Speaking pace checker: measure your words per minute, free

Two ways to check your pace

From your voice. Press Start speaking, talk for at least a minute, and press Stop. The checker counts the words it heard and divides by the time from your first word to your last, so the silence before you start doesn't drag your number down.

From numbers. Already have a script or a recording? Enter the number of words and the minutes it took. Example: a 420-word talk that took 3 minutes is 140 words per minute.

To get the word count of a recording, paste the captions or transcript into any word counter, then time the recording.

What your number means

The 110 and 170 cut-offs are the checker's settings, chosen around the typical ranges above, not a scientific line. Listeners also forgive a fast pace more easily when you pause between ideas. Two speakers at 160 words per minute can sound very different if one pauses after each point and the other never stops.

How to slow down

1. Pause after every main point. One full second. It slows your average without making each sentence drag.
2. Shorten your sentences. Long sentences push you to rush to the end before you run out of breath.
3. Breathe at full stops. Take the breath before the next sentence, not halfway through it.
4. Mark your notes. A slash where you'll pause, or a line break before each new idea.
5. Slow the first 30 seconds on purpose. Nerves speed you up most at the start; once the opening is calm, the rest usually follows.

More techniques in how to slow down when you talk too fast.

How to speed up

If you come out under 110 on material that isn't meant to be solemn:

• Cut the hedges. "I think maybe it might be worth considering" becomes "I'd consider".
• Know your transitions. Slow speakers often stall between points, not within them. Rehearse the sentence that moves you to the next section.
• Check for long pauses. If you pause for several seconds mid-sentence, the problem is recall, not speed. Practice the content, not the pace.