matter of time increased.

Nonetheless, a 15-min presentation gives you greater freedom to step forward and do something more. You cannot, for example, create slides for your supporting facts in a 5- or 10-minute presentation; however, you have enough space to include them in a 15-minute presentation.

Don’t forget that our services come in handy whenever you need help creating presentations! No matter how experienced you are, you can create professional-looking slides using our high-quality templates.

How to automatically time your slides ?

It is not difficult to time your slides; you can set a specific time for each slide so that your presentation keeps the expected pace. As the time limit is critical, you should use the PowerPoint Transitions tab to ensure you complete your presentation in time.

So, if you want to set a time for each slide to run to the one, complete the following steps:

• Choose the slide for which you are going to specify the timing.
• Select the  Transitions  tab.
• Find the  Timing  group.
• Find the  Advance Slide  and go to the next step.
• Select the  After  check box, and enter your desired number of minutes or seconds.

Now, you have made the slide move automatically after the given time. You can also use  Apply to All  button to use the same speed time for all the slides.

Note:  If you choose no timing, slides will advance by clicking the mouse.

There is only one way to get prepared for a successful presentation, and that is: Rehearse! It doesn’t matter that it is a 5, 10, or 15-minute presentation; you must do as much rehearsal as needed before presenting.

Practice makes perfect, so rehearse as much as you can. For example, you can practice the following:

• Take time differences into account when tailoring your speech.
• Record yourself. Which one do you prefer, video or tape?
• Watch or listen to your tape or video. This way, you can enhance your speech.
• Peer feedback is also helpful. Remember that your family members and friends can also give you practical advice.

In this way, you can prepare your presentation as perfectly as possible.

Tips for Creating a Short Presentation

It is not all about, for example,  how many slides for a 10-minute presentation . There are other ways you can use to present much better. Here are some tips:

What does your audience want? The answer to this question creates your presentation focal point – the audience’s needs. It would help if you even decided on the presentation length based on your subject and the occasion.

How appealing is your presentation? Try to improve the appearance of your slides. Stunning designs will be sure to impress your audience and managers. You do not have to do design work; use templates! It helps you give your presentations a unified and appealing look.

Some tips like the following ones may also be helpful for you:

• Each slide should have a lot of white space. It gives the presentation an organized, convenient layout.
• A mix of images and text is preferable to display the content.
• Use readable fonts and try to keep them compatible.
• It is better to break the messy slides into multiple ones.

Creating a presentation is an art, but it is not difficult for you now. You not only found out how many slides for a 5, 10, and 15-minute presentation are sufficient, but you also know that you should pay attention to other details. However, if you are still out of ideas or need any help, you can use our well-designed templates to create the desired slides for your presentation.

At SlideBazaar, we help you create engaging and memorable presentations. Choose from our collection of professional templates or opt for our custom design services for a personalized touch. Your presentations deserve to be elevated to new heights, and we’re here to help you achieve just that!

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10-minute presentation: how many slides do you need

The organizers have told you: You only have 10 minutes to pitch. You need to make a brilliant presentation. How many slides should there be?  Which is better with many or few slides?  

The Wonderslide team researched presentations for speeches and concluded that the quality of the presentation was not dependent on the number of slides. 

How Many Slides for a 10-Minute Presentation?

Are you prepping for a presentation at work and have no idea how many slides to include in your 10-minute presentation? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. The average business presentation is filled with slides and it can be difficult to figure out exactly how many your 10-minute presentation should include. Fret not – We’ve got you covered. In this blog post, we’re diving into the nitty-gritty of how many slides you should include in a 10-minute presentation. We’ll cover how to decide whether to cut back your slide count, break your presentation into multiple segments and offer other advice to help you create an effective presentation. By the end, you’ll have a good sense of how many slides you need for a successful 10-minute presentation. So let’s get started!

Quick Clarification of Key Points

A 10 minute presentation generally consists of 10-12 slides. How many slides you use will depend on how much detail and time you want to spend discussing each slide.

