Do you wonder how long it takes to deliver your speech?

This website helps you convert the number of words into the time it takes to deliver your speech, online and for free. This tool is useful when preparing a speech or a presentation. The number of minutes you will take is dependent on the number of words and your speed of speech, or reading speed.

Note: This calculator provides an indication only.

Enter details below

The overview below provides an indication of the minutes for a speech (based on an average reading speed of 130 words per minute):

  • Words in a 1 minute speech 130 words
  • Words in a 2 minute speech 260 words
  • Words in a 3 minute speech 390 words
  • Words in a 4 minute speech 520 words
  • Words in a 5 minute speech 650 words
  • Words in a 10 minute speech 1300 words
  • Words in a 15 minute speech 1950 words
  • Words in a 20 minute speech 2600 words
  • How long does a 500 word speech take? 3.8 minutes
  • How long does a 1000 word speech take? 7.7 minutes
  • How long does a 1250 word speech take? 9.6 minutes
  • How long does a 1500 word speech take? 11.5 minutes
  • How long does a 1750 word speech take? 13.5 minutes
  • How long does a 2000 word speech take? 15.4 minutes
  • How long does a 2500 word speech take? 19.2 minutes
  • How long does a 5000 word speech take? 38.5 minutes

convert words to time .

How long will it take to read a speech or presentation?

Enter the word count into the tool below (or paste in text) to see how many minutes it will take you to read. Estimates number of minutes based on a slow, average, or fast paced reading speed.

Number of words

Reading speed

words to minutes in a speech

Common conversions (average speed)

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Convert words to time

Word per minute speech

Enter the number of words in the box below to find out how many minutes it will take you to give your speech.

Word Counter

Paste your text here to find out the word count

Word Count: 0

Online Stopwatch

Time your speech on a timer for the actual time it takes you to deliver your speech, practice.

Our tool comes in handy when you are preparing for a speech or creating a presentation. The length of your speech depends on the amount of text and your speaking or reading speed.

Convert Words to Time

Calculate how long it will take to read a speech or presentation

Enter the word count of your speech below to see how long it will take you to read. Estimate the number of minutes based on a slow, average, or fast speaking pace.

Number of words

Reading speed, common conversions (average speed).

Introducing Speech Time Calculate

Estimate how many minutes your speeches, presentations, and voice-over scripts will take based on your words per minute rate!

How To Speech Time Calculate Using This Tool?

If you have a certain number of words or a piece of text you want to time, you can either type in the word count or paste the text into the provided area. This tool will then calculate how long it would take to read that text out loud.

The talk time estimate is calculated using the average speaking speed of adults, which is determined to be 183 words per minute based on scientific studies. If you’re interested in how long it would take to read silently, it’s estimated at 238 words per minute ( This data is also backed by research )

You can adjust the slider to change the words per minute value, which will affect the talk time estimate. However, the silent reading time estimate remains fixed at 238 words per minute.

For ease of use, we’ve also provided reference points for slow, average, and fast reading rates below the slider.

To begin anew, simply click the ‘clear text’ button to erase the content and restore the slider back to its original setting of 183.

Who is This Words to Minutes Converter Tool For?

If you are a student wondering how long is my essay or you’ve been tasked with writing a speech and need to know how many words to aim for and how many minutes will it take to deliver or perhaps you are a podcaster, just starting out, who wants the ability to easily synchronize music and spoken word without having to painstakingly calculate seconds between them, then this Speech Time Calculate is precisely for you!

From now on, instead of spending long hours in front of the computer trying to figure out how many seconds it takes for one phrase or section of dialogue to end and another to begin, you can let our innovative tool do all the work and convert your text to time quickly and accurately. With this powerful tool at your disposal, whether you’re giving a TED talk or just need to nail a business presentation, your life will become a little bit easier.

So keep reading to learn more about what this fantastic words to minutes converter has in store for public speakers, aspiring students, and professional radio producers alike!

Whether you want to read the text silently or speak aloud, you can use this tool as both:

  • Reading time calculator
  • Talk time calculator

Explanation of the Reading Time

Reading time refers to the duration it takes for an average person to read a written text silently while still comprehending its content. Based on an extensive analysis of 190 studies that involved 18,573 participants , research conducted by Marc Brysbaert in 2019 suggests that the typical silent reading speed for an adult individual is approximately 238 words per minute .

To convert word count to read time for a specific text, you can do so by dividing the total word count of the text by this established value of 238. Here is the mathematical equation for determining the duration of reading time in minutes:

Reading Time = Total Word Count / 238

Explanation of the Speech Time

Speech time refers to the duration it takes for an average person to read a text out loud. Based on data from 77 studies involving 5,965 people , it’s been found that most adults read aloud at a speed of approximately 183 words per minute ( research conducted by Marc Brysbaert in 2019 ). To figure out how long it will take to read a specific piece of text aloud, you can divide the total number of words in the text by this average rate of 183 words per minute.

Of course, it’s important to note that talk time can vary depending on factors such as clarity of speech, pauses for emphasis, and use of visual aids. However, using this tool for converting the number of words to minutes can still provide a helpful guideline for planning and practicing your presentation. By having a better understanding of speech rates, you can ensure that your message is delivered effectively and efficiently.

Benefits of Using a Speech Time Calculate

Time management in presentations.

Effective time management during presentations is crucial to ensure the audience remains engaged and the information is accurately conveyed. This is where our words to speaking time converter comes in handy. By using this tool, presenters can easily determine how many words they need to include in their presentation to stay within the allotted time frame.

Not only does it help with time management, but it also ensures that the pacing of the presentation is consistent, making it easier for the audience to follow. With the use of this presentation time calculator, presenters can confidently deliver their presentations without the worry of running over time or rushing through it.

Estimated speech time for public speaking

Public speaking can be nerve-wracking, especially when you have too little or too much information to fill your time slot. You wonder only if there were an accurate public speaking time calculator available so that you could be able to allocate the appropriate amount of time to each section of your presentation, ensuring that you cover all the necessary points without rushing or going over time.

Effective pacing is key in ensuring your message is delivered with clarity and impact.

Most public speakers target an average of 130-150 words per minute for their spoken content, meaning you should aim to limit your speaking time to roughly one minute per 130-150 words. While this may take some practice to achieve, the end result is a confident, well-timed delivery that keeps your audience engaged from start to finish.

Remember, in public speaking, less is often more—take your time to breathe and emphasize key points. Your audience will appreciate your thoughtful and measured approach. For that, you can use this tool and adjust your words to speech time.

Accurate estimations for audiobooks and podcasts

As more and more people turn to audiobooks and podcasts for their entertainment and information needs, accurate estimations of listening time have become more important than ever. After all, there’s nothing worse than settling in for a quick listen only to find yourself trapped in a story that goes on for hours longer than you anticipated.

That’s why it’s great to see publishers and podcast producers taking estimated reading time seriously, providing listeners with the information they need to choose the right content for their schedule. Whether you’re looking for a quick listen on your daily commute or a lengthy distraction for a lazy Sunday afternoon, accurate estimations using this words to speak time calculator make it easier than ever to find the perfect content.

Some Popular Speech Times

how many words in a 2 minute speech

Almost 300 words

how many words in a 3 minute speech

Almost 450 words

how many words in a 4 minute speech

Almost 600 words

how many words in a 15 minute speech

Almost 2250 words

The speech time is calculated taking 150 words per minute as reference value

Common conversions (average speed)

How long does it take to read 500 words?

3.8 minutes

How long does it take to read 750 words?

5.8 minutes

How long does it take to read 1000 words?

7.7 minutes

How long does it take to read 1200 words?

9.2 minutes

How long does it take to read 1500 words?

11.5 minutes

How long does it take to read 1800 words?

13.8 minutes

How long does it take to read 2000 words?

15.4 minutes

How long does it take to read 3000 words?

23.1 minutes

As the world becomes more fast-paced, time is a precious commodity. Determining how long your script will take to read, whether for a presentation or a video, can make a significant difference in engaging and retaining your audience’s attention.

That’s where our Words to Time Converter comes in handy. It’s a valuable tool for anyone working in various professions, from broadcast journalists to teachers to executives. No matter the industry, time is of the essence, and knowing how long your speech or presentation will take is crucial for effective communication.

Speaking time calculator

Type or paste your speech to instantly calculate your speaking time

How does this speech timer work

To begin, delete the sample text and either type in your speech or copy and paste it into the editor.

The average reading speed and speech rate is 200 words per minute and is the default setting above. Once you paste your speech, click “Play” and Speechify will analyze your speech by the number of words and generate a time to speak it at the default rate.

You can listen to your speech in various accents or languages. If you are aiming for a specific timeframe for your speech, click edit to either increase or decrease the number of words to see how long it would take to speak them.

You can also increase or decrease the speaking rate to gauge how fast or slow you should speak in order to get to a specific time with the number of words you have in your speech.

To get to that perfect word count to fit with the speech length time, you’ll have to keep editing between words per minute (WPM) and number of words.

The best part is that you can share your speech in audio format to your friends, relatives, or peers to review it. They can simply click play and listen to your speech.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many words are there in a 1 minute speech.

Based on the average speed of speech, there are 150 words in a 1 minute speech.

How many words are there in a 2 minute speech?

There are 300 words per minute in a 2 minute speech. 2 minutes isn’t a long time so when you speak, you could endure the average speaking rate.

How many words are there in a 3 minute speech?

On average there are 450 words in a 3 minute speech. This is based on the average speech rate of 250 words per minute. At the 3 minute mark, even a novice speaker could keep going at the rate they started – with some practice.

How many words are there in a 4 minute speech?

On average there are 600 words in a 4 minute speech. This is based on the average speech rate of 250 words per minute. Still, even a novice speaker could maintain the 150 words per minute rate. Try it in the Soundbite above. Set your words per minute and speak along to see if you could endure consistency over 4 minutes.

How many words are there in a 5 minute speech?

On average there are 750 words in a 5 minute speech. This is based on the average speech rate of 250 words per minute. While this is simple math, we after all are humans and 5 minutes can be pushing the boundaries of a consistent speech tempo and words per minute.

How many words are there in a 10 minute speech?

In a 10 minute speech aim for 1000 words. The math might tell you 1,500 words but consider your speech. You might need pauses, rest for your voice, dramatic effects, and perhaps even audience interaction. Also, it becomes quite difficult to endure a consistent 150 words per minute speech rate for 10 minutes. Consider your listeners. We doubt very few people would want to listen to a precisely 150 words per minute speech for 10 minutes. It wouldn’t be engaging. And in a speech, you should engage and communicate.

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Free Online Words to Minutes Calculator

How long should your 5 minutes speech be? How many words should your essay be to take 5 minutes reading?

To find an answer, you need words to minutes calculator. IvyPanda Experts prepared this post, where you will find 10 free words to minutes converters, find out how to measure your speaking rate, and how long your X-minute speech has to be.

🏆 Top 10 Free Words to Minutes Converter

🎤 how long does a 4-minute speech have to be, ⏱ how to measure your speech length, 1. speech in minutes.

This is a free-to-use speech calculator to measure how long it takes to deliver your speech. To use this tool, you need to enter the word count and choose the reading speed: from slow (100 words per minute) to fast (160 words per minute). No registration is needed.

2. Words to Time

Words To Time as an ad-free text to speech calculator that will provide you with the number of minutes immediately. You can type the number of words you want to convert or paste your text and grab the result. Don’t forget to pick up the reading speed!

3. The Word Finder

This is a free speech length estimator. No sign-up, no ads, or captcha. Type the word count, choose speaking speed, and grab the result immediately. There are also available various cool apps like Font Generators, Backwards Text Converter, Time Calc, etc.

4. EdgeStudio

Edge Studio, the voice recording company, developed a free online script timer. Depending on the data available, you can put the words count, paste your text, or type the average words per line. You will get a result instantly after you click the button “Submit.” On the tab “Statistics,” you can find out stats about reading speed, word, and line count.

5. Copywritely

At this website, you can measure the time of reading your text within a couple of clicks using its words to minutes calculator. Paste your text, and at the bottom of the field, you will see the word count and the approximate speech time.

The tool is available in English, Russian, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and Dutch. Also, there are available Grammar Checker, Alphabetizer, Words to Pages, and other apps that will become handy for any writing purpose.

6. Read-O-Meter

Read-O-Meter is a simple and hassle-free word to minutes calculator to estimate the reading time. All you have to do is just type or paste the text you want to calculate the speech or article length and press the button “Estimate Reading Time.”

7. TheVoice Realm

This speech length calculator was designed by the online voice casting company. To use it, you need to paste your text or the word count and find out the estimated time. The page also contains background information about the speaking speed and how many minutes in 300, 900, and more words.

To use the Words to Time Conversion tool, you need to know the word count of your text. To get the estimated speech time, you need to type the number of words and adjust reading or speaking time, and you will get an immediate result. The tool is free and contains no ads.

9. Debatrix

This is another ad-free word to minute speech calculator to find out how long your speech will take. To measure the estimated time, you need to paste the text. The online app will count the number of words and speech duration.

