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How long is a 2,000-word speech?

A 2,000-word speech takes 13 min 48 s at a typical presentation pace of 145 words per minute.

By the Ace Coach team, built with the best speech coaches · Updated

Time at different paces

PaceRateTime
Slow120 wpm16 min 40 s
Lecture145 wpm13 min 48 s
TED talk169 wpm11 min 50 s

Paces come from measured averages: about 145 words per minute in university lectures and 169 in TED talks (Wingrove, 2017).

What fits in this length

A thirteen- to sixteen-minute talk, close to the 18-minute limit TED gives its speakers.

Don't memorize 2,000 words. Memorize the outline and your opening, key and closing lines.

Check your own pace

Everyone's pace is different, and most people speed up when they're nervous. Time yourself reading one paragraph of your script out loud, or use how fast do I talk for a 60-second test. Then plug your number into the speech time calculator.

Other lengths

Rehearse it out loud.

Ace Coach is an AI speaking coach. It listens to your answer, watches your delivery and tells you the one thing to fix next.

Keep practicing

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