Time Planning for 10 Minute Presentation

Time planning for a 10-minute presentation is essential to ensure you cover all topics in the allotted time frame. A common question asked is “How long should each slide be?” To answer this question accurately, consider the complexity of the material covered within each slide. With 10 minutes dedicated to the presentation, a good rule of thumb is two minutes per slide if the content within is straightforward and 8-10 slides right off the bat. This allows for some room for discussion and questions throughout without deviating too far from your timeline; however, if your presentation involves complex graphics and animations, it may take longer per slide than anticipated. When making your PowerPoint or similar presentation software slides, limit each to 3-7 bullet points and make sure all the relevant information is included. Consider how much time elapses while introducing each of those points and keep that in mind when practicing your speech . It is important to set aside some time before the actual presentation runs to familiarize yourself with the flow of your slides; this will help smooth out disruptions or errors in your timing along with ensuring that all points are given their due attention. Once done with rehearsing, a presenter must balance their visuals with their spoken words carefully – as a ten-minute talk goes quickly! Leading into the next section about structure of 10 minute presentation; it’s important to outline whatever information you plan on sharing ahead of time in order to create an effective, organized presentation structure that supports your message delivery.

Structure of 10 Minute Presentation

When structuring a 10-minute presentation, it can be helpful to think of it in terms of sections. A good rule of thumb is to break the presentation into three separate sections—one that introduces the topic, one that provides more detailed discussion and evidence, and one that offers a closing statement. Within each section, provide concise information and examples while keeping your audience engaged with storytelling elements if possible. Here’s a breakdown of what this could look like: The introduction is the first section and should be used to describe the main topic as well as your goal for the presentation. It should last less than two minutes and introduce any key concepts or vocabulary needed for understanding the topic. The second section should focus on providing more detailed discussion about your topic and should provide evidence or examples to back up any claims you make. This section shouldn’t take longer than 6 minutes and its length will depend on how much you have to say about your topic. During this time, be sure to also pay attention to the time you’re taking, as it may be tempting to talk for too long. The third and final section should be used as a closing statement, summarizing all of the points made in your presentation and thanking the audience for their attention. This should last no longer than one minute so that there is enough time after the presentation for any follow-up questions from the audience. These are just some basic guidelines when building out the structure of a 10-minute presentation; however, keep in mind that an alternate approach could also work depending on the unique situation. No matter what structure you use though, always remember that visuals such as slides can add an extra level of interest to keep your audience engaged throughout . Now that we’ve discussed how to properly structure a 10-minute presentation, let’s take a look at how breaking down your topic into concise sections can help you decide which slides to include in order to maximize effectiveness.

Break Your Topic into Concise Sections

Breaking your slides into concise sections is key to the success of a 10-minute presentation. To begin, it’s important to make sure that each slide is self-contained and flows naturally in the context of your overall message and theme. If you try to cram too much information onto one slide, it will appear cluttered and confuse the audience. Additionally, if a point has many components or opportunities for discussion, it should be broken up into multiple slides so that you can provide the audience ample time to take it all in. Furthermore, focussing on one concept per slide makes it more likely that your audience will accurately understand and retain the information presented. On the other hand, breaking your slides into too many small subtopics may cause confusion in itself because without enough time to go over each item effectively there’s less time for deeper comprehension of the broader points. Striking the right balance between letting yourself have enough space to explain each idea properly and also moving quickly enough through all topics can be tricky. Ultimately, embracing brevity is essential when crafting slides for a 10-minute presentation. Only include what absolutely must be said and nothing more in order to ensure that your slides are organized and succinctly convey necessary information while allowing sufficient time for discussion or questions in the end . With these considerations in mind, let’s consider the impact of making decisions around creating separate slides or combining ideas within one slide.

Consider the Impact of Making Decisions

Considering the impact of how many slides to include in a 10-minute presentation is essential. Having too few slides can leave gaps in the flow of your presentation and make it less dynamic, whereas using too many will take away precious time and can overwhelm the audience with information. A key point to keep in mind when deciding on the number of slides is that one rarely needs an equal amount of time per slide. Depending on the type of activity (e.g., discussing results of quantitative research or presenting a competitive analysis), some slides may just require one minute to discuss while others may take up to four minutes. It’s important to reflect on the external factors that may contribute to making decisions regarding slides, such as audience size, industry norms, and intended outcomes. For example, if you know that your audience typically responds well to visual presentations, then you may want to focus more on including high-quality visuals in your slides versus a large number of slides with textual content. On the flip side, if you are presenting quantitative data, then adding several extra slides with numerical breakdowns could be beneficial for efficiently summarizing and conveying your findings. The potential ripple effect of making decisions about how many slides should be included in a 10-minute presentation is significant. Striking a careful balance will ensure both success for yourself and enjoyment for your audience. Now that the importance of making wise decisions has been discussed, let’s move onto how to create effective slides for this format.