10. TextConverter

The website provides plenty of tools that will be useful for students, SEO specialists, and writers.

Choose the text type: speech or locution, reading rhythm, and get the estimated time for your project. The app also will count the number of words and characters.

On the website, you can also find other utilities: Text Randomizer, Upper and Lower Case converters, E-mails Extractor, Hashtags, etc. The site is available in English and Portuguese languages.

Why do we need to measure the reading or speaking time?

There can be a variety of reasons. For example, you should prepare a 5-minute speech, or your post should not exceed 10 minutes of reading.

Speaking or reading time depends on the person who is going to read the text. Below, you will find a table that will help you quickly determine the duration of the content. The table is divided into two parts. The first one gives you reference information of minutes to words conversion. The second one shows the inverse correlation.

This table provides only the estimated information. The actual speech duration depends on your speaking pace, pauses, and so on. Below you will find out what impacts and how to measure your speaking rate.

Keep reading!

In this post, we will share with you how to measure how long your speech will be. Also, you will find out what impacts your speaking pace and how to practice it.

Determine the Word Count

First things first, so let’s determine the number of words you want to turn to minutes. If you use the Microsoft Word or Open Office, you will find out the word count on the status bar at the bottom of the screen.

In Google Docs, you can click Tools>>Word Count, or use the shortcut CTRL+SHIFT+C. If you use other word processors, refer to the help system of the tool.

Determine the Speech Pace

If you don’t know how many words you speak per minute, there are a couple of options to find out it. Check them below!

Use the sample text. Here is how it works: take your sample text, start the timer, and begin reading it aloud. When the minute is up, use your word processing app to figure out how many words you read. This will be your speed of speech.

Record yourself. Another way to find out your speaking pace is to record your speech. Set a timer for a minute, read any text, or talk about any topic while recording it. Then, listen to it and count the words you spoke. You can count it manually or use the software, for example, IBM Speech to Text calculator .

What Impacts Your Speaking Rate?

The speaking rate is individual. There are many factors that influence it. Here are some of them:

  • Pauses, and rhetorical devices. The more it has, the slower your speaking rate will be.
  • Condition of the speaker. If you’re angry, excited, or in a hurry, you will probably speak faster than usual. On the other hand, when you are tired, it makes it harder to speak quickly.
  • Urgency. Here’s the deal: in emergencies, we are more likely will speak quicker than in a calm environment.
  • Mental issues. Some mental conditions may lead to a slower or faster speech rate.
  • Audience and event. For example, if you are recording audio for a radio ad, you will speak faster, since you are limited by the time. Another example is when you are trying to explain the complicated term to students. More likely, you will slow down your speech. During the presentation, you can also make pauses while changing the slides or checking your notes.
  • Environment. Yes, your background directly impacts your speaking pace: your dialect, family, culture, friends, and neighbors, etc.
  • Words and content complexity. The long and complex words also impact your speaking pace, making it slower. The same can be said about complex content—it requires more time to deliver it to the audience. Remember about this if you are limited by time.
  • Language. Depending on the language you speak, your speaking rate will vary. In 2011, the University of Lyon researchers asked volunteers to read twenty texts in their native languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Mandarin, Japanese, and Italian. The purpose of studies was to find out how the density of syllables impacts the rate of communication.

Here’s what they found: the Mandarin language is the slowest one, with 5.18 syllables per second. However, it has the highest information density. The fastest language is Japanese, with its 7.84 syllables per second rate. English language speaking rate is 6.19 syllables per second.

Another interesting fact about the speaking rate is the world record shattered by Steve Woodmore . He articulates 637 words in one minute!

If you are wondering about the average speaking rates, check the table below:

words to minutes in a speech

Source: National Center for Voice and Speech

But what about reading? Is the reading pace the same as speaking?

On average, people read 180-300 words per minute. However, speed readers can read 1000+ words per minute.

How to Practice Your Speaking Rate?

You might have met people called a motor-mouth — they speak too fast, and words seem rocket out from their mouths. Others, on the opposite, speak too slowly. You can compare them with sloths from the movie Zootopia:

Both these cases can be fun for a while. However, the too fast and too slow speech will make the listeners lose their interest.

The solution is to practice your speaking rate, making it flexible, and adapting to your audience’s needs.

Below, you will find five easy exercises that will help you to develop a flexible speaking rate:

Read children’s books aloud.

Here’s the deal: when you read stories to a child, you might notice that some passages require you to speak faster, while others must be read at a slow pace.

Read a story several times aloud to become familiar with the text and its passages. If it is possible, record yourself. Then, try reading the text and change the pace. Listen to the records to hear the differences. Think of how the speaking rate impacts the comprehension of the text.

Read scientific reports.

You may find this exercise boring, but yet it will be helpful for delivering complex things in your future speeches.

First, pick up the newspaper or magazine. For example, you can try a Science magazine website — there are plenty of interesting topics, reports, and articles to discover. After you select the report, read it silently to familiarize yourself with the material. The next step is to read it aloud (don’t forget about recording yourself!), noting which parts of the text should be read at a slow pace, and which — faster.

You can extend this exercise and image that you read the article to someone who knows nothing about this topic. Listen to the records and pay attention to the changes you made.

Read your own class speeches.

Make a series of experiments with one of your old class speeches. First, record it delivering the speech at your normal speaking pace. Check the time it took to deliver.

The next step is to mark down some passages to read at slower and others — at a faster rate. Now, read it aloud again while adhering to the marks. Listen to the records; note how changed the time and overall speech comprehension.

Listen to various speakers.

Watch the movie, listen to the news on TV, and watch the classical play. Compare the speech rates of the speakers. You will notice the rhetorical devices they use and how effective their speech is. Then, experiment with your own speech and see how it changes.

Read texts you are familiar with.

Read the text you already know at a quicker or slower pace than usual. Record yourself and play it back. Note the places where your speaking rate was effective and where it wasn’t. Then, mark these places and reread the text again, implementing these changes and recording yourself. See how your speech has changed.

These simple exercises will help you to produce effective speeches for various audiences.

There are a couple of things you need to remember when you speak:

  • Fast speaking indicates urgency, passion, and emotions. If you want to stimulate and excite the attention of your listeners, speak quickly. However, you should remember that after a couple of minutes of listening to fast speech, it becomes overwhelming.
  • Slow speaking, on the other hand, indicates the seriousness of your point, its importance. Use this approach to grab the attention of your audience. The slow pace also will help them to easier process the information you want to deliver. Similar to fast speaking, too slow pace in your entire speech also can overwhelm and bore your listeners.

How to Make the Speech Memorable

Pace yourself to highlight the most important parts of the speech, and your audience will memorize what you said. The key to any great speech is the retention of the audience. Check the IvyPanda expert advice to make your talks memorable :

  • Tell stories. Interesting examples not only illustrate your speech but also help listeners to recall what you said. Humor and short stories from your life will also help you to grab the attention of your audience. Important notice: tell only relevant ones and don’t overuse them.
  • Use pauses and breaks. Just like a novel is broken into chapters and paragraphs, pauses in your speech serve as a signal of the end of one point and transition to another.

Use simple and short sentences and phrases. Short sentences and simple language will help you to maximize the engagement and comprehension of your audience. Avoid complex words unless you are talking about specific tech terms in front of the professionals in this sphere.

  • Engage your audience with questions. At the beginning of the speech, ask your audience a question or two. This method will give them a hook and grab their attention.
  • Review your speech after you wrote it. Check if everything is clear. Rehearse it in various rates and note places where you need to speed up your speech and where to slow it down.

Now you know how to find out the length of your speech, have all the tools to convert words to minutes, and advice on how to practice your speaking rate. Don’t forget to check our other tools to write outstanding speeches.

Updated: Oct 25th, 2023

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When you are working on a 5-minute speech, you may want to know how many words you should write. This page contains links to 10 free online words to minutes converters. Here you will also find tips on how to measure your speaking rate and how to make your speech memorable.

words to minutes in a speech

Words to Minutes Calculator

Convert words to minutes to find out the time of your speech or text reading

Paste a text

Paste a content for which you want to calculate reading or speaking time.

Choose a speed of speech

Set how many words per minute you usually read or pronounce.

Evaluate a result

Get instant result with forecast of time period your speech will take.

Fix content issues

Take time on fixing grammar and readability issues to make your speech clear.

What’s inside?

Plagiarism checker

If you are interested to make your speech unique, use duplicate content checker to detect the parts of content that are copied from other websites.

Keyword density checker

Sometimes keyword stuffing can spoil a speech. Keyword density tool will show what words are used the most often in your speech and replace them with synonyms.

Article rewriter

Online editor inside helps to get a list of highlighted issues, fix them instantly and make your content easy to understand.

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Words to Minutes

Welcome to the "Words to Minutes" tool! This tool allows you to estimate how long it will take you to read a piece of text out loud. Simply enter the number of words in your text and the tool will give you an estimate of the time it will take you to read it.

Speaking Time Calculator

Reading speed

Reading Time:

How words to minutes calculator works.

In this tool, you can convert words to time instantly and tells you how long does it take to read your speech. This tool only shows estimated text time to speak it may be very person by person.

  • Input your speech number of words into box.
  • Select your reading speech generally 130wpm average for most of people but you can change if you are a slow or fast reader.
  • Now you can see estimated time of reading on green color.

Overview of minutes for a speech

(based on average reading speed)

Here are a few tips to help you get the most accurate estimate

  • Read at a natural pace: Don't try to rush through the text or speak too slowly. Just read at a pace that feels comfortable and natural for you.
  • Consider your speaking style: Some people speak more quickly or slowly than others. If you know that you tend to speak at a faster or slower pace than the average person, you may want to adjust the estimate accordingly.
  • Take breaks as needed: If you're reading a long piece of text, it's okay to take breaks to rest your voice. Just remember to factor in any breaks when you're using the tool.

Words to Minutes Converter

Enter Number of words or paste text for auto-counting

Reading speed

Words to Minutes Speech Time Conversion (average speed)

Words to Minutes Converter or speech time calculator: Paste text or enter the word count below to estimate how many minutes it will take you to read or how long to give a speech.

Words to Minutes converter allows you to calculate speech time in minutes, hours and secconds. Copy Paste your text or enter number of words to get speech time in real time.

What is Words to Minutes Converter

Are you giving a speech, or reading something aloud? Do you need to know how long it will take to speak a certain number of words? Are you dictating a paper, an article, or a book and want to know how many minutes it will take to meet a desired word count? Use the above calculator to convert words to minutes based on a slow, average and fast paces reading speed.

How to Convert Words to Minutes

  • Enter Number of words or paste text from your document.
  • Select speaking time speed from slow, average and fast options.
  • It displays speech time in minutes based on speed of reading time.
  • It also displays how long does it take to read number of words in tabular format.

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The Read Time

Words to time converter, accurately estimate talk time for presentations, speeches and voice-over scripts.

Words per Minute:

Not sure about your reading speed? Get it tested with our Free Reading Speed Test

Learn to Speed Read with our Speed Reader

A tool to find out what any word count looks like: What does any word count look like?

Require a sentence count? Do try out our Sentence Counter

Also, convert text to speech with Read My Text

Does This Free Tool Convert Words To Time?

Yes, this tool essentially converts words to time by estimating speech time for texts of all lengths. This is ideal for people who want to calculate talk time for presentations, speeches and voice-over scripts beforehand

How Do I Use This Words To Time Tool?

  • If you know the number of words, enter this amount in number format into the text area OR if you have a body of text, just copy and paste this onto the text area.
  • The tool will automatically calculate the Talk Time based on your input. The default Talk Time estimate is based on an oral reading rate of 183 words per minute ; which is considered to be the accepted average for adults according to scientific research. Silent Reading Time is estimated based on a fixed reading speed of 238 words per minute .
  • Drag the slider to change the words per minute value to see corresponding Talk Time estimates. This will not have an effect on the Silent Reading Time estimate as the reading rate is fixed at 238 words per minute. Slow, Average and Fast reading rates have been denoted in the above table for guidance.
  • Press the 'clear text' button to empty the text area and reset the slider to its default value of 183.

Is 183 Words Per Minute An Accurate Measure Of Oral Reading Speed?

Yes, based on a paper published by Marc Brysbaert , the average speed for reading aloud is estimated to be 183 words per minute for adults. This value is based on 77 studies involving 5965 participants. The paper further states that reading rates are lower for older adults, children and readers with English as a second language.

What Is Read Time?

Read time is the time taken for an average person to silently read a piece of text while maintaining reading comprehension. Based on the meta-analysis of 100's of studies involving over 18000 participants, the average silent reading speed for an adult individual has been estimated to be approximately 238 words per minute (Marc Brysbaert,2019) .

The reading time of a piece of text can thus be deduced by dividing the total word count by this value of 238. Below is the mathematical formula for calculating reading time in minutes:

Reading Time = Total Word Count / 238

If the reading material consists of images or illustrations, we can assume that an average reader spends around 5 seconds per image, which is equivalent to 0.083 minutes. Hence, we can further modify this formula as below:

Reading Time = Total Word Count / 238 + (Number of Images * 0.083)

Simple Math Really! 🙂

How Long Does It Take To Read 1000 Words?

