- Home
- Word count guides
- 12-minute speech
How many words is a 12-minute speech?
A 12-minute speech is about 1,560 to 1,800 words, or 6.2 to 7.2 double-spaced pages.
Work it out
Line spacing
words, at 130 to 150 words a minute
- At 140 words a minute
- 1,680 words
- Script pages, double-spaced
- 6.2–7.2
- Pages, single-spaced, Arial 12 pt
- 3.1–3.6
- Reading it silently
- 7 min 4 sec
- Paragraphs
- 8–18
Write it in the word counter with a limit of 1,800 words.
Open the word counterWords for 12-minute speech at different speeds
| Pace | Words | Double-spaced pages |
|---|---|---|
| Measured, 130 words a minute | 1,560 | 6.2 |
| Typical, 140 words a minute | 1,680 | 6.7 |
| Conversational, 150 words a minute | 1,800 | 7.2 |
Estimates for US Letter or A4 with 1-inch (2.54 cm) margins and ordinary paragraphs; reading at 238 words a minute, speaking at 130 to 150.
The talk inside a 15-minute slot
Many academic and industry conferences give speakers 15-minute slots that include questions, which leaves about 12 minutes of talking. Chairs keep to time strictly, so a 12-minute talk that runs to 15 eats all the questions.
Tips for conference talks
- One main finding. Twelve minutes explains one result well; the paper has the rest.
- Rehearse with slides. Clicking, pointing and pausing add up: a script of 1,800 words read aloud may fit, but the same script with slides will not.
- Prepare a two-minute cut you can drop if the session is running late.
Questions and answers
How many words is a 12-minute speech?
About 1,560 to 1,800 words.
How many slides for a 12-minute talk?
Roughly 10 to 15, depending on how much each one carries.
How many pages is a 12-minute speech?
About 6.2 to 7.2 double-spaced pages.