Creating Effective Slides

Creating effective slides is essential to making sure your 10-minute presentation is successful. It’s important to keep the presentation concise, yet informative and engaging. Use visuals to convey key points, but don’t overwhelm the audience with too much text or busy graphics. Structure each slide so that it’s easier for viewers to understand the message. The debate around whether slides should be used has two distinct sides: those who prefer visual aids as part of the presentation and those who are against them altogether. Those in favor would argue that visuals can be effective if used correctly and help support the presentation. Those against would say that slides cause audiences to lose focus, since they try to look at many different elements on each one simultaneously. Ultimately, it’s up to the presenter to decide what type of medium works best for their presentation. When creating slides, use visuals and infographics whenever possible—this will help illustrate the points being made within each slide’s content. Additionally, use few words, only those needed to convey your thoughts within a limited timeframe. There is no need for lengthy paragraphs; bullet points work best when delivering a ten-minute presentation . Finally, utilize mnemonic devices such as numbering systems or acronyms when applicable—they can help decrease the complexity of your message and make it easier for viewers to remember key points during discussions afterward. By following these tips, you can create a visually engaging and memorable 10-minute presentation that offers viewers insightful information while boosting comprehension levels. To make sure your presentation is optimized even further, it’s essential you also utilize visuals, images and content efficiently in order to deliver an effective 10-minute talk.

Utilize Visuals, Images, and Content

Utilizing visuals, images, and content within a 10-minute presentation can be a great way to add impact to a presentation. There are many different methods and tools available for making sure that visuals are engaging and effective. For example, incorporating infographics, charts, and graphs into presentations can help communicate complex information quickly and easily. Additionally, videos or animations can be used to keep the audience engaged in the presentation. On the other hand, too much reliance on visuals risks detracting from the overall message of a presentation. It is important to use complementary visuals that do not overpower the core ideas of the presentation. An overreliance on videos or pictures may make it difficult for the presenters to convey the intended message if the audience does not comprehend it quickly enough. Ultimately, it is important to strike a balance between visual content and text-based content in order to produce an effective 10-minute presentation. Using visuals can add depth and clarity while still making sure that the presentation remains focused on key points. By carefully considering each slide’s purpose and effectiveness, presenters can ensure that they are using visuals strategically throughout their 10-minute presentation. To build on this foundation, the next section will explore how to make the most of only 10 minutes when presenting.

Making the Most of 10 Minutes

The 10 minutes allotted for a presentation can be used wisely if you plan carefully. Every slide should be well designed, easily understood and should not overwhelm viewers with too much information. Before writing, consider who will be attending the presentation to help decide on the best style. For example, if it’s an audience familiar with your topic or subject matter, keep in mind that the slides do not need to cover basic points. However, for an audience unfamiliar with your topic, you may want to ensure that the basics are included in order for them to fully understand your presentation’s key points. When creating slides there are several factors that must be taken into account such as imagery, text size and color selection. Furthermore, make sure each slide focuses on one idea or action so it is easy to understand. To stay within the required time limit, practice presenting and time yourself beforehand. This will help you identify sections that need to be edited out or could perhaps use a bit more detail or live explanation. When presenting, maintain eye contact with the audience and connect with them throughout your presentation in order to hold their attention and express enthusiasm about your work. Finally, using multimedia can also provide an interesting perspective when presenting and can make complex topics easier to understand by adding visuals. Of course, any multimedia used should be professional and appropriate in order to avoid any distraction from the content itself. Overall, making the most of 10 minutes is possible if proper planning is done prior to presenting. With enough practice and preparation anyone should be able to perform a successful 10-minute presentation that captures the interest of their audience. Now that you have a better understanding of how to make the most of 10 minutes during presentations, let’s move onto a summary of how many slides should be included within a 10 minute presentation.