Assuming the average reading speed of an adult individual is 238 words per minute, it takes approximately 4 minutes and 12 seconds to read 1000 words.

Reading Time For Popular Word Counts (Table)

How long does it take to read 100 pages.

Assuming a page consists of 500 words, it approximately takes 3 hours and 30 minutes to read 100 pages.

Reading Time For Popular Page Counts (Table)

What is speech time.

Speech Time is the time taken for an average person to read aloud a piece of text. Based on the meta-analysis of nearly 80 studies involving 6000 participants, the average oral reading speed for an adult individual is considered to be 183 words per minute (Marc Brysbaert,2019) . The speech time of a piece of text can then be deduced by dividing the total word count by this value of 183. Again simple Math. 🙂

How Long Does It Take To Speak 1000 Words?

Assuming the average oral reading speed of an adult individual is 183 words per minute, it takes approximately 5 minutes and 28 seconds to orate 1000 words.

What Other Metrics Does The Read Time Provide?

In addition to reading time and speech time, The Read Time provides the word count for texts of all lengths.

Who Is It For?

The Read Time is an ideal free tool for scriptwriters, content writers, educators, students and just about anyone who wants to measure the number of words and reading time for texts of all lengths.

Is My Text/Data Safe?

thereadtime.com does not store or process any text/data on its servers while the computations are done purely on the client's browser.

Words To Minutes Calculator

In the realm of public speaking, presentations, and content creation, mastering time management is crucial. The Words To Minutes Calculator emerges as a valuable tool, offering a systematic approach to estimate the duration of speeches, presentations, or content based on word count and speaking speed. This article delves into the functionality, importance, and practical applications of the Words To Minutes Calculator, empowering speakers, educators, and content creators to optimize their communication strategies and enhance audience engagement.

Importance of Words To Minutes Conversion

Understanding the relationship between words and minutes holds significant importance in various scenarios:

  • Effective Communication: Estimating speech or presentation durations ensures that speakers deliver their message within allotted timeframes, maximizing audience engagement and retention.
  • Content Creation: Content creators utilize words to minutes conversion to tailor written content for specific time constraints, such as video scripts, podcasts, and live broadcasts.
  • Time Management: Speakers and presenters rely on accurate time estimates to plan agendas, allocate speaking slots, and maintain event schedules, optimizing time management and logistical coordination.
  • Audience Experience: Aligning speech durations with audience expectations and attention spans enhances the overall audience experience, fostering attentiveness, interest, and receptivity to the message.

How to Use the Words To Minutes Calculator

Utilizing the Words To Minutes Calculator is simple and intuitive:

  • Input Word Count: Enter the total number of words in the speech, presentation, or content into the designated field.
  • Specify Speaker’s Speed: Input the average speaking speed of the presenter in words per minute.
  • Calculate Minutes: Click the calculate button to estimate the duration of the speech or presentation in minutes.
  • Review Results: Evaluate the calculated time estimate to ensure alignment with time constraints and communication objectives.

10 FAQs about Words To Minutes Calculator

1. what is a words to minutes calculator.

A Words To Minutes Calculator is a tool used to estimate the duration of a speech, presentation, or content based on the total number of words and the speaker’s average speaking speed.

2. Why is it important to estimate speech durations?

Estimating speech durations allows speakers to plan and deliver their message effectively within allocated timeframes, enhancing audience engagement and communication effectiveness.

3. How accurate is the Words To Minutes Calculator?

The accuracy of the Words To Minutes Calculator depends on factors such as the speaker’s actual speaking speed, pauses, and variations in speech delivery. However, it provides a reliable estimate for planning purposes.

4. Can the Words To Minutes Calculator accommodate different speaking styles?

Yes, the Words To Minutes Calculator can accommodate different speaking styles by adjusting the input parameters to reflect variations in speaking speed, articulation, and pacing.

5. Is the Words To Minutes Calculator suitable for all types of speeches and presentations?

Yes, the Words To Minutes Calculator can be used for various types of speeches, presentations, lectures, sermons, and content formats, providing valuable time estimates for planning and preparation.

6. How can speakers improve their speaking speed for better time management?

Speakers can improve their speaking speed through practice, vocal exercises, and rehearsal techniques, gradually increasing their pace while maintaining clarity and articulation.

7. Can the Words To Minutes Calculator be used for scriptwriting and content creation?

Yes, content creators can utilize the Words To Minutes Calculator to estimate the duration of video scripts, podcast episodes, webinar presentations, and other content formats, ensuring optimal time allocation and pacing.

8. How do pauses and non-verbal communication affect speech durations?

Pauses and non-verbal communication can impact speech durations by adding or subtracting time from the total duration, depending on their frequency, duration, and intended effect on audience engagement.

9. What factors should be considered when using the Words To Minutes Calculator?

When using the Words To Minutes Calculator, speakers should consider factors such as audience attention span, content complexity, speaking pace, and time allocated for Q&A or audience interaction.

10. Can the Words To Minutes Calculator be adjusted for different languages?

Yes, the Words To Minutes Calculator can be adjusted for different languages by considering variations in word length, pronunciation, and speaking speed characteristic of each language.

In conclusion, the Words To Minutes Calculator serves as a valuable ally for speakers, educators, and content creators seeking to master time management and optimize communication effectiveness. By providing accurate time estimates based on word count and speaking speed, this calculator empowers individuals to deliver compelling speeches, engaging presentations, and impactful content that captivates audiences and achieves communication objectives. Embrace the efficiency and precision of the Words To Minutes Calculator to unlock the power of time management and elevate your communication skills to new heights of success and influence.

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Updated on November 26, 2023

Words to Time Calculator

Words to time calculator is online tool that convert words to time in minutes. It can be used to calculate speech time or convert words into time.

Enter Number of Words or paste text for auto-counting

Reading speed

Words to Speech Time Conversion (average speed)

What is words to time converter.

The words to time converter is a calculator that helps users find the speed at which they recognize and form words while communicating with others. The platform works on a standard formula that enables you to find the words per minute conveniently.

Whether it’s about solving the speed in typing or speaking, or reading, one can easily calculate the exact value using this tool. For calculating the words per Minute here, all you have to do is, simply enter number of words or paste text for auto word counter and select speed to get speech time instantly. Once you have successfully entered all the values in the provided space very carefully, the words-to-minutes calculator will automatically display the speech time in minutes for you.

This words to time calculator has following reading speed options:

  • Slow: 100 words per minute
  • Average:  130 words per minute
  • Fast: 160 words per minute.

Words to time converter is a fundamental tool designed to assist people looking forward to converting the number of words into the time taken to deliver your speech. The tool is available online and offline, making it easier for people to prepare their speeches or presentations effectively. The number of minutes required for the address depends upon the number of words and speed of vocabulary or reading.

How to Convert Words to Time

To convert words to time in minutes, follow below steps:

  • Enter number of words or paste text for auto counting words in text.
  • Select reading speed for speech from slow, average and fast options.
  • Now, words to time converter displays speech time in minutes instantly.

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Words To Speech Time Calculator

Speech Time Conversion for fast reading speed

Have you ever thought about how many words you must have in your speech to make it perfect? Finding out the number of words to speak per Minute to ensure that your audience will follow up your speed is quite hard.

Although these questions seem entirely pointless, they can prove advantageous in different situations. This Words to speech time in minutes converter can be your best friend and offer excellent assistance anytime.

Writing a speech is a bit of a challenging task. Ideally, one needs to consider the different factors to put things on the platform. When considering essentials for the address, time is a primary concern that comes forward. Interest, knowledge, attitude, and quality are the few things that push the audience to stay connected with your speech till the end. The length of the address is something that also needs to be considered to put on a positive impact on the audience.

So, guys! You have learned how to use words to the minute converter on your device successfully. It is a beautiful tool whose integration has made it easier for users to conveniently find their reading and speaking speed.

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Free Words-to-Minutes Converter by PapersOwl

Figure out how many words your speech or presentation should have.

Step 1. Choose Your Score of Reading

Step 2. Input number of Words or Time

Or Paste Your Text Here

We Can Turn Your Paper Into a Perfect One

Words-to-minutes converter, what is a word to minutes calculator.

Use a speech convertor or words-to-time calculator to find out in seconds how long it will take you to deliver your perfect address. This is a powerful application that takes your text limits and synchronizes them with the chosen speed at which you read to give you precise results. A words-to-minutes calculator aids in estimating the duration of any speech whether it be for your class, an awaited event, or a professional meeting. This online app makes it easier for you to speak according to any given time.

This is the perfect tool if you want quick solutions and accurate answers that will help you write and then read perfectly crafted speeches for specific occasions.

Why Should I Convert Words Into Minutes?

Isn’t it easier to just know instead of guessing exactly the span in which to read a script or speak on a given topic or even deliver a speech? It is a crucial part of any good deliverance to know the accurate span and then make preparations to read accordingly so that the order of the event or day continues smoothly. Convert words into minutes to be in a comfortable position while presenting anything.

Every so often, certain formats of speech or presentation require a set time frame, and sometimes it is important to keep your text precise and time short. A conversion website like PapersOwl helps in doing just that by transforming the text into time so it becomes easier to adjust your writing if and when necessary.

For many speeches and essays, some parts require more emphasis and longer durations than the rest. When you read, you adjust your tone and voice, and your pace according to the importance of the topics. Similarly, word count can also be adjusted with words to time conversion, in turn helping with the length of paragraphs within any essay to re-establish the importance of a certain topic. If you get help from a custom research paper writing service , using a words to minutes converter becomes essential as it can help you find out exactly how many words per minute have been used or are needed according to your own speaking rate.

Converting Words Into Minutes Online: Benefits

While writing, you never try to guess the words per minute or know if 2 pages will take you more than a minute to read. Stay on top of your presentations and speeches with words conversion. A word to minutes calculator has many benefits for students, businessmen, teachers, or anyone looking to perfect their art of speech time or speak about any topic.

Manage the Span of your Text

A speech calculator is a hassle-free way to determine the span and speed of your speech according to the word count. You can use it multiple times and keep iterating your content. A words-to-minutes calculator gives you accurate results according to the average speaking rate.

Easy and Efficient to Use

Converting each word into the exact span is easy for all types of people. A good speech calculator also includes information about speaking speeds, giving you all the essential information you need to get your work done quickly.

Helps You Practice

Practice your speech without worrying about managing time with a timer easily with a words-to-minutes converter. A words-to-minutes converter can also be adjusted to your own speaking rate, and you can add specific excerpts where you tend to speak fast or slower than normal. Just a few clicks can get you to the desired result and the exact number of words needed for your speech. Remember to always be original with your writing and a free plagiarism checker to use is a great way to ensure this. Once you’re sure that the text is unique, our tool can be used to your advantage to make your speech memorable when you read it. By increasing and decreasing your voice along the way and by adding pauses where necessary, emphasis where required, and omitting unnecessary details, you can practice your words before heading onto the stage.

How to Use a Words to Time Calculator?

Public speaking is a monstrous task on its own. For some, it might be harder than for others. It demands a certain level of confidence, and with good preparation and exactly the right tools, you can equip yourself to read and deliver any presentation with confidence.

A words-per-minute calculator is one such tool. It is easy to use and adjustable according to your pace. Crafting your presentation has been made easier than ever, with the words-to-minutes converter to determine the words-to-minutes ratio. To start using the words to time convertor, just enter the word count into the app. This will give you the results in just seconds and you can then use this to edit your essay fast , which in turn helps you save days and take full advantage of the tools available. After entering the word count, you can choose the reading speed. This is the speaking rate at which you speak. Options include slow, average, and fast speakers. It is important to choose the correct option according to your average reading speed for the most effective results.

That’s pretty much all you need to do to get your results quickly and easily. Once you have an answer, simply adjust your text depending on whether you need it to last longer or end more quickly.

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How Long is a 5-minute Speech?

How long is a 2-minute speech, how to measure the length of your speech, how to make your speech longer.

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words to minutes in a speech

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Speech calculator:  how long does it take to deliver your speech?

With this speech calculator, you can easily calculate how long it will take you to deliver a speech.

How many words per minute?

In the English language, people speak about 140 words per minute. A fast speaker will get to 170 words per minute, a slow speaker will use around 110 words.

Professional speechwriters use this speech calculator to find out how long a speech takes.

speech calculator

Copy your full text and paste it in the box below:

The entire analysis happens within your browser. The text will NOT be stored and NOT be sent over the web.

Word count:

Your speech rate:

Speech duration:

FAQ’s

How many words is a 3 minute speech  .

A speaker with an average speaking speed will need 420 words for a 3 minute speech. A fast speaker will need 510 words while a slow speaker will only need 330 words.

How many words is a 5 minute speech?  

A speaker with an average speaking speed will need 700 words for a 5 minutes speech. A fast speaker will need 850 words for the same speech length. A slow speaker will only need 550 words.

Is this a word count calculator?  

The speech calculator is a word count calculator. Insert your text and the tool will automatically calculate the word count.  It will then also calculate the speech length depending on the selected talking speed.

How to best select the right speaking speed?

