rate meaning in speech

Module 8: Delivering Your Speech

Articulation, pitch, and rate, learning objectives.

Identify techniques to use effective articulation.
Identify effective rates of speaking.

Articulation

Once you’ve mastered controlling your breath as you speak, next let’s look at how you speak. If you have ever had someone ask you to repeat a word, you may suffer from poor diction. Articulation , or diction , is what helps the listener not just hear the spoken word but also understand it.

Articulation is how clearly the speaker pronounces words. When some sounds are slurred together or dropped out of a word, the word may not be understood by the audience. To use proper articulation, a speaker must use their articulators : tongue, teeth, and lips. When a speaker uses improper diction, the hearer cannot make out the word spoken and often requests a repeat of what was said. In public speaking, a hearer cannot request a repeat and therefore poor articulation can make a listener tune out. It is important to say all parts of the word in order to speak clearly. This often requires slowing down your speaking pace , more on that topic to follow, and using your lips, teeth, and tongue to their full capacity.

Tongue twisters are a great way to force the speaker to slow down and pronounce each part of the word. Try saying, “Seven silly swans swam silently seaward” three times quickly. If that was easy for you, s’s may be your forte! Each individual speaker will struggle with certain sounds specific to them, or have developed a regionalism that makes them pronounce a word the way they’ve always heard it that doesn’t work in other parts of the country. A technique to making sure your speech isn’t affected by problem words is to note which sounds are struggles and circling the parts of the word on the speech outline. This serves as a reminder to take extra care when speaking that word out loud. Identifying these barriers to communication will improve the understanding of the audience and give polish to your speech.

In addition to speaking clearly, finding vocal variety in your speaking voice will help the audience stay awake. A voice that lacks variety can be described as monotone. In comedies, teachers are often portrayed as having a monotone voice, as in this famous scene in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off :

You can view the transcript for “Bueller Bueller Bueller” here (opens in new window) .

When the audience hears a monotone voice, they don’t stay engaged.

Much like a keyboard, your voice has many notes to it called pitches. Your voice can speak on higher notes and lower notes much like when someone sings. To explore the notes in your voice, try this exercise. Stand up on your toes and lift your hands in the air. Say ah at the highest point of your voice, which makes sound come out, and drop your wrists, elbows, and head over as you slide down to your lowest note. Reverse it and come back up trying to go higher and lower each time. Having discovered how much pitch variety you have to work with, you can now put arrows into your speech outline reminding you to raise the pitch or lower it on some words or phrases to be more effective.

Chicago rapper Twista can clock 280 words per minute or 598 syllables in 55 seconds (a Guinness record). Don’t try to do this in your speech.

Next to being loud enough, the most commonly identified speech problem is speaking too quickly. Raise your hand if you’ve ever been told you’re a fast talker. Controlling the rate at which one speaks is often one of the most challenging things a speaker has to do. When nerves kick in, it can be really hard to pull back on the speed that you’re talking at as sometimes you just want to finish and get out of the spotlight. Speaking too quickly can also make your audience tune out from listening to the speech. You’ve put all this time into the speech, so let’s make sure the audience hears it. According to The National Center for Voice and Speech, the average speaking rate for English speakers in the U.S. is around 150 words per minute. In a public speaking situation, you’ll want to speak slower than average, around 125–150 words per minute.

One of the ways to control your rate of speech is to make sure you are taking enough breaths. As we discussed before, if you lose control of your breathing, the rate of speech also gets out of control. One of the ways to make sure you breathe enough is to place a mark next to the word in a sentence on your outline to remind yourself to breathe there. A backwards slash (/) is a good signal to use. In order to see if the breaths selected work, read it out loud. If you find yourself gasping for air at the end of that sentence, there should be another breath added. Punctuations are the clues for where to breathe in a sentence too, so let those be your guide.

Recording yourself is one way to get a sense of how quickly you’re going. Play the recording back and listen to see if you can hear and understand every word. If not, write notes on your notecards that say SLOW DOWN or BREATHE to remind yourself to do so. Once you’ve mastered a controlled rate of speech, then you are able to play with speeding up and slowing down certain sections. Finding this variety of speed will further engage your audience. Think about telling the climax of a story. Sometimes you pause at certain moments to build suspense. That’s what you want to do in public speaking too. Sometimes you speed up to tell a story with momentum so the audience goes along for the ride too. Finding variety in your rate can be thrilling and the icing to a great speech.