Summary of How Many Slides for a 10 Minute Presentation

The right number of slides to use in a 10-minute presentation can vary significantly depending on desired outcomes, the topic being addressed, and the presenter’s speaking style . Generally speaking, however, a good rule of thumb is to aim for approximately one slide per minute. This approach allows for enough time to thoroughly explain each idea without lingering too long or interjecting irrelevant content. Proponents of this approach recommend having an even amount of slides; for example 10 slides for a 10-minute presentation or 20 slides for a 20-minute one. While this may be seen as overly rigid, it helps guarantee that the time limit won’t be exceeded and that all key points will be included in the discussion. Additionally, when creating the slides, care should be taken to ensure that visuals are consistent with the presenter’s speaking points so as to both inspire and engage audience members. There are some dissenting voices who claim that adhering too strictly to a limited number of slides can be detrimental when attempting to deliver an effective presentation. This is particularly true when more complex topics are being discussed or when opponents of the proposed idea are in attendance. In those cases, extra slides and explanations can help ensure that all arguments have been considered and evaluated and any counterpoints answered sufficiently. Ultimately, understanding how many slides are appropriate for any given presentation should primarily depend on two factors: the nature of the topic at hand and the style of delivery used by the presenter. With careful consideration given to these elements, it is possible to craft an engaging presentation without exceeding a pre-determined time limit.

Responses to Common Questions with Explanations

How detailed should the slides be for a 10 minute presentation.

A 10-minute presentation should be concise and to the point. This means that slides need to include only key information, insights and visuals that will support the presenter’s message. Detailed slides are not necessary; instead, presenters should use short phrases, bullet points, and graphics/visuals to summarize their main points. Slides should be organized in an understandable way and only include information that is relevant to the topic being discussed. Additionally, it is important for presenters to ensure that the slides are visually appealing and easy to read. It may also be useful to provide the audience with handouts or additional resources that contain more detailed supporting information.

Are there any special effects or transitions that should be avoided when creating a 10 minute presentation?

Yes, certain special effects and transitions should be avoided when creating a 10 minute presentation. Special effects can often take up valuable time, so they should be used sparingly. Complex transitions can also distract from the primary purpose of the presentation by detracting from the content or subject matter. Additionally, particularly long or flashy transitions may make a presentation seem amateurish and bring down the overall quality of the presentation. When creating a 10 minute presentation, focus on using simple visuals and easy-to-follow transitions that quickly direct the audience from point to point without detracting from your message. Plain animations such as fades and wipes are typically fine to utilize, but stay away from over-the-top effects that require too much attention or disrupt the narrative flow.

What is the best slide ratio for a 10 minute presentation?

The best slide ratio for a 10 minute presentation is one slide per minute. This ensures that you have enough time to adequately explain each slide and make sure your audience understands its contents. Additionally, having one slide per minute reduces the chances of going off-topic or running out of time during your presentation. Finally, having fewer slides allows you to create more high-quality visuals with complex data or images that can help better engage your audience.

Do you wonder how long it takes to deliver your speech?

This website helps you convert the number of words into the time it takes to deliver your speech, online and for free. This tool is useful when preparing a speech or a presentation. The number of minutes you will take is dependent on the number of words and your speed of speech, or reading speed.

Note: This calculator provides an indication only.

Enter details below

The overview below provides an indication of the minutes for a speech (based on an average reading speed of 130 words per minute):

• Words in a 1 minute speech 130 words
• Words in a 2 minute speech 260 words
• Words in a 3 minute speech 390 words
• Words in a 4 minute speech 520 words
• Words in a 5 minute speech 650 words
• Words in a 10 minute speech 1300 words
• Words in a 15 minute speech 1950 words
• Words in a 20 minute speech 2600 words
• How long does a 500 word speech take? 3.8 minutes
• How long does a 1000 word speech take? 7.7 minutes
• How long does a 1250 word speech take? 9.6 minutes
• How long does a 1500 word speech take? 11.5 minutes
• How long does a 1750 word speech take? 13.5 minutes
• How long does a 2000 word speech take? 15.4 minutes
• How long does a 2500 word speech take? 19.2 minutes
• How long does a 5000 word speech take? 38.5 minutes

How Many Slides Do You Need for a 10-Minute Presentation?

Table of Contents

Are you struggling with the dilemma of how many slides to include in your 10-minute presentation? Whether you’re gearing up for a crucial business meeting or preparing for an important academic lecture, the challenge of balancing the right number of slides without overwhelming your audience is real. 

Many presenters and students face the anxiety of overloading their PowerPoint slides, the clarity of content quantity, and the fear of exceeding the time limit. In this blog, we’ll tackle these concerns head-on and guide you through the exact number of slides to use, perfectly tailored for your 10-minute slot.

How Many Slides Do You Need? Guidelines for Slide Count

A good rule of thumb is one slide per minute , so aim for about 10 slides in a 10-minute presentation. The total number of slides can make or break your presentation’s effectiveness and engagement level. 