Fast, average or slow? The answer depends on the speaker, the speech type and the speech setting.

The speaking speed of the speaker

Some speakers are natural fast or slow speakers. The best speakers keep a variance during their speeches. They speed up to keep momentum and slow down to put special emphasis on other parts.

The speech type

The type of speech matters a lot in selecting the right speech speed. If you read the whole speech word for word from paper then your average speech speed will be lower. If you intend to use the written speech as speaker notes then your average speaking speed will be much higher.

The speech setting

An informal setting will have a faster average speaking speed compared to a more formal setting.

Keeping all three factors in mind you will able make a better judgement about selecting the right speech speed in the speech calculator.

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Script Timer & Words to Reading-Time Calculator

Wondering how long 100 words takes to read?  Or how long your finished speech or voice over recording will be?  This handy Voice Over & Speech Script Timer converts the number of words in your script, to how many minutes it will take to read.

Public speakers, speech writers, voice actors, poets, production companies, and narrators rely on this converter.

This calculates how long your speech, presentation, or voice over recording will be in hours, minutes, and seconds. This makes it easy to give estimate to your customers.  And because performances vary, you can adjust the timing to your reading speed.  So stop guessing! Instead work with accurate estimates!

  • The Calculator

How long for a professional to read your script? Performances vary, but this handy converter will get you in the ballpark. You can even adjust it for reading speed. So stop guessing! Give accurate estimates and invoices to your customers!

PLEASE USE THE CHART BELOW ONLY AS A GUIDE - Rates vary greatly, due to context, vocal delivery, audience, etc. THIS CHART IS BASED ON: 12-point Arial (Helvetica), double-spaced, margin-to-margin.

Average Reading Speeds

If you read 1 word per second, then you will read:

  • 30 words per half-minute
  • 60 words per minute
  • 3,600 words per hour
  • 13 seconds per line (assuming 13 words per line)
  • 273 seconds per page (assuming 13 words per line and 21 lines per page)

If you read 2 words per second, then you will read:

  • 60 words per half-minute
  • 120 words per minute
  • 7,200 words per hour
  • 6.5 seconds per line (assuming 13 words per line)
  • 136 seconds per page (assuming 13 words per line and 21 lines per page)

If you read 3 words per second, then you will read:

  • 90 words per half-minute
  • 180 words per minute
  • 10,800 words per hour
  • 4 seconds per line (assuming 13 words per line)
  • 91 seconds per page (assuming 13 words per line and 21 lines per page)

If you read 4 words per second, then you will read:

  • 120 words per half-minute
  • 240 words per minute
  • 14,400 words per hour
  • 3.2 seconds per line (assuming 13 words per line)
  • 68 seconds per page (assuming 13 words per line and 21 lines per page)

If you read 5 words per second, then you will read:

  • 150 words per half-minute
  • 300 words per minute
  • 18,000 words per hour
  • 2.6 seconds per line (assuming 13 words per line)
  • 54 seconds per page (assuming 13 words per line and 21 lines per page)
  • Average number of lines per page: 21
  • Average number of lines per 30-second spot: 7.5
  • Average number of lines per 60-second spot: 15
  • Average words per line: 13 (range is 8 to 18)
  • Average words per page: 273 (range is 168 to 378)

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Voice over audiobooks.

Recording and narrating audiobooks is one of the popular services at Edge Studio. Our team consists of experienced narrators, engineers, directors, editors, and reviewers. With the help of professional sound production equipment, we create high-quality fiction and nonfiction titles in a creative working environment.

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One of the main factors behind the commercial success of a movie, documentary, or other film, is a voice over. The soundtrack should be clear, without any additional noises, and most importantly – it should make the audience feel a certain way. The best solution to achieve all the above is to order professional voiceovers by the best movie voice over artists.

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As the first thing customers hear during the call, IVR is the face of the company. A well-written script and a well-voiced telephony helps create the image of a reliable business while seizing the customer’s attention.

What’s more, an IP telephony allows you to distribute a high volume of calls between operators, quickly redirect each caller to the right person, and automate customer support. For achieving the best result, it is better to use a professional voice over for your phone system. Your IP telephony will become an effective communication tool and present your company in its best light.

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We understand how important voice over is in conveying your advertising message and have access to a vast pool of voice over talent to find you the perfect solution.

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Words To Time Converter

Estimate how many minutes your speeches, presentations, and voice-over scripts will take based on your words per minute rate!

Words per Minute: 183

How To Convert Words to Minutes Using This Tool?

If you have a certain number of words or a piece of text you want to time, you can either type in the word count or paste the text into the provided area. This tool will then calculate how long it would take to read that text out loud.

The talk time estimate is calculated using the average speaking speed of adults, which is determined to be 183 words per minute based on scientific studies. If you’re interested in how long it would take to read silently, it’s estimated at 238 words per minute ( This data is also backed by research )

You can adjust the slider to change the words per minute value, which will affect the talk time estimate. However, the silent reading time estimate remains fixed at 238 words per minute. 

For ease of use, we’ve also provided reference points for slow, average, and fast reading rates below the slider.

To begin anew, simply click the ‘clear text’ button to erase the content and restore the slider back to its original setting of 183.

I. Who is This Words to Minutes Converter Tool For?

If you are a student wondering how long is my essay or you’ve been tasked with writing a speech and need to know how many words to aim for and how many minutes will it take to deliver or perhaps you are a podcaster, just starting out, who wants the ability to easily synchronize music and spoken word without having to painstakingly calculate seconds between them, then this words to time converter (or speech time calculator-you may call it if you are a public speaker) is precisely for you! 

From now on, instead of spending long hours in front of the computer trying to figure out how many seconds it takes for one phrase or section of dialogue to end and another to begin, you can let our innovative tool do all the work and convert your text to time quickly and accurately. With this powerful tool at your disposal, whether you’re giving a TED talk or just need to nail a business presentation, your life will become a little bit easier.

So keep reading to learn more about what this fantastic words to minutes converter has in store for public speakers, aspiring students, and professional radio producers alike!

Whether you want to read the text silently or speak aloud, you can use this tool as both:

  • Reading time calculator
  • Talk time calculator

II.I Explanation of the Reading Time

Reading time refers to the duration it takes for an average person to read a written text silently while still comprehending its content. Based on an extensive analysis of 190 studies that involved 18,573 participants , research conducted by Marc Brysbaert in 2019 suggests that the typical silent reading speed for an adult individual is approximately 238 words per minute .

To convert word count to read time for a specific text, you can do so by dividing the total word count of the text by this established value of 238. Here is the mathematical equation for determining the duration of reading time in minutes:

Reading Time = Total Word Count / 238

II.II Explanation of the Speech Time

Speech time refers to the duration it takes for an average person to read a text out loud. Based on data from 77 studies involving 5,965 people , it’s been found that most adults read aloud at a speed of approximately 183 words per minute ( research conducted by Marc Brysbaert in 2019 ). To figure out how long it will take to read a specific piece of text aloud, you can divide the total number of words in the text by this average rate of 183 words per minute.

Of course, it’s important to note that talk time can vary depending on factors such as clarity of speech, pauses for emphasis, and use of visual aids. However, using this tool for converting the number of words to minutes can still provide a helpful guideline for planning and practicing your presentation. By having a better understanding of speech rates, you can ensure that your message is delivered effectively and efficiently.

III. Benefits of Using a Words to Time Converter

Time management in presentations.

Effective time management during presentations is crucial to ensure the audience remains engaged and the information is accurately conveyed. This is where our speaking time converter comes in handy. By using this tool, presenters can easily determine how many words they need to include in their presentation to stay within the allotted time frame.

Not only does it help with time management, but it also ensures that the pacing of the presentation is consistent, making it easier for the audience to follow. With the use of this tool, presenters can confidently deliver their presentations without the worry of running over time or rushing through it.

Estimated speech time for public speaking

Public speaking can be nerve-wracking, especially when you have too little or too much information to fill your time slot. You wonder only if there were an accurate public speaking time calculator available so that you could be able to allocate the appropriate amount of time to each section of your presentation, ensuring that you cover all the necessary points without rushing or going over time. 

Effective pacing is key in ensuring your message is delivered with clarity and impact.

Most public speakers target an average of 130-150 words per minute for their spoken content, meaning you should aim to limit your speaking time to roughly one minute per 130-150 words. While this may take some practice to achieve, the end result is a confident, well-timed delivery that keeps your audience engaged from start to finish.

Remember, in public speaking, less is often more—take your time to breathe and emphasize key points. Your audience will appreciate your thoughtful and measured approach. For that, you can use this tool and adjust your words to speech time.

Accurate estimations for audiobooks and podcasts

As more and more people turn to audiobooks and podcasts for their entertainment and information needs, accurate estimations of listening time have become more important than ever. After all, there’s nothing worse than settling in for a quick listen only to find yourself trapped in a story that goes on for hours longer than you anticipated.

That’s why it’s great to see publishers and podcast producers taking estimated reading time seriously, providing listeners with the information they need to choose the right content for their schedule. Whether you’re looking for a quick listen on your daily commute or a lengthy distraction for a lazy Sunday afternoon, accurate estimations using this speaking time calculator make it easier than ever to find the perfect content.

IV. Some Popular Speech Times

V. conclusion.

As the world becomes more fast-paced, time is a precious commodity. Determining how long your script will take to read, whether for a presentation or a video, can make a significant difference in engaging and retaining your audience’s attention.

That’s where our Words to Time Converter comes in handy. It’s a valuable tool for anyone working in various professions, from broadcast journalists to teachers to executives. No matter the industry, time is of the essence, and knowing how long your speech or presentation will take is crucial for effective communication.

Words to Minutes

Person holding a timer

Writing a great speech requires careful considering of several factors. One of the essential considerations is the time you will have to make your speech. When making a speech, your audience expects you to be interesting, charming, and articulate. But, how do you determine the number of words to speak per minute to ensure that your audience follows your speech? What’s more, how do you ensure that your speech is not too short or too long?

Well, these are common questions that most speakers ask when preparing their speech. One of the factors that determine the number of words you can speak per minute is whether the speech will be recorded or live. Additionally, your audience should influence how fast you speak when making a speech. For instance, if your audience is familiar with your topic, you can speak a little faster than when addressing people that are not familiar with the topic. Luckily, our speech writing service words to minutes’ converter can help you determine how fast your speech should be.

Person Average Speech Speed

On average, a person speaks around 90 to 150 words per minute. However, this depends on whether the speaker encounters cheering, applause, and other crowd reactions. What’s more, whether the speaker emphasizes some points or not can influence the speed with which they make a speech.

Perhaps, an ideal way to determine the time your speech will take is using our words to minutes speech calculator. With this tool, you can determine the number of words to write in your speech depending on the time you will have to make your speech. Also, bear in mind the fact that you will have to speed up and slow down in some cases depending on the crowd’s reaction.

Effective Words to Minutes Speech Converter

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Our speech writing services words to minutes converter tool will enable you to decide on the length of your speech.

Minutes to Words Converter

To determine the number of minutes your speech will take, consider this minutes to words converter.

  • 1-minute speech should have between 135 and 150 words
  • 1.5 minutes speech should have between 202 and 225 words
  • 6 minutes speech should have around 1500 words

Words to Speech Speed Calculator

  • 130 words should take one minute
  • 260 words should take 2 minutes
  • 390 words should take 3 minutes.

When writing a speech, use our calculator to determine the number of words to include depending on the time you will have to present your speech.

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How many words per minute in a speech?

A quick guide for slow, average and fast rates of speech.

By:  Susan Dugdale  

If you're preparing a speech or presentation with a strict time limit it’s useful to have an estimate of the number of words you’ll need to fit the number of minutes you've been given.

And it's even more useful to have those guidelines before you rush into writing, only to discover when you’re done, you’ve written far too much. Something I used to do on a regular basis! (And then, I had the tedious job of pruning to fit.)

What's on this page:

How many words are there in a 1-minute speech, how many words are there in a 2-minute speech, how many words are there in a 3-minute speech, how many words are there in a 4-minute speech, how many words are there in a 5-minute speech, how many words are there in a 6-minute speech, how many words are there in a 7-minute speech, how many words are there in an 8-minute speech, how many words are there in a 9-minute speech, how many words are there in a 10-minute speech, how many words are there in a 15-minute speech, how many words are there in a 20-minute speech, how many words are there in a 25-minute speech, how many words are there in a 30-minute speech.

  • How to calculate your own speech rate: 2 easy methods
  • How many pages is a 4, 7 or 20-minute speech?     

words to minutes in a speech

About this quick reference guide

The following table (below) shows the average number of words spoken per minute for speeches from 1 to 30 minutes long. It's a quick reference guide: one only intended to provide general information.

Who, and what, is truly average?

An average word count for any timed speech (one minute, two minutes, three, four, five, six...or more, minutes) is impossible to give. As there really is no such thing as an average person, who uses an average rate of words per minute when they speak.

We are individuals: each of us different. Speech patterns and speech (speaking) rates vary considerably between person to person for a great many reasons. The best you’ll ever get is an educated guess.

