1500 words speaking time: about 11 min 32 sec at a normal pace.
Speaking 1500 words takes about 11:32 (minutes:seconds) at 130 words per minute. At a slow 110 it is 13:38, at 150 it is 10:00, and at a fast 170 it is 8:49. The calculator below starts at 1500 words. Change the pace, or paste your own script to time it and hear it read aloud.
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No text pasted, so this word count is used.
1500 words speaking time at four paces
Minutes and seconds, worked out as words divided by words per minute. The assumption is stated in every column.
| Words | 110 wpm | 130 wpm | 150 wpm | 170 wpm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,500 words | 13:38 | 11:32 | 10:00 | 8:49 |
The sum behind the table
Divide the words by the pace. At 130 words per minute, 1500 ÷ 130 is about 11.54 minutes, and 0.54 of a minute is about 32 seconds, so 11:32. At 150, 1500 ÷ 150 is 10 minutes. At 110 it is 13.64 minutes (13:38), and at 170 it is 8.82 minutes (8:49).
With pauses added
Real talks include breaths, slides and laughter. Adding 10 percent to the 130 words per minute figure gives 12:42, and adding 20 percent gives 13:51. The pause menu in the calculator does this for you.
Speaking time for 500, 1000, 2000 and 3000 words
Need a different length? These are the same sums for the word counts people ask about most. Type any number into the calculator for the rest.
| Words | 110 wpm | 130 wpm | 150 wpm | 170 wpm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 words | 4:33 | 3:51 | 3:20 | 2:56 |
| 1,000 words | 9:05 | 7:42 | 6:40 | 5:53 |
| 1,500 words | 13:38 | 11:32 | 10:00 | 8:49 |
| 2,000 words | 18:11 | 15:23 | 13:20 | 11:46 |
| 3,000 words | 27:16 | 23:05 | 20:00 | 17:39 |
Read the table across for pace and down for length. A 500 word text is a short toast or a 3 to 4 minute talk. A 1000 word text fills 6 to 9 minutes, and for that length there is a dedicated page on how long it takes to read 1000 words aloud. At 2000 words you are into a 15 minute slot, and at 3000 words you need the better part of half an hour at a steady pace.
Doubling the words doubles the time, so you can scale any row. If you know that 1000 words take 7:42 at 130 words per minute, then 2000 words take twice that, 15:23. For other lengths, use the main speech time calculator, which also shows a podcast and an audiobook pace for your text.
Which pace should you use for 1500 words?
The pace is the part that changes the answer, so choose it with care. The ranges below are rules of thumb that are often quoted, not measurements, and your own speed may sit outside them.
- Talks and presentations: about 110 to 150 words per minute. Use 130 as a planning figure, and the lower end if you have slides or a technical subject.
- Podcasts and conversation: usually 150 to 170 words per minute, because the delivery is less formal.
- Audiobook narration: usually about 150 to 160 words per minute, steady and clear.
Find your own number
Read one paragraph aloud while a timer runs, the way you will deliver it. Count its words, divide by your seconds, and multiply by 60. Type the result into the words per minute box.
Time your own 1500 words
- Paste the script into the text box. The word count box above it is ignored while the text box has words in it.
- Pick a pace button or type your own. The big number is the speaking time.
- Add 10 or 20 percent for pauses if you will use slides.
Not sure what 1500 words looks like? Press Try a sample to load a short example, then multiply its time to get a feel for the scale.
The same words as a speech, a podcast and an audiobook
Paste any text above and this table recalculates for it, using the common pace ranges.
| Format | Typical pace | Your text | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speech or presentation | 110–150 wpm | 0:00 | 0:00 – 0:00 |
| Podcast or conversation | 150–170 wpm | 0:00 | 0:00 – 0:00 |
| Audiobook narration | 150–160 wpm | 0:00 | 0:00 – 0:00 |
| Text to speech, this site | about 150 wpm, set by the Pace slider | 0:00 | 0:00 – 0:00 |
Turning 1500 words into a talk that fits
A word count only matters once it meets a time slot. If you have 14 minutes, 1500 words at 130 words per minute fit with a 10 percent pause allowance (12:42), and with a 20 percent allowance they take 13:51, which is still inside the slot. If you have 10 minutes, the same text is too long: cut about 200 words with no pauses, or about 320 words if you want a 10 percent allowance.
You can also work backwards. Type the minutes you have into the reverse box and read off the words that fit. Five minutes at 130 words per minute is 650 words, ten minutes is 1,300, and fifteen is 1,950. Those are useful anchors before you start to write.
Pages and slides
As a rough guide 1500 words fill about three single-spaced pages or six double-spaced pages. If you use slides, many speakers plan about one slide a minute, which would suggest roughly ten to twelve slides here. Fewer slides with more talking per slide is also fine.
Hear your 1500 words read aloud
A calculator gives you an estimate. A generated voice gives you the real length of a clip. Press the generate button next to the text box and your text opens in the text to audio tool with the pace set to match. Listen for sentences that are too long for one breath.
One caution on size. 1500 words are about 9,000 characters, and the free plan reads 1,000 characters a day. On the free plan you can listen to the opening, about 170 words, and compare its real length with the estimate. A paid plan takes up to 30,000 characters in one render, which covers the full 1500 words. See the plans.
Cutting and padding the text
To cut, take out repeated points first, then asides, then examples the audience does not need. A 10 percent cut on 1500 words is 150 words and saves about 1 minute 9 seconds at 130 words per minute. To pad, add one concrete story, then paste the text back in and time it again.
For a recorded voice over where every line must fit a scene, the voice over generator measures each line from the real audio.
1500 words speaking time questions
How long does it take to speak 1500 words?
About 11:32 at 130 words per minute, a common planning pace for a talk. A slow 110 words per minute gives 13:38, 150 gives 10:00, and a fast 170 gives 8:49. Add 10 to 20 percent if you will pause for slides or questions.
How many pages is 1500 words?
About three pages single-spaced or about six pages double-spaced, using the usual rule of thumb of 500 and 250 words a page. Fonts and margins change this, so treat it as a rough guide.
Is 1500 words a good length for a 10 minute speech?
It is close. At 150 words per minute 1500 words take 10:00 of pure speaking, but most people pause, breathe and react to the room. For a 10 minute slot, 1,200 to 1,300 words at about 130 words per minute is a safer target.
How long does it take to read 1500 words silently?
Silent reading is faster than speaking. At about 240 words per minute, a figure often quoted for adult non-fiction reading, 1500 words take 6:15. Reading aloud takes roughly twice as long.
Does the calculator send my text anywhere?
No. Counting and timing run in your browser as you type. Text leaves the page only if you press the button that generates speech, and then it goes to the text to speech tool on this site.
Can I hear 1500 words read aloud?
Yes, with a paid plan. One render on a paid plan takes up to 30,000 characters, and 1500 words are about 9,000 characters. The free plan covers 1,000 characters a day, so on the free plan you can listen to the first section, about 170 words, and use the real length of that clip to check your pace.