Wedding Speech Length Calculator
Set your target speech length and speaking pace to find out how many words to write, including a buffer for natural pauses and laughs.
About this calculator
Calculate the ideal word count and estimated delivery time for a wedding speech based on your target speaking duration and pace.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should a wedding speech be?
Most wedding speeches (best man, maid of honor, father of the bride) run 3-5 minutes. Longer than 7 minutes tends to lose audience attention.
Why include a pause buffer in the word count?
Real speeches include pauses for laughter, applause, emotion, and emphasis, so the actual spoken word count needs to be lower than a straight words-per-minute calculation to hit your target time.
What speaking pace should I use?
Most people speak more slowly and deliberately during a speech than in casual conversation, especially if nervous, so a conversational pace of 120-140 wpm is a safe default estimate.