Use as an estimate: test yourself to be sure

That aside, the following estimates will give you a handy indication of the number of minutes it takes to say x number of words depending on whether you talk at a slow speed, a medium speed or you're one of the world's fast talkers.

(And, no, it's never a good idea to gabble at a mile a minute to fit everything you've prepared into the length of time you've been given!)

To be absolutely sure what you've done will fit the time allocation you've been given it's a good idea to test yourself to establish your own speaking rate or speed of speech .

How many pages is a 'x' minute speech?

Multiple variations on the question how many pages are needed for a speech are frequently asked. For instance:

  • How many pages is a 4-minute speech?
  • How many pages is a 7-minute speech?
  • How many pages is a 20-minute presentation?

Unfortunately, the answer is not simple. Calculating the number of A4 pages of text you need for a speech of any number of minutes long is tricky for two reasons.

How many words are on an A4 page?

The first reason is that the number of words on an A4 page depends on how the page has been formatted. The answers to the questions below make a very big difference to the total number of pages needed to print a speech.

  • What is the font family being used? (Different fonts take up differing amounts of space because of the shape/design of their characters.)  
  • What is the size of the font? (The font size you're reading right now is 20px.)
  • What is the spacing between each of the letters in a word?
  • What is the spacing between each line of text? Is it single spacing, 1.5 or double line spacing?
  • What spacing has been set for paragraphs?
  • What size have the margins of the page been set at?
  • Are there headings? Sub-headings or lists?

On average if the font is plain, (sans-serif, without embellishment), like Arial or Verdana, its size is set for 12px, and the line spacing is set for 1.5, then a page may have between 400-500 words on it.

Speech rate changes how we calculate the number of words we need

The second reason why using the number of pages to gauge how long a speech will take to deliver is problematical is because we speak at different rates. 

A 500-word page may take someone speaking at very slow rate 4 minutes to get through.

Another person, who has a much faster speaking rate, may take about 2.5 minutes to deliver exactly the same text.

Using the number of pages as a guide for a speech that has to fit a time limit is completely unreliable.

If you need to use a 'guesstimate' use the speech rate table below. Forget about counting the pages! 

If you are a slow speaker, less than 120 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 120 - 160 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 160 - 200 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 240 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 240 - 320 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 320 - 400 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 360 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 360 – 480 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 480 - 600 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 480 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 480 – 640 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 640 - 800 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 600 words,

If you speak at an average speed between: 600 – 760 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 760 - 1000 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 720 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 720 – 960 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 960 - 1200 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 840 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 840 – 1120 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 1120 - 1400 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 960 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 960 – 1280 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 1280 - 1600 words.

If you are a slow speaker less than 1080 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 1080 – 1440 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 1440 - 1800 words.

If you are a slow speaker a little less than 1200 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 1200 – 1600 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 1600 - 2000 words.

If you are a slow speaker, a little less than 1,800 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 1,800 - 2,400 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 2,400 - 3,000 words.

If you are a slow speaker, a little less than 2,400 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 2,400 - 3,200 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 3,200 - 4,000 words.

If you are a slow speaker, a little less than 3,000 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 3,000 - 4,000 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 4,000 - 5,000 words.

If you are a slow speaker, a little less than 3,600 words.

If you speak at an average speed between: 3,600 - 4,800 words.

If you are a fast speaker between: 4,800 - 6,000 words.

Return to Top

Find out more about speech rate

  • How to calculate your own words per minute speech rate - two easy methods
  • The factors influencing a faster rate or slower rate of speech
  • How to develop an ideal rate of speech : one matching content, speech purpose and your audience: six exercises for flexible speaking rate

Words per minute calculator

Lastly here's the link to a useful online words per minutes calculator . Once you've completed your speech enter the total number of words, and select whether you want it to give you an average for a minute of your speech at a slow rate, average or fast rate. Again, it's a 'guesstimate'. ☺

The only really safe way to find out whether your speech fits your time allocation is to say it aloud at an ideal rate or pace: one taking into account the content, and the audience who is going to listen to it, while timing it.

(Use the record function on your phone. It will assist in lots of other ways too! You'll hear where you need more vocal variety, where your pronunciation is blurred ...and, so on. It's super helpful.)

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Biden appears to read teleprompter instructions out loud in latest gaffe

Biden appears to read teleprompter instructions out loud in latest gaffe

President Biden appeared to read the words "four more years, pause" from a TelePrompter during a speech at a trade union conference in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday.

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Opinion Columnists | Opinion: The “illegal immigrant” speech police…

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Opinion columnists | opinion: the “illegal immigrant” speech police have come for colorado republicans, should the phrase “illegal immigrant” be allowed on the floor of the colorado house yes, and democrats should know they can’t police speech..

Speaker of the House Julie McCluskie keeps order in the House chambers at the Colorado State Capitol in Denver on May 8, 2023. With only hours until the 2023 legislative session ends Colorado's House Democrats were rushing to push through the last of their legislative agenda. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)

Somebody give the Democratic majority in the Colorado General Assembly a copy of the Bill of Rights, large print if available, and underline the First Amendment with a sharpie.

For the second time this year, they have forgotten they cannot prohibit speech or coerce it from their peers, constituents, or anyone else.

This week, Democrats handed Republicans a memo with words they could no longer use when debating immigration policy (e.g., illegal, alien, invader(s), interloper, squatter) and a list of acceptable replacements (e.g., migrant, applicant, undocumented immigrant, immigrant without authorization). Several members have been castigated for saying that which shall not be said.

While ‘invader(s)’, ‘interloper’, and ‘squatter’ overtly convey disapprobation, ‘alien’ has acquired a negative connotation over the past few decades. I’m old enough to remember Sting’s jaunty refrain “Oh, I’m an alien, I’m a legal alien. I’m an Englishman in New York” in his 1987 hit song. The term is still used in legal documents as is the word ‘illegal.’ Although it means ‘without authorization’ or ‘undocumented,’ it lacks euphemistic charm.

Illegal immigration is not merely a paperwork error but a trespass of law. The majority’s acceptable replacement words, meanwhile, are positive or neutral in order to frame the issue and Democrats’ preferred policies in the best light.

Rather than censure dissent by censoring language, Democrats should use their freedom of speech to explain that most recent immigrants applied for asylum and are here legally awaiting adjudication. Only Congress can reform the asylum program to hinder economic migrants entering under the aegis of the law.

Democrats should share the data showing that immigrants are less likely to commit crime than naturally born citizens and that their presence benefits communities economically and culturally. Costs associated with housing, medical care, and education can be mitigated and Democrats’ legislation attempts to do that.

Opponents of these policies are free to discuss the disproportionate costs borne by lower-income communities, schools, and hospitals, how costs impact government budgets and services for regular programs, the abuse of the asylum program, concerns about incentivizing more border crossings, and the fact that criminals do cross illegally into the U.S. and then commit heinous crimes including rape and murder.

Republicans can argue using whatever words they please, even words others find offensive, with prudence as their only guide (should they choose to listen). Their word choice reflects what they believe to be true.

This week’s banned words memo was not the first time Democrats have tried to seize the commanding heights of language. Earlier this session, they trampled the First Amendment rights of their peers and those testifying against a bill to ease name changes for convicted felons who have changed their gender. Dissenters were forbidden to ‘misgender’ (refer to someone by their biological sex) or to ‘deadname’ (refer to a person’s former name).

Forcing someone who believes sex is biologically determined and immutable to use words they consider inaccurate is a clear violation of free speech. It would be no different if a Republican majority forbade peers or constituents to use preferred pronouns consistent with their view that sex and gender are mutable characteristics. Those repudiated for exercising their rights have sued in federal court. They are likely to prevail given favorable rulings in similar free speech cases.

Government officials cannot coerce or curtail speech. They cannot offer the false choice — utter our words or be silent. If Democrats persist in policing language, minority members should sue. In the meantime, they should exploit the memo’s loophole. As written, the only verboten plural noun is ‘invaders.’

Krista L. Kafer is a weekly Denver Post columnist. Follow her on Twitter: @kristakafer.

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Puzzles & Games | Word Game: April 29, 2024

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TODAY’S WORD — XENOPHOBE (XENOPHOBE: ZEE-no-fobe: One unduly fearful of things or people of foreign origin.)

Average mark 16 words

Time limit 30 minutes

Can you find 20 or more words in XENOPHOBE? The list will be published tomorrow.

SATURDAY’S WORD — SCROUNGE scone score scorn scour scourge senor snore snug sone song sore sour source suer sung sure surge surgeon censor cero cone core corn course crone cruse cure curse rogue rose roue rouge rouse rugose rung ruse ogre once onus ounce ours urge user noes nose nurse genus goes gone goner gore grouse ecru ergo euro

To purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last!

RULES OF THE GAME:

1. Words must be of four or more letters.

2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.

3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible.

4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

Contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe at [email protected].

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The 5 pieces of advice Rainn Wilson from ‘The Office’ gave during his Utah graduation speech

The actor known for playing dwight schrute spoke to students about happiness, love and community — plus dungeons and dragons..

(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Celebrity Rainn Wilson quotes from the TV series “The Office” at the beginning of his commencement address at the graduation ceremonies at Weber State University in Ogden on Friday, April 26, 2024.

In a commencement speech full of humor, heart and plenty of “that’s what she said” jokes, actor Rainn Wilson shared with graduates on Friday his secrets for happiness — or what he referred to as advice for “not ending up like a grumpy old jerk face.”

Wilson walked to the podium at Weber State University ’s ceremony to roaring cheers and shouts of “We love you, Dwight.” The celebrity, best known for his role as the uptight assistant to the regional manager Dwight Schrute in the TV show “The Office,” returned that fervor in full.

“Blood alone moves the wheels of history,” he yelled, throwing his fist in the air. The audience screamed in excitement at the reference, from an episode where the character Dwight gives a speech upon winning paper salesman of the year and ends up being tricked into quoting a dictator.

“Wait. No, no, no, stop,” Wilson joked from the stage at the Ogden school. “What am I thinking? That’s terrible, quoting from a long canceled television show. Dwight Schrute quoting Jim Halpert quoting Benito Mussolini of all people.”

He clarified for the crowd of students in purple gowns filling the rows of seats of arena and snapping photos of him with their phones: “This isn’t Dwight’s speech. This is Rainn’s speech.”

Setting aside concerns about identify theft, it was a romping combination of both the actor and the role that’s come to define him, alongside his work as an author and advocate.

“I have something much bigger and better in store for you,” he said, laughing before the punchline. “That’s what she said.”

It was announced last month that Wilson was selected to speak at the Utah graduation — landing as one of the biggest names and most expensive to ever be contracted for a commencement ceremony at a public college or university in the state.

Weber State said students wanted someone memorable and agreed to pay $125,000 for a 20-minute speech from Wilson . Initially, 70% of that was covered by an anonymous donor, and the school shuffled funds to cover the rest. But after the details of the contract were published by The Salt Lake Tribune, another donor stepped forward to pay for the remainder of the cost, according to a spokesperson for the college.

The actor was awarded an honorary doctorate degree by the university. Wilson, dressed in a black graduation gown, looked out over the crowd and mouthed, “I’m a doctor now!” Then he patted the Weber State trustee on the head who handed him the framed diploma.

(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Celebrity Rainn Wilson reacts as he receives an honorary degree during the graduation ceremonies at Weber State University in Ogden on Friday, April 26, 2024.

In his address, Wilson spoke about the challenges he’s faced in his career, his own mental health struggles and how he’s learned to “overcome and navigate” it all. For every show like “The Office,” he said, he’s done a dozen other pilots or projects that never got off the ground. At times, he battled depression, loneliness, addiction and “the granddaddy of them all: anxiety.”

To power through, he said, he relied on love, altruism, community and hope.

He quoted Martin Luther King Jr. and Rumi and E.M. Forster, alongside references to hippies and SpongeBob.

It was the actor’s first-ever graduation speech, he noted. He’s given best man speeches and award show speeches and locker room speeches. “That was a little bit awkward because I wasn’t on the team,” he joked. “I didn’t even play lacrosse. I just happened to walk into the locker room with my shirt off.”

He said he was initially unsure what to impart “to 4,000 brilliant graduating Wildcats, and a couple hundred other idiot Wildcats who really shouldn’t be able to graduate at this ceremony. You know who you are.” Weber State President Brad Mortensen chuckled from his seat behind the actor.

Wilson distilled his thoughts into five pieces of advice. And he ended up speaking for more time than his contract required. It lasted seven minutes longer than expected. That’s what she said.

Here are Wilson’s takeaways for living a happy and meaningful life.

1. “Gather a bouquet of virtues.”

Wilson joked that there are two types of senior citizens: those who are sweet and wise and those who are mean and grumpy. He told students to live in a way that would shape them into the former.

To do that, he said, the graduates should embrace kindness, humility, honesty, wisdom — what he referred to as “spiritual virtues.”

“Picture each virtue as a flower in a bouquet,” Wilson said. “Compassion is a rose. Love is a lily.”

Life, he said, should be focused on each person acquiring those qualities and flexing them like muscles in the gym. “Instead of leg day, have one day be compassion day,” he said.