Estimated number of slides based on presentation time:

• 10-minute presentation: 5 to 12 slides
• 15-minute presentation: 8 to 17 slides
• 30-minute presentation: 15 to 32 slides

💡 Presentation tip: Keep your slides readable from a distance (minimum 30pt font size)

In the following sections, we’ll look at general guidelines and the factors that might adjust your slide count.

One Idea Per Slide

To make your 10-minute slideshow effective, align your script with your slides. A practical method is to dedicate one idea to each slide . This helps you to break the topic into concise sections, resulting in an easy-to-digest presentation structure.

In a typical 10-slide setup, you’ll have around 8 slides for your key points, considering that the first and last are usually extra slides reserved for an introduction and conclusion. This approach helps you organize your content clearly and ensures that each slide effectively conveys a single, focused message.

💡 Interesting fact: Attendees typically retain just 3% of the content from a presentation.

Remember, the guideline on the number of slides is not a strict rule. The goal is to ensure you have enough time to convey your message clearly and concisely.

How Many Minutes Per Slide?

Generally, aim to spend between 0.5 to 2 minutes on each slide. The 10/20/30 rule by Guy Kawasaki suggests a maximum of 2 minutes per slide, but consider these points and adjust based on these factors:

• Spend more time on slides with detailed data or complex concepts.
• Ensure thorough explanation for audience understanding.
• These usually require less time as they indicate topic changes.
• Allow extra time for questions and discussions with the audience.
• These slides might remain on screen while you interact.

💡 Presentation tip: Vary the time spent on each slide, focusing on its importance and complexity.

The purpose of timing yourself is to keep your presentation dynamic. Spending appropriate time on a slide keeps your audience engaged, even if some slides take longer than two minutes.

Talking Speed: How Fast Should I Speak?

Concerned about how fast you should speak during your presentation? The thing is, we all talk (and present) at different speeds in different settings. Your talking speed is connected to the total length of the presentation, the number of slides, and the complexity of the content. Whether it’s an in-person or virtual presentation might also affect your talking speed.

For presentations, use a moderate talking speed of around 100 to 150 wpm (words per minute) so your audience can easily follow and absorb your message.

These factors also affect your talking speed:

🗣️ Your natural pace: Stay close to your regular speaking rate for comfort and authenticity.

🗣️ Language fluency: If you or your audience are not native speakers, a slower pace can aid understanding.

🗣️ Audience’s background: Adapt to the audience’s level of knowledge in the presentation’s subject matter and their language comprehension.

🗣️ Presentation style: A conversational style might be slower, while a scripted talk could be faster.

Be mindful that speeds over 150 wpm can be challenging for some, particularly for non-native speakers.

💡 Presentation tip: Use visuals and graphics to break the monotony and help convey part of the information.

Create presentation slides with AI in Seconds in Google Slides

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Works with Google Slides

How to Time a Powerpoint Presentation?

There are two ways to time your PowerPoint slides: auto-advancing slides or rehearsing within PowerPoint for pre-recorded timings. Note: These features are exclusively available to PowerPoint users (not Google Slides).

Method #1: Use Transitions to Advance Slides Automatically

• On the ‘Transitions’ tab, look for ‘Timing’ > ‘Advance Slide’.
• Check the box for ‘Advance Slide After…’.
• Type in the duration you prefer. For example, you can set your slides to switch to the next one after 30 seconds.
• The timer starts when the last animation or effects on the current slide finishes.
• To have more control during your presentation, you can select both ‘On Mouse Click’ and specify a timing on ‘After..’. This allows you to use a mouse click to advance the slide before the timer is up or let the slides advance after the timing ends.

Image from Microsoft

💡 Learn more: How To Convert PowerPoint to Google Slides

Method 2: Rehearse and Time Your Slides

Rehearse Timings is a powerful feature alongside Speaker Coach. You’ll rehearse your slides and record how much time you take for each slide. PowerPoint can use the recorded timings to advance your slides automatically during your presentation.

• Select ‘Slide Show’ > ‘Rehearse Timings’. 
• You’ll enter presentation mode, a recording toolbar will appear, and the timer will start.
• As you rehearse, click ‘Next’ to go to the next slide.
• Click ‘Pause’ to temporarily stop recording the time. Select ‘ Resume recording’ to restart the timer.
• If you want to reset the timer on a particular slide, click ‘Repeat’ > ‘Resume recording’.
• Press’ Esc’ on your keyboard to stop recording and exit presentation mode.
• On the last slide, select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ if you want to keep the recorded timings for the slides.
• To see the timings for each slide (from the rehearsal), go to ‘View’> ‘Slide Sorter’.
• With the recorded timings, you can let it auto-advance slides at your next presentation. If you prefer to avoid having your ppt slides advance automatically based on these timings, go to ‘Slide Show’> unselect ‘Use Timings’.