To watch: Rébecca Kleinberger, “Why you don’t like the sound of your own voice”

In this talk, MIT voice expert and researcher Rébecca Kleinberger talks about the three voices humans have: the outward voice, the inward voice, and the inner voice. Kleinberger’s account here helps to explain why our own voice—which we hear all the time—sounds so unfamiliar to us when we hear it in a recording. It also speaks to the need to practice listening to your voice in recordings.

You can view the transcript for “Why you don’t like the sound of your own voice | Rébecca Kleinberger” here (opens in new window) .

What to watch for:

Kleinberger’s speech is fascinating, and offers a great deal of insight into the way we perceive (or fail to perceive) our own voices. Interestingly, although she speaks at length about why we don’t recognize our voice, Kleinberger doesn’t really answer the question of why we don’t like our voices. At the end of the speech, some listeners may still be wondering why they don’t like the voice they hear in recordings of themselves, and what they could do about it. This should serve as a reminder that if you have a catchy title with a question in it, you have to make sure you answer the question in your speech!

Twista. Authored by : Adam Bielawski. Located at : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twista#/media/File:Twista_101109_photoby_Adam-Bielawski.jpg . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
Bueller Bueller Bueller. Authored by : blc3211. Located at : https://youtu.be/f4zyjLyBp64 . License : Other . License Terms : Standard YouTube License
Why you don't like the sound of your own voice | Rebecca Kleinberger. Provided by : TED. Located at : https://youtu.be/g3vSYbT1Aco . License : Other . License Terms : Standard YouTube License
Articulation, Pitch, and Rate. Authored by : Misti Wills with Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution

Rate of Speech

Published Date : November 5, 2020

Reading Time :

Rate of Speech  Rate of speech, also known as speaking rate or tempo, refers to the speed at which you speak, measured in words per minute (wpm). It plays a crucial role in effective communication, impacting comprehension, engagement, and overall delivery in various contexts, including public speaking. While speech coaches can offer personalized guidance, public speaking courses can also provide valuable techniques for controlling your speaking rate for clear and impactful communication. <h2 data-sourcepos="5:1-5:39">Factors Influencing Rate of Speech:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="7:1-11:0"> <li data-sourcepos="7:1-7:100">Nervousness: Anxiety can increase speaking rate, making it harder for listeners to understand.</li> <li data-sourcepos="8:1-8:100">Complexity of information: Technical vocabulary or complex concepts may require a slower pace.</li> <li data-sourcepos="9:1-9:97">Target audience: Tailor your rate to the audience's understanding level and cultural norms.</li> <li data-sourcepos="10:1-11:0">Purpose of the speech: Informative speeches benefit from a moderate pace, while persuasive speeches might involve strategic variations.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="12:1-12:25">Ideal Rate of Speech:</h2> There's no single "perfect" rate, depending on various factors. However, research suggests an ideal range between 150-180 wpm for optimal comprehension and engagement in general communication. This range may vary in public speaking depending on the specific context and purpose. <h2 data-sourcepos="16:1-16:44">Benefits of a Controlled Rate of Speech:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="18:1-22:0"> <li data-sourcepos="18:1-18:109">Improved clarity and understanding: Allows listeners to process information easily, reducing confusion.</li> <li data-sourcepos="19:1-19:103">Enhanced emphasis and impact: Strategic slowing down can highlight key points and evoke emotions.</li> <li data-sourcepos="20:1-20:99">Increased audience engagement: A balanced pace keeps listeners focused and prevents tune-out.</li> <li data-sourcepos="21:1-22:0">Greater credibility and professionalism: Projects confidence and control over your message.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="23:1-23:40">Tips for Controlling Rate of Speech:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="25:1-31:0"> <li data-sourcepos="25:1-25:109">Be mindful of your pace: Pay attention to how fast you speak and consciously slow down if needed.</li> <li data-sourcepos="26:1-26:94">Practice with a recording: Listen back to identify areas where you can adjust your rate.</li> <li data-sourcepos="27:1-27:110">Use pauses effectively: Strategic pauses for emphasis and audience reflection can also pace your speech.</li> <li data-sourcepos="28:1-28:100">Focus on breathing: Deep breaths help control vocal cords and naturally slow your speech.</li> <li data-sourcepos="29:1-29:102">Join a public speaking course: Gain feedback and practice exercises to refine your pace control.</li> <li data-sourcepos="30:1-31:0">Consider working with a speech coach: They can provide personalized guidance and tailored techniques for specific settings.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="32:1-32:348">Remember:</h2> The rate of speech is a powerful tool for optimizing communication. By understanding its importance, mastering pace control through dedicated practice, and considering resources like public speaking courses and speech coaches, you can deliver your message with clarity and impact and connect with your audience more effectively.  " href="https://orai.com/glossary/rate-of-speech/" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link">Rate of speech , also known as speaking rate or tempo, refers to the speed at which you speak, measured in words per minute (wpm). It plays a crucial role in effective communication, impacting comprehension, engagement, and overall delivery in various contexts, including Public Speaking  Public speaking refers to any live presentation or speech. It can cover a variety of topics on various fields and careers (you can find out more about public speaking careers here: https://orai.com/blog/public-speaking-careers/. Public speaking can inform, entertain, or educate an audience and sometimes has visual aids.   Public speaking is done live, so the speakers need to consider certain factors to deliver a successful speech. No matter how good the speech is, if the audience doesn't connect with the speaker, then it may fall flat. Therefore, speakers have to use a lot more nonverbal communication techniques to deliver their message.   <h2>Tips for public speaking</h2>   <ul> <li>Have a sense of humor.</li> <li>Tell personal stories that relate to the speech you're giving.</li> <li>Dress appropriately for the event. Formal and business casual outfits work best.</li> <li>Project a confident and expressive voice.</li> <li>Always try to use simple language that everyone can understand.</li> <li>Stick to the time given to you.</li> <li>Maintain eye contact with members of your audience and try to connect with them.</li> </ul>  " href="https://orai.com/glossary/public-speaking/" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link">public speaking . While speech coaches can offer personalized guidance, public speaking courses can also provide valuable techniques for controlling your speaking rate for clear and impactful communication.