When you get old, he told students, those bouquets of qualities will be all that’s left. “When we die, we don’t take with us our Teslas or our Xboxes.”

2. Become “other-centered.”

Wilson said the devil is “not a creature with a pitchfork,” but rather the human ego. It pushes you to put yourself first, pushes you to compare yourself to others, pushes you to doubt yourself.

“Rainn, your speech sucks. Utah hates you,” he joked, imitating the voice in his head. “This hat looks stupid. And your head looks like a giant melon. But at least I’m a better speaker than John Krasinski. What an idiot.”

He referred to the psychologist Dr. Martin Seligman who did a study with his students. He started by having them take a survey to measure their happiness. Then, he instructed them to spend a weekend having the most fun they could think of. The students went shopping, partied and played video games. When they came back to class and took the same survey, their happiness scores had gone down.

The next weekend, Seligman instructed the students to be of service to someone else — visit a sick relative or “watch ‘The Office’ with a depressed friend,” Wilson suggested. They took the survey once again. Their scores increased and stayed higher longer.

“Selfishness doesn’t work,” Wilson concluded. He told graduates to walk out the doors of the arena after the ceremony and find a way to serve others.

3. “Live like it’s Dungeons and Dragons.”

Young people today, Wilson said, are battling heightened levels of mental health issues. And much of it, he attributes to social media and phones. “They separate us from each other,” he continued. “… They give the illusion of connection, but in reality they disconnect us.”

He said one solution is clear to him: Dungeons and Dragons, the role-playing fantasy game where players craft their own storylines.

“It’s a group of people on a mission, working together, elbow to elbow, without any devices or screens,” Wilson said. “They’re playing, laughing and most importantly slaying orcs and gathering treasure.”

The actor joked that it didn’t actually have to be that game — though it helped him as a teenager — but could be anything where you are present, connect with people and “put your d--- phones away.”

He quoted George Vaillant, an American psychiatrist, who said: “The only thing that really matters in life are your relationships to other people.” Wilson told the graduates to lean on the friendships and connections they made at Weber State.

(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) An attendee records celebrity Rainn Wilson as he delivers the commencement address at the graduation ceremonies at Weber State University in Ogden on Friday, April 26, 2024.

4. “Devote yourself to love.”

“What keeps you from living in maximum love all time, like Jesus, like the Dalai Lama, like SpongeBob?” Wilson asked the crowd. “… Fear is one reason. Fear is the opposite of love.”

He encouraged those in the audience to drop their guards, turn toward each other and “express warmth” to those around them — through eye contact, handshakes, hugs and high fives.

One member of Weber State’s board of trustees jumped up from his seat on the stage to share warmth with Wilson — by smooching him on the cheek.

“What a Wildcat,” Wilson said, appearing surprised and laughing.

He then mentioned that the graduates should show love whenever they can — to anyone and everyone, regardless of their differences in race and gender and religion.

The actor referred to the Pando aspen grove in central Utah. It looks like multiple trees, but it is all one organism.

“It’s right here in your backyard,” he said. “I’m not joking. It’s in Fish Lake, Utah. Google it if you don’t believe me.”

Wilson said that should be an example that we’re the same, as humans, and should love each other. “We might look like a few thousand graduates and one incredibly handsome commencement speaker,” he said, “but we’re all one.”

5. “Keep hope alive.”

Wilson recalled a story where he was talking to his acting teacher about being depressed and sad about the world. The teacher grabbed Wilson by the arm and said, “Don’t. Don’t do it. You can’t be cynical. You can’t be pessimistic. If you do, then they win.”

Without hope, Wilson said, “you’ll just sit on your couch and not do anything.”

Hope is what changes the world, he believes. Hope and love and community and giving and virtue, and yes, some humor, too. And that’s what he said.

(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Celebrity Rainn Wilson holds up the "W" sign with his hands after he delivers the commencement address at the graduation ceremonies at Weber State University in Ogden on Friday, April 26, 2024.

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Donald Trump’s rally speech in Wisconsin examined

By CHRISTINA ANAGNOSTOPOULOS , SOFIA PAREDES and SEANA DAVIS

Filed April 20, 2024, 10 a.m. GMT

words to minutes in a speech

Reuters examined 11 statements made by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at his rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on April 2. While Reuters monitored the 58-minute speech in its entirety, the news agency did not examine opinions, rhetorical or direct questions, anonymous sourcing and information that could not be independently verified.

The statements are listed in chronological order with the timestamps in Central Daylight Time (CDT).

words to minutes in a speech

CLAIM  17:09 CDT

Trump says he won Wisconsin by “a lot,” referring to the 2020 presidential election

WHAT WE KNOW

This is false. Joe Biden won the state of Wisconsin in the 2020 presidential election with 49.4% of the vote over Trump’s 48.8%.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court declined to take up a case by Trump challenging the election results.

words to minutes in a speech

CLAIM  17:11 CDT

Trump says Biden declared Easter Sunday to be Transgender Visibility Day

This is misleading. Biden made public remarks about Transgender Day of Visibility, but he did not say Easter Sunday would become Trans Visibility Day.

Transgender Day of Visibility has been celebrated on March 31 for 14 years, according to the LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD . It happened to be the same day as Easter Sunday in 2024. Read more.

words to minutes in a speech

CLAIM  17:12 CDT

While talking about crime during the Biden administration, Trump says crime in Venezuela is down by 67%

The source of the 67% figure is unclear. A Trump spokesperson did not respond to a Reuters request for the data supporting the figure.

According to the Venezuelan Violence Observatory , a Caracas-based research organization, violent deaths declined 25% last year from 2022.

words to minutes in a speech

CLAIM  17:18 CDT (again at 17:37-17:39 and 17:45 CDT)

Trump repeats his false claim that the 2020 election was stolen or illegitimate

This is false. State governments, courts and members of Trump’s administration have repeatedly rejected the former president’s claims that the 2020 election was stolen .

Federal and state judges have dismissed more than 50 lawsuits alleging election fraud or other irregularities related to the 2020 presidential election brought by Trump or his allies. Read more .

words to minutes in a speech

CLAIM  17:19 CDT

Trump quotes Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban as saying, “The only way you’re going to clean up this world is if Trump becomes president again”

This is in line with past statements Hungary’s nationalist prime minister has made about Trump. Orban said in a meeting with the former president in Florida last month that only Trump could bring peace to Ukraine’s conflict with Russia.

“We need leaders in the world who are respected and can bring peace. He is one of them! Come back and bring us peace, Mr. President!,” Orban said in a post on X after that meeting.

words to minutes in a speech

CLAIM  17:26 CDT

Trump says he built 571 miles of border wall. He did not specify which land border but since 2016 he has campaigned for a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

This is not accurate. The Trump administration completed around 458 miles of barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border, according to January 2021 U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data.

The majority were barriers that were built during previous administrations and replaced during Trump’s tenure. In areas where no structures existed prior to Trump taking office in January 2017, his administration constructed a total of 52 miles of primary wall.

A January 2021 CBP report obtained by Factcheck.org shows 33 miles of new secondary wall were built during Trump’s tenure.

words to minutes in a speech

CLAIM  17:27 CDT

Trump says illegal immigration into the U.S. fell to its lowest point “in history” during his presidency

This is mostly true, based on available government data.

During Trump’s administration, the number of apprehensions by the U.S. Border Patrol at the southwest border (an indicator of attempts of illegal border crossings) for a single month fell to their lowest point on record in April 2017, according to monthly CBP data that goes back to fiscal year 2000 .

CBP has yearly data for nationwide apprehensions by all land, air and sea routes since fiscal year 1925.

Going by these figures, Trump’s aren’t the lowest on record but they are the lowest in over four decades. In fiscal year 1971, during Richard Nixon’s administration, total apprehensions dipped to 302,517, which is below Trump’s lowest tally of 310,531 in fiscal year 2017.

words to minutes in a speech

CLAIM  17:30 CDT

Trump says wages rose during his presidency without any inflation

Nationwide wages rose 3.1% during Trump’s presidency, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Employment Cost Index inflation-adjusted constant dollar estimates.

Inflation was not at zero, but it was lower than during the Biden administration.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) during the Trump administration varied from a high of 2.9% in July 2018 to a low of 0.2% in May 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic’s first wave.

It is true that inflation significantly increased during Biden’s tenure; it stood at 1.4% when he took office and rose to 9% in June 2022, following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.

Inflation rates have remained below 3.6% since October 2023.

words to minutes in a speech

CLAIM  17:34 CDT

The U.S. has more oil and gas than any country in the world

Venezuela has the largest proven crude oil reserves as of 2023, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) while Russia has the largest natural gas reserves, per the International Energy Agency.

As for recoverable oil resources, the expected amounts in existing fields, Saudi Arabia leads the way followed by the U.S. and Russia, according to a 2023 report by oil analysts Rystad Energy.

In terms of production, the U.S. became the world’s largest crude oil producer in 2018 during Trump’s presidency and has remained the top producer since.

The U.S. is also the top producer of natural gas. Since 2017, U.S. natural gas exports have exceeded imports. The latest rankings available (2022) from the EIA show the U.S. produces more energy from petroleum and other liquids than any other country.

The U.S. oil and gas industry has also boomed under Biden’s presidency by almost all metrics, even if he has pushed to transition the economy toward a greener future, hitting record levels of crude oil production in 2023. Read more.

words to minutes in a speech

CLAIM  17:36-17:37 CDT

Talking about immigration, Trump says that under the Biden administration, the U.S. has taken in “at least 15 million people”

It’s not clear what Trump meant by the U.S. having “taken in” 15 million people. While it is true that the number of encounters reported by the CBP at the U.S.-Mexico border reached record levels during the Biden administration, it isn’t 15 million.

CBP data compiled between January 2021 and February 2024 show 7,522,711 encounters at the southwest land border.

In terms of nationwide encounters , CBP registered 9,139,037 encounters between January 2021 and February 2024.

Encounter figures include data for Title 8 apprehensions and inadmissibles . This policy grants some migrants the chance to seek asylum in the U.S. or be processed for deportation.

Between March 2020 and May 2023, encounters also included expulsions under the now-expired Title 42 , a COVID-era restriction that allowed border agents to quickly expel migrants without allowing them to seek asylum.

words to minutes in a speech

CLAIM  17:50-17:51 CDT

Trump says he was the first president in decades who started no new wars

Defining wars can be difficult. If we consider the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, the war in Afghanistan and the Iraq War, Trump joins former presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, Richard Nixon, John F. Kennedy and Dwight D. Eisenhower in not having officially brought the U.S. into a new war since 1945.

Trump’s tenure, however, did involve military hostilities overseas and the threat of new ones. The Pentagon said Trump ordered a 2020 drone strike in Iraq that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani , triggering Iranian retaliation that threatened to spiral into open conflict, but did not.

The United States in 2017 launched a missile attack on a Syrian army airbase, marking an escalation of the U.S. military’s role in Syria.

Trump threatened to “totally destroy” North Korea in 2017 but eventually de-escalated tension with Pyongyang.

A Trump spokesperson did not respond to several requests for comment about the statements examined.

This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work.

By Christina Anagnostopoulos, Sofia Paredes and Seana Davis

Photo editing: Corinne Perkins

Art direction: John Emerson

Edited by Stephanie Burnett, Suzanne Goldenberg and Christine Soares

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For more audio journalism and storytelling, download New York Times Audio , a new iOS app available for news subscribers.

The Crackdown on Student Protesters

Columbia university is at the center of a growing showdown over the war in gaza and the limits of free speech..

This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email [email protected] with any questions.

[TRAIN SCREECHING]

Well, you can hear the helicopter circling. This is Asthaa Chaturvedi. I’m a producer with “The Daily.” Just walked out of the 116 Street Station. It’s the main station for Columbia’s Morningside Heights campus. And it’s day seven of the Gaza solidarity encampment, where a hundred students were arrested last Thursday.

So on one side of Broadway, you see camera crews. You see NYPD officers all lined up. There’s barricades, steel barricades, caution tape. This is normally a completely open campus. And I’m able to — all members of the public, you’re able to walk through.

[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

Looks like international media is here.

Have your IDs out. Have your IDs out.

Students lining up to swipe in to get access to the University. ID required for entry.

Swipe your ID, please.

Hi, how are you, officer? We’re journalists with “The New York Times.”

You’re not going to get in, all right? I’m sorry.

Hi. Can I help please?

Yeah, it’s total lockdown here at Columbia.

Please have your IDs out ready to swipe.

From “The New York Times,” I’m Michael Barbaro. This is “The Daily.” Today, the story of how Columbia University has become the epicenter of a growing showdown between student protesters, college administrators, and Congress over the war in Gaza and the limits of free speech. I spoke with my colleague, Nick Fandos.

[UPBEAT MUSIC]

It’s Thursday, April 25.

Nick, if we rewind the clock a few months, we end up at a moment where students at several of the country’s best known universities are protesting Israel’s response to the October 7 attacks, its approach to a war in Gaza. At times, those protests are happening peacefully, at times with rhetoric that is inflammatory. And the result is that the leaders of those universities land before Congress. But the president of Columbia University, which is the subject we’re going to be talking about today, is not one of the leaders who shows up for that testimony.

