Buzz
Unless you’re a professional audiobook reader, a regular public speaker, or involved in a job that requires a focus on speech timing, you might not know how many words a typical person speaks within a minute.
The speed of speech varies depending on the context: whether you're having a casual chat, giving a presentation, or something else. Even within those categories, estimates can differ. For example, when talking casually with a friend, some reports suggest people speak anywhere between 100 and 130 words per minute, while others put it between 120 and 150 words. A speech-training company called Successfully Speaking states that conversational speech usually falls in the range of 150-180 words per minute.
While conversational rates may vary, speeches generally need to be delivered at a slower pace. Improve Podcast puts the typical rate at between 100 and 150 words per minute. However, many TED speakers, including Brené Brown (154 wpm) and Tony Robbins (201 wpm), present at faster speeds, averaging 173 words per minute in their talks.
Typically, audiobook narrators, radio personalities, and podcasters speak a bit faster than in everyday conversations, averaging around 150 to 160 words per minute. Auctioneers, however, are in a league of their own, reaching speeds of about 250 words per minute. Meanwhile, sports commentators, who must keep pace with fast-moving action, can even surpass auctioneers in their word count.
But when it comes to speed, no one has topped Sean Shannon, the holder of the Guinness World Record for 'fastest talker.' In 1995, Shannon delivered the famous 260-word 'To be or not to be' speech from Shakespeare’s Hamlet in just 23.8 seconds, which equates to an astonishing 655 words per minute.