Read more about rehearsing PowerPoint slides from Microsoft here .

• No design skills required
• 3 presentations/month free
• Don’t need to learn a new software

Presentation Tips to Stay on Time

• Rehearsing is key for timely presentations. Even if it seems obvious, it’s the most crucial step. If you’re new to your material, practice to gauge the time you need accurately.
• Prioritize your content. Start with what’s most important. If time runs short, at least you’ve covered the essentials without missing critical points.
• Say more with less. Decide which 3 takeaways (most essential points) you will structure your presentation around, and state them clearly at the start and end of your presentation. It’s easier for the audience to remember a few key points than 20 (which are not all that important).
• Set time checkpoints within your presentation. Plan to reach certain slides at specific times to track your pace and make adjustments on the fly.
• Focus on your main points and simplify. People’s attention spans are limited, and packing too much into a 10-minute presentation can overwhelm your audience. It’s better to cover a few key topics well than to skim over many.
• Stick to one main idea per slide . This keeps your presentation clear and focused. It also ensures that your slides flow logically. 

Without practicing with your slideshow, you might discover that your points don’t connect smoothly too late, which is especially noticeable in professional settings. Use these tips while rehearsing and clarifying your core message; you are more likely to deliver a polished and timely presentation. 

Struggling to Start Your Presentation? Learn 4 Ways to Start Confidently here !

To deliver a successful 10-minute presentation, balance your slides with clear content. We’ve shared guidelines on deciding the number of slides you need and tips to align your slides with your script.

Aim for about 10 slides for a 10-minute presentation, each with a single idea, and adjust your speaking speed and slide timing to match your content’s complexity. This guideline isn’t a fixed rule, so don’t worry about adding a few extra slides! Remember, effective rehearsal and preparation are crucial for a clear, concise, and impactful presentation.

How long does it take to make a 10-minute presentation?

Preparing a 10-minute presentation can take anywhere between 2 to 20 hours. This variation depends on your familiarity with the topic and subject matter, the depth of content, and your audience (professional, business, or academic). On average, you spend around 30 minutes to 2 hours preparing each slide, which includes creating content and rehearsing.

Use presentation templates or AI presentation makers such as SlidesAI to save time on preparation.

Follow these steps to manage your presentation preparation time efficiently:

• Research your topic.
• Create and design your slides.
• Write a script.
• Practice your presentation.
• Revise and finalize your slides.

How many words is a 10-minute speech?

At an average speed of speech, a 10-minute speech is roughly the equivalent of a 1500-word paper, according to this source . It doesn’t mean your script has to be strictly 1500 words long since there are variations in speaking speeds. 

What should I do if I go over time?

If you find your presentation overrunning, tell your audience the new end time immediately and confirm they can stay. If you have lost your audience’s attention, proceed to summarize your key points to end your presentation effectively. A well-executed summary will drive home your main points and is more likely to be remembered by your audience for a long time.

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Average Speaking Rate and Words per Minute

November 8, 2022 - Dom Barnard

The speed at which you talk has a huge influence on how the audience perceives you and your speech. It’s important, therefore, to understand your speaking rate and how to alter it depending on the type of speech you are delivering.

In this article, you’ll learn how to calculate your speaking rate and how it compares to the average rate for popular talks to give you some context. Audio samples of speaking rates at the extremes are provided, so you can understand the difference in words per minute.

At the end of the article, exercises are provided to help you develop an adaptive speaking rate.

How to calculate your speaking rate

Speaking rate is often expressed in words per minute (wpm). To calculate this value, you’ll need to record yourself talking for a few minutes and then add up the number of words in your speech. Divide the total number of words by the number of minutes your speech took.

Speaking rate (wpm) = total words / number of minutes

You can record yourself with this  online voice recorder . Once you have the audio of your speech, there are two ways to get the number of words:

• Manually count the words as you listen back to the audio
• Upload the speech recording to a  speech-to-text platform

When you have the speech converted to text format, copy the text into a software package such as Microsoft Word, which provides a useful word count for the document.