That’s right. So the House Education Committee has been watching all these protests on campus. And the Republican Chairwoman decides, I’m going to open an investigation, look at how these administrations are handling it, because it doesn’t look good from where I sit. And the House last winter invites the leaders of several of these elite schools, Harvard, Penn, MIT, and Columbia, to come and testify in Washington on Capitol Hill before Congress.

Now, the President of Columbia has what turns out to be a very well-timed, pre-planned trip to go overseas and speak at an international climate conference. So Minouche Shafik isn’t going to be there. So instead, the presidents of Harvard, and Penn, and MIT show up. And it turned out to be a disaster for these universities.

They were asked very pointed questions about the kind of speech taking place on their campuses, and they gave really convoluted academic answers back that just baffled the committee. But there was one question that really embodied the kind of disconnect between the Committee — And it wasn’t just Republicans, Republicans and Democrats on the Committee — and these college presidents. And that’s when they were asked a hypothetical.

Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate Penn’s rules or code of conduct? Yes or no?

If the speech turns into conduct, it can be harassment.

And two of the presidents, Claudine Gay of Harvard and Elizabeth Magill of the University of Pennsylvania, they’re unwilling to say in this really kind of intense back and forth that this speech would constitute a violation of their rules.

It can be, depending on the context.

What’s the context?

Targeted at an individual. Is it pervasive?

It’s targeted at Jewish students, Jewish individuals. Do you understand your testimony is dehumanizing them?

And it sets off a firestorm.

It does not depend on the context. The answer is yes. And this is why you should resign. These are unacceptable answers across the board.

Members of Congress start calling for their resignations. Alumni are really, really ticked off. Trustees of the University start to wonder, I don’t know that these leaders really have got this under control. And eventually, both of them lose their jobs in a really high profile way.

Right. And as you’ve hinted at, for somewhat peculiar scheduling reasons, Columbia’s President escapes this disaster of a hearing in what has to be regarded as the best timing in the history of the American Academy.

Yeah, exactly. And Columbia is watching all this play out. And I think their first response was relief that she was not in that chair, but also a recognition that, sooner or later, their turn was going to come back around and they were going to have to sit before Congress.

Why were they so certain that they would probably end up before Congress and that this wasn’t a case of completely dodging a bullet?

Well, they remain under investigation by the committee. But also, as the winter wears on, all the same intense protests just continue unabated. So in many ways, Columbia’s like these other campuses. But in some ways, it’s even more intense. This is a university that has both one of the largest Jewish student populations of any of its peers. But it also has a large Arab and Muslim student population, a big Middle Eastern studies program. It has a dual degree program in Tel Aviv.

And it’s a university on top of all that that has a real history of activism dating back to the 1960s. So when students are recruited or choose to come to Columbia, they’re actively opting into a campus that prides itself on being an activist community. It’s in the middle of New York City. It’s a global place. They consider the city and the world, really, like a classroom to Columbia.

In other words, if any campus was going to be a hotbed of protest and debate over this conflict, it was going to be Columbia University.

Exactly. And when this spring rolls around, the stars finally align. And the same congressional committee issues another invitation to Minouche Shafik, Columbia’s President, to come and testify. And this time, she has no excuse to say no.

But presumably, she is well aware of exactly what testifying before this committee entails and is highly prepared.

Columbia knew this moment was coming. They spent months preparing for this hearing. They brought in outside consultants, crisis communicators, experts on anti-Semitism. The weekend before the hearing, she actually travels down to Washington to hole up in a war room, where she starts preparing her testimony with mock questioners and testy exchanges to prep her for this. And she’s very clear on what she wants to try to do.

Where her counterparts had gone before the committee a few months before and looked aloof, she wanted to project humility and competence, to say, I know that there’s an issue on my campus right now with some of these protests veering off into anti-Semitic incidents. But I’m getting that under control. I’m taking steps in good faith to make sure that we restore order to this campus, while allowing people to express themselves freely as well.

So then the day of her actual testimony arrives. And just walk us through how it goes.

The Committee on Education and Workforce will come to order. I note that —

So Wednesday morning rolls around. And President Shafik sits at the witness stand with two of her trustees and the head of Columbia’s new anti-Semitism task force.

Columbia stands guilty of gross negligence at best and at worst has become a platform for those supporting terrorism and violence against the Jewish people.

And right off the bat, they’re put through a pretty humbling litany of some of the worst hits of what’s been happening on campus.

For example, just four days after the harrowing October 7 attack, a former Columbia undergraduate beat an Israeli student with a stick.

The Republican Chairwoman of the Committee, Virginia Foxx, starts reminding her that there was a student who was actually hit with a stick on campus. There was another gathering more recently glorifying Hamas and other terrorist organizations, and the kind of chants that have become an everyday chorus on campus, which many Jewish students see as threatening. But when the questioning starts, President Shafik is ready. One of the first ones she gets is the one that tripped up her colleagues.

Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate Columbia’s code of conduct, Mr. Greenwald?

And she answers unequivocally.

Dr. Shafik?

Yes, it does.

And, Professor —

That would be a violation of Columbia’s rules. They would be punished.

As President of Columbia, what is it like when you hear chants like, by any means necessary or Intifada Revolution?

I find those chants incredibly distressing. And I wish profoundly that people would not use them on our campus.

And in some of the most interesting exchanges of the hearing, President Shafik actually opens Columbia’s disciplinary books.

We have already suspended 15 students from Columbia. We have six on disciplinary probation. These are more disciplinary actions that have been taken probably in the last decade at Columbia. And —

She talks about the number of students that have been suspended, but also the number of faculty that she’s had removed from the classroom that are being investigated for comments that either violate some of Columbia’s rules or make students uncomfortable. One case in particular really underscores this.

And that’s of a Middle Eastern studies professor named Joseph Massad. He wrote an essay not long after Hamas invaded Israel and killed 1,200 people, according to the Israeli government, where he described that attack with adjectives like awesome. Now, he said they’ve been misinterpreted, but a lot of people have taken offense to those comments.

Ms. Stefanik, you’re recognized for five minutes.

Thank you, Chairwoman. I want to follow up on my colleague, Rep Walberg’s question regarding Professor Joseph Massad. So let me be clear, President —

And so Representative Elise Stefanik, the same Republican who had tripped up Claudine Gay of Harvard and others in the last hearing, really starts digging in to President Shafik about these things at Columbia.

He is still Chair on the website. So has he been terminated as Chair?

Congresswoman, I —

And Shafik’s answers are maybe a little surprising.

— before getting back to you. I can confirm —

I know you confirmed that he was under investigation.

Yes, I can confirm that. But I —

Did you confirm he was still the Chair?

He says that Columbia is taking his case seriously. In fact, he’s under investigation right now.

Well, let me ask you this.

I need to check.

Will you make the commitment to remove him as Chair?

And when Stefanik presses her to commit to removing him from a campus leadership position —

I think that would be — I think — I would — yes. Let me come back with yes. But I think I — I just want to confirm his current status before I write —

We’ll take that as a yes, that you will confirm that he will no longer be chair.

Shafik seems to pause and think and then agree to it on the spot, almost like she is making administrative decisions with or in front of Congress.

Now, we did some reporting after the fact. And it turns out the Professor didn’t even realize he was under investigation. So he’s learning about this from the hearing too. So what this all adds up to, I think, is a performance so in line with what the lawmakers themselves wanted to hear, that at certain points, these Republicans didn’t quite know what to do with it. They were like the dog that caught the car.

Columbia beats Harvard and UPenn.

One of them, a Republican from Florida, I think at one point even marvelled, well, you beat Harvard and Penn.

Y’all all have done something that they weren’t able to do. You’ve been able to condemn anti-Semitism without using the phrase, it depends on the context. But the —

So Columbia’s president has passed this test before this committee.

Yeah, this big moment that tripped up her predecessors and cost them their jobs, it seems like she has cleared that hurdle and dispatched with the Congressional committee that could have been one of the biggest threats to her presidency.

Without objection, there being no further business, the committee stands adjourned. [BANGS GAVEL]

But back on campus, some of the students and faculty who had been watching the hearing came away with a very different set of conclusions. They saw a president who was so eager to please Republicans in Congress that she was willing to sell out some of the University’s students and faculty and trample on cherished ideas like academic freedom and freedom of expression that have been a bedrock of American higher education for a really long time.

And there was no clearer embodiment of that than what had happened that morning just as President Shafik was going to testify before Congress. A group of students before dawn set up tents in the middle of Columbia’s campus and declared themselves a pro-Palestinian encampment in open defiance of the very rules that Dr. Shafik had put in place to try and get these protests under control.

So these students in real-time are beginning to test some of the things that Columbia’s president has just said before Congress.

Exactly. And so instead of going to celebrate her successful appearance before Congress, Shafik walks out of the hearing room and gets in a black SUV to go right back to that war room, where she’s immediately confronted with a major dilemma. It basically boils down to this, she had just gone before Congress and told them, I’m going to get tough on these protests. And here they were. So either she gets tough and risks inflaming tension on campus or she holds back and does nothing and her words before Congress immediately look hollow.

And what does she decide?

So for the next 24 hours, she tries to negotiate off ramps. She consults with her Deans and the New York Police Department. And it all builds towards an incredibly consequential decision. And that is, for the first time in decades, to call the New York City Police Department onto campus in riot gear and break this thing up, suspend the students involved, and then arrest them.

To essentially eliminate this encampment.

Eliminate the encampment and send a message, this is not going to be tolerated. But in trying to quell the unrest, Shafik actually feeds it. She ends up leaving student protesters and the faculty who support them feeling betrayed and pushes a campus that was already on edge into a full blown crisis.

[SLOW TEMPO MUSIC]

After the break, what all of this has looked like to a student on Columbia’s campus. We’ll be right back.

[PHONE RINGS]

Is this Isabella?

Yes, this is she.

Hi, Isabella. It’s Michael Barbaro from “The Daily.”

Hi. Nice to meet you.

Earlier this week, we called Isabella Ramírez, the Editor in Chief of Columbia’s undergraduate newspaper, “The Columbia Daily Spectator,” which has been closely tracking both the protests and the University’s response to them since October 7.

So, I mean, in your mind, how do we get to this point? I wonder if you can just briefly describe the key moments that bring us to where we are right now.

Sure. Since October 7, there has certainly been constant escalation in terms of tension on campus. And there have been a variety of moves that I believe have distanced the student body, the faculty, from the University and its administration, specifically the suspension of Columbia’s chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace. And that became a huge moment in what was characterized as suppression of pro-Palestinian activism on campus, effectively rendering those groups, quote, unquote, unauthorized.

What was the college’s explanation for that?

They had cited in that suspension a policy which states that a demonstration must be approved within a certain window, and that there must be an advance notice, and that there’s a process for getting an authorized demonstration. But the primary point was this policy that they were referring to, which we later reported, was changed before the suspension.

So it felt a little ad hoc to people?

Yes, it certainly came as a surprise, especially at “Spectator.” We’re nerds of the University in the sense that we are familiar with faculty and University governance. But even to us, we had no idea where this policy was coming from. And this suspension was really the first time that it entered most students’ sphere.

Columbia’s campus is so known for its activism. And so in my time of being a reporter, of being an editor, I’ve overseen several protests. And I’ve never seen Columbia penalize a group for, quote, unquote, not authorizing a protest. So that was certainly, in our minds, unprecedented.

And I believe part of the justification there was, well, this is a different time. And I think that is a reasonable thing to say. But I think a lot of students, they felt it was particularly one-sided, that it was targeting a specific type of speech or a specific type of viewpoint. Although, the University, of course, in its explicit policies, did not outline, and was actually very explicit about not targeting specific viewpoints —

So just to be super clear, it felt to students — and it sounds like, journalistically, it felt to you — that the University was coming down in a uniquely one-sided way against students who were supporting Palestinian rights and may have expressed some frustrations with Israel in that moment.

Yes. Certainly —

Isabella says that this was just the beginning of a really tense period between student protesters and the University. After those two student groups were suspended, campus protests continued. Students made a variety of demands. They asked that the University divest from businesses that profit from Israel’s military operations in Gaza. But instead of making any progress, the protests are met with further crackdown by the University.

And so as Isabella and her colleagues at the college newspaper see it, there’s this overall chilling effect that occurs. Some students become fearful that if they participate in any demonstrations, they’re going to face disciplinary action. So fast forward now to April, when these student protesters learned that President Shafik is headed to Washington for her congressional testimony. It’s at this moment that they set out to build their encampment.

I think there was obviously a lot of intention in timing those two things. I think it’s inherently a critique on a political pressure and this congressional pressure that we saw build up against, of course, Claudine Gay at Harvard and Magill at UPenn. So I think a lot of students and faculty have been frustrated at this idea that there are not only powers at the University that are dictating what’s happening, but there are perhaps external powers that are also guiding the way here in terms of what the University feels like it must do or has to do.