Factors Influencing Rate of Speech:

Nervousness: Anxiety can increase speaking rate, making it harder for listeners to understand.
Complexity of information: Technical vocabulary or complex concepts may require a slower pace.
Target audience: Tailor your rate to the audience’s understanding level and cultural norms.
Purpose of the Speech A form of communication involving spoken language, it is used to express ideas, share information, tell stories, persuade, or entertain. Public speaking is a powerful tool used in diverse contexts, ranging from casual conversations to formal presentations. <h2 data-sourcepos="5:1-5:27">Components of a Speech:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="7:1-10:0"> <li data-sourcepos="7:1-7:73">Content: The information, message, or story conveyed through words.</li> <li data-sourcepos="8:1-8:106">Delivery: The vocal and physical presentation, including clarity, volume, gestures, and eye contact.</li> <li data-sourcepos="9:1-10:0">Structure: The organization of the content, typically following an introduction, body, and conclusion.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="11:1-11:21">Speech in Action:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="13:1-17:0"> <li data-sourcepos="13:1-13:88">Informing: Sharing knowledge and facts, educating an audience on a specific topic.</li> <li data-sourcepos="14:1-14:119">Persuading: Advocating for a particular viewpoint, using arguments and evidence to influence thoughts or actions.</li> <li data-sourcepos="15:1-15:93">Motivating: Inspiring and energizing an audience, fostering action and positive change.</li> <li data-sourcepos="16:1-17:0">Entertaining: Engaging and delighting an audience through humor, storytelling, or creative language.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="18:1-18:32">Public Speaking and Anxiety:</h2> Many people experience public speaking anxiety, a fear of speaking in front of an audience. While it's common, effective preparation, practice, and breathing techniques can significantly reduce anxiety and improve delivery. <h2 data-sourcepos="22:1-22:32">Different Types of Speeches:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="24:1-28:0"> <li data-sourcepos="24:1-24:81">Informative speech: Focuses on conveying information clearly and concisely.</li> <li data-sourcepos="25:1-25:102">Persuasive speech: Aims to convince the audience to adopt a particular viewpoint or take action.</li> <li data-sourcepos="26:1-26:99">Motivational speech: Inspires and energizes the audience, building enthusiasm and commitment.</li> <li data-sourcepos="27:1-28:0">Entertaining speech: Aim to amuse and delight the audience, often using humor, storytelling, or anecdotes.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="29:1-29:33">Crafting a Compelling Speech:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="31:1-35:0"> <li data-sourcepos="31:1-31:106">Know your audience: Tailor your content and delivery to their interests, needs, and prior knowledge.</li> <li data-sourcepos="32:1-32:107">Have a clear message: Identify the main point you want to convey and structure your speech around it.</li> <li data-sourcepos="33:1-33:111">Engage your audience: Use varied vocal techniques, storytelling, and visual aids to keep them interested.</li> <li data-sourcepos="34:1-35:0">Practice, practice, practice: Rehearse your speech out loud to refine your delivery and build confidence.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="36:1-36:13">Remember:</h2> Speech is a powerful tool for communication, connection, and influence. By understanding its elements, addressing potential anxieties, and tailoring your delivery to different contexts, you can harness the power of speech to achieve your intended goals and captivate your audience. " href="https://orai.com/glossary/speech/" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link">speech : Informative speeches benefit from a moderate pace, while persuasive speeches might involve strategic variations.