Once you have the number of words, convert the time to minutes – for example, if your speech was 4 minutes 30 seconds, you need to divide the number of words by 4.5 (as 30 seconds is half of a minute).

John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address, where he slowed his usually very high speaking rate down to below 100 wpm (his average was well above 150 wpm).

What is the average speaking rate?

The average speaking rate changes dramatically for the purpose of your speech. According to the National Center for Voice and Speech, the average conversation rate for English speakers in the United States is about  150 wpm . However, for radio presenters or podcasters, the wpm is higher.

Here is a list of average speech rates for different activities.

Average speech rates

• Presentations : between 100-150 wpm for a comfortable pace
• Conversational : between 120-150 wpm
• Audiobooks : between 150-160 wpm, which is the upper range that people comfortably hear and vocalize words
• Radio hosts and podcasters : between 150-160 wpm
• Auctioneers : can speak at about 250 wpm
• Commentators : between 250-400 wpm

To give these speech rates some context, if the speaking pace is 130 words per minute, you’ll finish reading an A4 page (Calibri, font size 11) in 4 minutes, 51 seconds.

Extremes of speaking rate – world record pace

Steven Woodmore  is a British electronics salesman and comedian known for his rapid speech articulation, being able to articulate 637 wpm, a speed four times faster than the average person.

Woodmore was listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s fastest talker, a title which he held for five years, taking the helm from the previous record holder, John Moschitta, Jr.

A comparison of words per minute for popular TED Talks

Let’s compare different presentation styles to show you how speech rates can vary widely. We’ll use popular TED Talks to compare words per minute for different presentations.

We’ve analyzed five TED Talks, ranging from short speeches up to 22 minutes. When we were calculating the length of the presentation, we included time when the audience was clapping and when the presenter changed slides.

We tried to pick from a wide range of speech topics to get an unbiased average.

The average speaking rate was 173 words per minute. The speaking rate ranged from 154 to 201 words per minute.

Popular TED Talk speaking rates

• How great leaders inspire action (Simon Sinek) – 170 wpm
• The power of introverts (Susan Cain) – 176 wpm
• Do schools kill creativity? (Sir Ken Robinson) – 165 wpm
• Why we do what we do (Tony Robbins) – 201 wpm
• The power of vulnerability (Brené Brown) – 154 wpm

What influences your overall speaking rate?

Here are several factors that affect the overall speaking rate, most of which can be controlled by you.

• Regular speaking rate  – this is the result of your environment, where you grew up, your parents, culture, friends around you, and more.
• Nervousness  – you’ve probably noticed it yourself,  when you are nervous , you speak much quicker and take short shallow breaths as you rush through the content.
• Saying something urgent  – understandably, we speak much quicker when there is an emergency, for example calling an ambulance or explaining an incident to the police.
• Mental fatigue  – tiredness affects our thought process, making it harder for us to articulate ourselves, causing us to talk more slowly.
• Complexity of the words  – longer, more complex words will take slightly longer to say, and if you are counting words per minute, it will affect speech pace slightly (although somewhat negligible)
• Complexity of content  – if you are presenting complex content, you’ll want to speak slower than usual to give the audience time to comprehend the concepts and content.
• Verbal pauses  – pauses are a great way to break up the content and give emphasis to what you are saying. Naturally this will slow down your speaking rate. Read  10 Effective Ways to use Pauses in your Speech .
• Event driven pauses  – these are pauses caused by a change in slides, a demo of your product, checking your notes, and so on.
• Audience driven pauses  – these events are caused by your audience, for example, when they laugh and ask questions.

Example audio clips of different speech rates

Example 1 – why we do what we do (tony robbins).

Sample of ‘Why we do what we do’ speech, spoken at 201 wpm.

Example 2 – We Shall Fight on the Beaches (Winston Churchill)

Sample of ‘We Shall Fight on the Beaches’ speech, spoken at 128 wpm.

Tony Robbins giving his TED Talk, Why we do what we do, with an average speaking pace of 201 wpm.

Is speaking rate important?

In short, yes, your rate of speech does have an impact on how the audience perceive you and your message.

Generally, a slower rate is easier to understand for the audience. If you include pauses as well, you give the audience time to absorb the messages of your presentation.

However listening back to the Tony Robbins speech above, which was at over 200 wpm, you’ll probably find you were still able to understand what he was saying. This is because he clearly articulates his words and uses easy to understand language. Clarity is just as important as speech pace.