And I think that timing was super crucial. Having the encampment happen on the Wednesday morning of the hearing was an incredible, in some senses, interesting strategy to direct eyes to different places.

All eyes were going to be on Shafik in DC. But now a lot of eyes are on New York. The encampment is set up in the middle of the night slash morning, prior to the hearing. And so what effectively happens is they caught Shafik when she wasn’t on campus, when a lot of senior administration had their resources dedicated to supporting Shafik in DC.

And you have all of those people not necessarily out of commission, but with their focus elsewhere. So the encampment is met with very little resistance at the beginning. There were public safety officers floating around and watching. But at the very beginning hours, I think there was a sense of, we did it.

[CHANTING]: Disclose! Divest! We will not stop! We will not rest. Disclose! Divest! We will not stop!

It would be quite surprising to anybody and an administrator to now suddenly see dozens of tents on this lawn in a way that I think very purposely puts an imagery of, we’re here to stay. As the morning evolved and congressional hearings continued —

Minouche Shafik, open your eyes! Use of force, genocide!

Then we started seeing University delegates that were coming to the encampment saying, you may face disciplinary action for continuing to be here. I think that started around almost — like 9:00 or 10:00 AM, they started handing out these code of conduct violation notices.

Hell no! Hell no! Hell no!

Then there started to be more public safety action and presence. So they started barricading the entrances. The day progressed, there was more threat of discipline. The students became informed that if they continue to stay, they will face potential academic sanctions, potential suspension.

The more they try to silence us, the louder we will be! The more they —

I think a lot of people were like, OK, you’re threatening us with suspension. But so what?

This is about these systems that Minouche Shafik, that the Board of Trustees, that Columbia University is complicit in.

What are you going to do to try to get us out of here? And that was, obviously, promptly answered.

This is the New York State Police Department.

We will not stop!

You are attempting participate in an unauthorized encampment. You will be arrested and charged with trespassing.

My phone blew up, obviously, from the reporters, from the editors, of saying, oh my god, the NYPD is on our campus. And as soon as I saw that, I came out. And I saw a huge crowd of students and affiliates on campus watching the lawns. And as I circled around that crowd, I saw the last end of the New York Police Department pulling away protesters and clearing out the last of the encampment.

[CHANTING]: We love you! We will get justice for you! We see you! We love you! We will get justice for you! We see you! We love you! We will get justice for you! We see you! We love you! We will get justice for you!

It was something truly unimaginable, over 100 students slash other individuals are arrested from our campus, forcefully removed. And although they were suspended, there was a feeling of traumatic event that has just happened to these students, but also this sense of like, OK, the worst of the worst that could have happened to us just happened.

And for those students who maybe couldn’t go back to — into campus, now all of their peers, who were supporters or are in solidarity, are — in some sense, it’s further emboldened. They’re now not just sitting on the lawns for a pro-Palestinian cause, but also for the students, who have endured quite a lot.

So the crackdown, sought by the president and enforced by the NYPD, ends up, you’re saying, becoming a galvanizing force for a broader group of Columbia students than were originally drawn to the idea of ever showing up on the center of campus and protesting?

Yeah, I can certainly speak to the fact that I’ve seen my own peers, friends, or even acquaintances, who weren’t necessarily previously very involved in activism and organizing efforts, suddenly finding themselves involved.

Can I — I just have a question for you, which is all journalism, student journalism or not student journalism, is a first draft of history. And I wonder if we think of this as a historic moment for Columbia, how you imagine it’s going to be remembered.

Yeah, there is no doubt in my mind that this will be a historic moment for Colombia.

I think that this will be remembered as a moment in which the fractures were laid bare. Really, we got to see some of the disunity of the community in ways that I have never really seen it before. And what we’ll be looking to is, where do we go from here? How does Colombia repair? How do we heal from all of this? so That is the big question in terms of what will happen.

Nick, Isabella Ramírez just walked us through what this has all looked like from the perspective of a Columbia student. And from what she could tell, the crackdown ordered by President Shafik did not quell much of anything. It seemed, instead, to really intensify everything on campus. I’m curious what this has looked like for Shafik.

It’s not just the students who are upset. You have faculty, including professors, who are not necessarily sympathetic to the protesters’ view of the war, who are really outraged about what Shafik has done here. They feel that she’s crossed a boundary that hasn’t been crossed on Columbia’s campus in a really long time.

And so you start to hear things by the end of last week like censure, no confidence votes, questions from her own professors about whether or not she can stay in power. So this creates a whole new front for her. And on top of it all, as this is going on, the encampment itself starts to reform tent-by-tent —

— almost in the same place that it was. And Shafik decides that the most important thing she could do is to try and take the temperature down, which means letting the encampment stand. Or in other words, leaning in the other direction. This time, we’re going to let the protesters have their say for a little while longer.

The problem with that is that, over the weekend, a series of images start to emerge from on campus and just off of it of some really troubling anti-Semitic episodes. In one case, a guy holds up a poster in the middle of campus and points it towards a group of Jewish students who are counter protesting. And it says, I’m paraphrasing here, Hamas’ next targets.

I saw an image of that. What it seemed to evoke was the message that Hamas should murder those Jewish students. That’s the way the Jewish students interpreted it.

It’s a pretty straightforward and jarring statement. At the same time, just outside of Columbia’s closed gates —

Stop killing children!

— protestors are showing up from across New York City. It’s hard to tell who’s affiliated with Columbia, who’s not.

Go back to Poland! Go back to Poland!

There’s a video that goes viral of one of them shouting at Jewish students, go back to Poland, go back to Europe.

In other words, a clear message, you’re not welcome here.

Right. In fact, go back to the places where the Holocaust was committed.

Exactly. And this is not representative of the vast majority of the protesters in the encampment, who mostly had been peaceful. They would later hold a Seder, actually, with some of the pro-Palestinian Jewish protesters in their ranks. But those videos are reaching members of Congress, the very same Republicans that Shafik had testified in front of just a few days before. And now they’re looking and saying, you have lost control of your campus, you’ve turned back on your word to us, and you need to resign.

They call for her outright resignation over this.

That’s right. Republicans in New York and across the country began to call for her to step down from her position as president of Columbia.

So Shafik’s dilemma here is pretty extraordinary. She has set up this dynamic where pleasing these members of Congress would probably mean calling in the NYPD all over again to sweep out this encampment, which would mean further alienating and inflaming students and faculty, who are still very upset over the first crackdown. And now both ends of this spectrum, lawmakers in Washington, folks on the Columbia campus, are saying she can’t lead the University over this situation before she’s even made any fateful decision about what to do with this second encampment. Not a good situation.

No. She’s besieged on all sides. For a while, the only thing that she can come up with to offer is for classes to go hybrid for the remainder of the semester.

So students who aren’t feeling safe in this protest environment don’t necessarily have to go to class.

Right. And I think if we zoom out for a second, it’s worth bearing in mind that she tried to choose a different path here than her counterparts at Harvard or Penn. And after all of this, she’s kind of ended up in the exact same thicket, with people calling for her job with the White House, the Mayor of New York City, and others. These are Democrats. Maybe not calling on her to resign quite yet, but saying, I don’t know what’s going on your campus. This does not look good.

That reality, that taking a different tack that was supposed to be full of learnings and lessons from the stumbles of her peers, the fact that didn’t really work suggests that there’s something really intractable going on here. And I wonder how you’re thinking about this intractable situation that’s now arrived on these college campuses.

Well, I don’t think it’s just limited to college campuses. We have seen intense feelings about this conflict play out in Hollywood. We’ve seen them in our politics in all kinds of interesting ways.

In our media.

We’ve seen it in the media. But college campuses, at least in their most idealized form, are something special. They’re a place where students get to go for four years to think in big ways about moral questions, and political questions, and ideas that help shape the world they’re going to spend the rest of their lives in.

And so when you have a question that feels as urgent as this war does for a lot of people, I think it reverberates in an incredibly intense way on those campuses. And there’s something like — I don’t know if it’s quite a contradiction of terms, but there’s a collision of different values at stake. So universities thrive on the ability of students to follow their minds and their voices where they go, to maybe even experiment a little bit and find those things.

But there are also communities that rely on people being able to trust each other and being able to carry out their classes and their academic endeavors as a collective so they can learn from one another. So in this case, that’s all getting scrambled. Students who feel strongly about the Palestinian cause feel like the point is disruption, that something so big, and immediate, and urgent is happening that they need to get in the faces of their professors, and their administrators, and their fellow students.

Right. And set up an encampment in the middle of campus, no matter what the rules say.

Right. And from the administration’s perspective, they say, well, yeah, you can say that and you can think that. And that’s an important process. But maybe there’s some bad apples in your ranks. Or though you may have good intentions, you’re saying things that you don’t realize the implications of. And they’re making this environment unsafe for others. Or they’re grinding our classes to a halt and we’re not able to function as a University.

So the only way we’re going to be able to move forward is if you will respect our rules and we’ll respect your point of view. The problem is that’s just not happening. Something is not connecting with those two points of view. And as if that’s not hard enough, you then have Congress and the political system with its own agenda coming in and putting its thumb on a scale of an already very difficult situation.

Right. And at this very moment, what we know is that the forces that you just outlined have created a dilemma, an uncertainty of how to proceed, not just for President Shafik and the students and faculty at Columbia, but for a growing number of colleges and universities across the country. And by that, I mean, this thing that seemed to start at Columbia is literally spreading.

Absolutely. We’re talking on a Wednesday afternoon. And these encampments have now started cropping up at universities from coast-to-coast, at Harvard and Yale, but also at University of California, at the University of Texas, at smaller campuses in between. And at each of these institutions, there’s presidents and deans, just like President Shafik at Columbia, who are facing a really difficult set of choices. Do they call in the police? The University of Texas in Austin this afternoon, we saw protesters physically clashing with police.

Do they hold back, like at Harvard, where there were dramatic videos of students literally running into Harvard yard with tents. They were popping up in real-time. And so Columbia, really, I think, at the end of the day, may have kicked off some of this. But they are now in league with a whole bunch of other universities that are struggling with the same set of questions. And it’s a set of questions that they’ve had since this war broke out.

And now these schools only have a week or two left of classes. But we don’t know when these standoffs are going to end. We don’t know if students are going to leave campus for the summer. We don’t know if they’re going to come back in the fall and start protesting right away, or if this year is going to turn out to have been an aberration that was a response to a really awful, bloody war, or if we’re at the beginning of a bigger shift on college campuses that will long outlast this war in the Middle East.

Well, Nick, thank you very much. Thanks for having me, Michael.

We’ll be right back.

Here’s what else you need to know today. The United Nations is calling for an independent investigation into two mass graves found after Israeli forces withdrew from hospitals in Gaza. Officials in Gaza said that some of the bodies found in the graves were Palestinians who had been handcuffed or shot in the head and accused Israel of killing and burying them. In response, Israel said that its soldiers had exhumed bodies in one of the graves as part of an effort to locate Israeli hostages.

And on Wednesday, Hamas released a video of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli-American dual citizen, whom Hamas has held hostage since October 7. It was the first time that he has been shown alive since his captivity began. His kidnapping was the subject of a “Daily” episode in October that featured his mother, Rachel. In response to Hamas’s video, Rachel issued a video of her own, in which she spoke directly to her son.

And, Hersh, if you can hear this, we heard your voice today for the first time in 201 days. And if you can hear us, I am telling you, we are telling you, we love you. Stay strong. Survive.

Today’s episode was produced by Sydney Harper, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Olivia Natt, Nina Feldman, and Summer Thomad, with help from Michael Simon Johnson. It was edited by Devon Taylor and Lisa Chow, contains research help by Susan Lee, original music by Marion Lozano and Dan Powell, and was engineered by Chris Wood. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. That’s it for “The Daily.” I’m Michael Barbaro. See you tomorrow.

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Featuring Nicholas Fandos

Produced by Sydney Harper ,  Asthaa Chaturvedi ,  Olivia Natt ,  Nina Feldman and Summer Thomad

With Michael Simon Johnson

Edited by Devon Taylor and Lisa Chow

Original music by Marion Lozano and Dan Powell

Engineered by Chris Wood

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Columbia University has become the epicenter of a growing showdown between student protesters, college administrators and Congress over the war in Gaza and the limits of free speech.

Nicholas Fandos, who covers New York politics and government for The Times, walks us through the intense week at the university. And Isabella Ramírez, the editor in chief of Columbia’s undergraduate newspaper, explains what it has all looked like to a student on campus.

On today’s episode

Nicholas Fandos , who covers New York politics and government for The New York Times

Isabella Ramírez , editor in chief of The Columbia Daily Spectator

A university building during the early morning hours. Tents are set up on the front lawn. Banners are displayed on the hedges.

Background reading

Inside the week that shook Columbia University .

The protests at the university continued after more than 100 arrests.

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We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode’s publication. You can find them at the top of the page.

Research help by Susan Lee .

The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Mike Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, John Ketchum, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Dan Farrell, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Summer Thomad, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Sofia Milan, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Renan Borelli, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson and Nina Lassam.

Nicholas Fandos is a Times reporter covering New York politics and government. More about Nicholas Fandos

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