Speaking Speed Test
How fast do you talk? Read a short passage aloud or just talk, and get your speaking rate in words per minute, next to typical rates for conversation and podcasts.
The train to the coast leaves at a quarter past nine, but nobody at the station seemed sure which platform it would use. I asked a woman selling coffee, and she pointed at a board I had walked past twice. Platform four, she said, and then she told me to buy my ticket from the machine, because the office would not open until ten. The machine took cards but not the one I had. In the end a teenager behind me showed me the button for cash, counted out my change, and wished me a good trip before running for his own train.
103 words
Press start, read the passage aloud at your normal pace, and press stop on the last word.
your speaking rate
—
words per minute
typical rates
- Under 110Slow, deliberate
- 110–150Conversation, presentations
- 150–180Podcasts, audiobooks
- Over 180Very fast
<!-- how it works -->
Two ways to measure your pace
Reading a fixed passage gives a clean, repeatable number. Talking freely gives a truer one, because real speech has pauses, restarts and ums. Try both and the gap between them is interesting in itself.
- 01
Pick a mode
Read aloud works in every browser with no microphone. Talk freely counts the words you say.
- 02
Speak normally
Don’t perform. Use the pace you would use with a friend or a colleague.
- 03
Read your result
Your words per minute, and where that sits among typical speaking rates.
<!-- questions -->
Common questions
What is a normal speaking speed?
Most people talk at roughly 110 to 150 words per minute in conversation and presentations. Podcasts and audiobooks usually run faster, around 150 to 180. The exact figures vary by speaker, language and situation, so treat these as ranges, not targets.
How is words per minute calculated?
Words spoken divided by the time taken, scaled to one minute. In Read aloud mode the word count of the passage is known, so only your time is measured. In Talk freely mode the browser counts the words it recognises, starting the clock on your first word.
Is reading aloud the same as talking?
Not quite. Most people read aloud a little faster and more evenly than they talk, because they do not stop to think about what to say next. Use Talk freely for a figure closer to your conversational pace.
What speaking speed is best for non-native listeners?
Slower than you think: around 100 to 120 words per minute, with short sentences and clear pauses between them. The same applies when someone is interpreting or a translation app is translating as you speak.
Is my voice recorded?
Read aloud mode uses only a stopwatch — no microphone at all. Talk freely uses your browser’s built-in speech recognition, which in Chrome, Edge and Safari is processed by the browser maker’s speech service. Nothing is sent to OmniTalk.
<!-- omnitalk -->
Talk at your own speed — in any language
OmniTalk translates while you speak, sentence by sentence, in 60+ languages. Its PRO speech engine is built for fast talkers and noisy streets, so you don’t have to slow down for the app — only for the person listening.
<!-- more free tools -->