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How long is a TED talk?
A TED talk lasts at most 18 minutes, which is about 2,700 words at a conversational pace. Many are shorter: a 12-minute talk is about 1,560 to 1,800 words.
Work it out
words, at 130 to 150 words a minute
- At 140 words a minute
- 2,520 words
- Script pages, double-spaced
- 9.4–10.8
- Pages, single-spaced, Arial 12 pt
- 4.7–5.4
- Reading it silently
- 11 min
- Paragraphs
- 12–27
Write it in the word counter with a limit of 2,700 words.
Open the word counterWords for TED talk at different speeds
| Pace | Words | Double-spaced pages |
|---|---|---|
| Measured, 130 words a minute | 1,560–2,340 | 6.2–9.4 |
| Typical, 140 words a minute | 1,680–2,520 | 6.7–10.1 |
| Conversational, 150 words a minute | 1,800–2,700 | 7.2–10.8 |
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.
Why 18 minutes
TED has kept talks to 18 minutes or less for years. Its curator, Chris Anderson, has explained the reasoning: long enough to be serious, short enough to hold attention, and about the length of a coffee break. TEDx events, which are run independently under licence, follow the same 18-minute maximum.
Planning the script
- Pick one idea. TED’s own advice is that a talk should carry one idea worth spreading.
- Write it, then learn the structure. Most good TED speakers write a full script and then practise until they can deliver it naturally.
- Time with your real pace. Many TED speakers talk faster than 150 words a minute; paste your script into the word counter and read it aloud with a timer.
Questions and answers
How many words is an 18-minute TED talk?
About 2,340 to 2,700 words at 130 to 150 words a minute.
What is the shortest TED talk?
There is no minimum; some talks are only a few minutes. Many TEDx talks are 10 to 15 minutes.
How many pages is a TED talk script?
For 18 minutes, about 10.8 double-spaced pages at most.