You might be tasked to deliver a 5-minute speech by your boss or for a class. Now you wonder, how many words does a 5-minute speech has? Can you fit everything you want to say in the speech? Do you enough material to fill those five minutes? Wonder no more, because we have the answer to your questions.
People talk differently – we all have different speeds when speaking. Some speak so slow that one can almost fall asleep waiting for them to finish. On the other hand, some people speak so fast you can’t understand what they’re saying. But according to experts, an average person speaks from 120 to 150 words per minute.
As a result, a 5-minute speech has 625 to 750 words.
Now, let’s talk about writing your speech.
You can fill up the word quota, but that doesn’t automatically mean that you have a good speech. It still boils down to the speech’s content and your ability to engage the audience. Like a good book, you need to have your audience’s full attention. But unlike a book, writing a speech is harder. As it’s shorter and it’s a solely aural experience. You need to be more impactful and your speech should pack a punch.
To help you with that, here are some pointers:
1. Quality, Not Quantity
While word count is important, focus more on the points you want to come across in your speech. Focus on two or three points that you deem the most important.
Don’t cram too much information in those five minutes you’re speaking. One reason is that you’ll just go shallow and broad in your topic. Second, you may sound robotic – something the audience don’t want to hear.
2. Use Humour If Possible
Cracking a good-natured joke will definitely break the ice. It will also break the monotony. However, keep in mind that the humour you use is relevant to your topic, and doesn’t stray from the original point you want to impart.
3. Research And Get Your Facts Straight
A good speech relies on the credibility and authenticity of what you’re saying. Yes, a speech should be witty and engaging, but it should also be rooted to the truth, especially if you’re talking about historical topics or things that deal with statistics. Make sure that your data are timely and come from a reputable source.
4. Tell A Story
While a speech should be educational, that doesn’t mean it should not be entertaining. To make your speech more relatable and memorable, tell a story and give examples of what you’re talking about in your speech. This way, your speech will stick to your audience’s minds after. But still – make sure that the story is relevant to your topic, don’t go off-course!
5. Keep It Simple
The language you use in your speech should be clear, simple, and easily understandable. This is to make sure that you get the maximum engagement from your audience. Use short sentences, contractions, and slangs in your speech. Make sure to know what type of audience you’ll have beforehand so that you’ll know what type of language you’ll use.
Aside from that, avoid using words you can’t speak in one breath, or tongue twisters. This will only lessen your chance to deliver your speech effectively.
6. Test It Out
To make sure that you don’t go over the time limit, write your full speech and then try reading it as if you’re already delivering it. This way, you’ll know which parts to simplify, edit, or condense. A tip is to divide your 750 words into the points you want to impart. For example, if you have three main points, you can use 250 words for each.
Writing a speech can be daunting but we hope that through these tips, you can do it well! Now, chop chop, go write your speech! You can use our word counter tool for the accurate word count. Happy writing!