Try to vary your speaking rate

No matter what your average speaking rate is over the entire speech, you should vary it throughout the speech. Varying your speech makes it more interesting for the audience and adds emotion to the content. Without pace variation, you’re in danger of sounding monotone.

For example, you can speak faster to convey excitement, or slower to reflect sadness or importance.

When to change your speed

• Speaking fast  – indication of passion, urgency, excitement, and emotion
• Speaking slow  – indication of importance, sadness, confusion, the seriousness of a point

When you’re speaking quickly, initially it is exciting for the audience, but after a minute or two, it stops being stimulating and becomes overwhelming.

When you are speaking slowly, it can grab the attention of the audience and help them process every word, but an entire talk at a slow pace will bore your audience: while waiting for you to get to the point they will lose interest.

Remember: The rate we speak at is highly individual

This is an important point to remember. If you take some well-known speeches and change the pace of their delivery, the meaning would be lost. For example, the “ I Have a Dream ” by Martin Luther King was spoken at a slow rate.

The long pauses and carefully spoken words give us time to absorb the information and plenty of time for the audience to applaud throughout. Even if you did not understand the words, the slow pace indicates that the message is important and should be taken seriously.

Cultural differences

Culture plays a big role in the pace we naturally speak at. Even locations within the  same country  can make a difference – people in London typically speak faster than people from Yorkshire for example. Also, if English isn’t the speakers first language, they usually speak a little slower as well.

How to practice: Getting the right speaking pace

Test your speaking pace.

Practice reading a transcript aloud at different paces to better understand how different speeds sound. Learn More

Here are two ways to measure and practice your speaking pace.

Use a metronome

The metronome ticks at a certain rate depending on what you set it to. If you want to speak at 130 words per minute, set the metronome to this value and practice saying a word every tick of the metronome.

This is a good start, however when actually presenting to an audience, you’ll want to vary this pace to emphasise certain points – a speech at exactly 130 wpm throughout would sound very monotone and rehearsed.

Use practice exercises

Online exercises let you practice your speech in a variety of scenarios. Practice presenting at a conference, delivering a sales pitch, answering interview questions, and more. With  VirtualSpeech practice exercises , you can get feedback on your speaking rate after your speech and adjust it accordingly for your next speech.

Example practice exercises you can use to measure your speaking pace during a speech or presentation. See all the  practice exercises here .

5 exercises to develop an adaptive speaking rate

Tips taken from  Quick & easy tips for speaking rate

1. Reading children’s stories

Read a children’s story silently several times to familiarize yourself with the flow. Go through it again, noting which passages would suit taking more quickly and which should be slower. Then read it aloud and listen carefully to how speed alters interpretation. Repeat the exercise altering your speed over particular passages, noting the differences.

Record yourself if possible doing this and all the following exercises. Save all the versions you do. You’ll then have them to refer back to. Recording takes out the guess work as you can hear exactly what you did, rather than what you imagined you did. It doesn’t lie!

2. Read factual reports

Pick an information loaded report from a newspaper or magazine.

Go through it silently to familiarize yourself with the flow of material and then read it aloud. Make a note of which passages need careful or slow reading and which can be taken at a faster rate. Re-read aloud until you feel you have the mix of speeds right.

As an extension exercise, read the report as if you were reading for an audience who knew nothing about the subject. Note what changes you made and why.

3. Experiment with one of your own speeches

Record and time yourself delivering a speech of your own at your current ‘normal’ speaking rate.

Note the time down. Now go through again having marked passages for slower or faster treatment. Note the new time and your new insights.

4. Listen to good speakers

Listen to speakers you admire. They could be radio presenters,  commencement speeches , anybody accustomed to speaking in public. Note the different rates of speech they use over the course of their presentation and the effectiveness and experiment with them for yourself.

5. Play with material you are familiar with

Read or recite part of a text you know well quickly (or slowly). If you can record yourself, do so. If not, listen and note the effect it has on you. If you’ve recorded yourself, play it back.

Ask yourself where was the speed effective? Where was it detrimental? Mark those places on your script. Read again incorporating your changes.

convert words to time .

How long will it take to read a speech or presentation?

Enter the word count into the tool below (or paste in text) to see how many minutes it will take you to read. Estimates number of minutes based on a slow, average, or fast paced reading speed.

Number of words

Reading speed

Common conversions (average speed)

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