Ideal Rate of Speech:

There’s no single “perfect” rate, depending on various factors. However, research suggests an ideal range between 150-180 wpm for optimal comprehension and engagement in general communication. This range may vary in Public Speaking  Public speaking refers to any live presentation or speech. It can cover a variety of topics on various fields and careers (you can find out more about public speaking careers here: https://orai.com/blog/public-speaking-careers/. Public speaking can inform, entertain, or educate an audience and sometimes has visual aids.   Public speaking is done live, so the speakers need to consider certain factors to deliver a successful speech. No matter how good the speech is, if the audience doesn't connect with the speaker, then it may fall flat. Therefore, speakers have to use a lot more nonverbal communication techniques to deliver their message.   <h2>Tips for public speaking</h2>   <ul> <li>Have a sense of humor.</li> <li>Tell personal stories that relate to the speech you're giving.</li> <li>Dress appropriately for the event. Formal and business casual outfits work best.</li> <li>Project a confident and expressive voice.</li> <li>Always try to use simple language that everyone can understand.</li> <li>Stick to the time given to you.</li> <li>Maintain eye contact with members of your audience and try to connect with them.</li> </ul>  " href="https://orai.com/glossary/public-speaking/" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link">public speaking depending on the specific context and purpose.

Benefits of a Controlled Rate of Speech:

Improved clarity and understanding: Allows listeners to process information easily, reducing confusion.
Enhanced emphasis and impact: Strategic slowing down can highlight key points and evoke emotions.
Increased audience engagement: A balanced pace keeps listeners focused and prevents tune-out.
Greater credibility and professionalism: Projects Confidence In the context of public speaking, confidence refers to the belief in one's ability to communicate effectively and deliver one's message with clarity and impact. It encompasses various elements, including self-belief, composure, and the ability to manage one's fear of public speaking. <h2 data-sourcepos="5:1-5:16">Key Aspects:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="7:1-12:0"> <li data-sourcepos="7:1-7:108">Self-belief: A strong conviction in your knowledge, skills, and ability to connect with your audience.</li> <li data-sourcepos="8:1-8:95">Composure: Maintaining calmness and poise under pressure, even in challenging situations.</li> <li data-sourcepos="9:1-9:100">Assertiveness: Expressing your ideas clearly and concisely, avoiding hesitation or self-doubt.</li> <li data-sourcepos="10:1-10:104">Positive self-talk: Countering negative thoughts with affirmations and focusing on your strengths.</li> <li data-sourcepos="11:1-12:0">Strong body language: Using gestures, posture, and eye contact that project confidence and professionalism.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="13:1-13:27">Benefits of Confidence:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="15:1-19:0"> <li data-sourcepos="15:1-15:99">Reduced anxiety: Feeling confident helps manage fear of public speaking and stage fright.</li> <li data-sourcepos="16:1-16:133">Engaging delivery: Confident speakers project their voices, hold eye contact, and connect with their audience more effectively.</li> <li data-sourcepos="17:1-17:137">Increased persuasiveness: A confident presentation inspires belief and motivates your audience to listen and remember your message.</li> <li data-sourcepos="18:1-19:0">Greater impact: Confidently delivered speeches leave a lasting impression and achieve desired outcomes.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="20:1-20:15">Challenges:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="22:1-26:0"> <li data-sourcepos="22:1-22:112">Overcoming fear of public speaking: Many people experience some level of anxiety when speaking publicly.</li> <li data-sourcepos="23:1-23:101">Imposter syndrome: Doubting your abilities and qualifications, even when objectively qualified.</li> <li data-sourcepos="24:1-24:92">Negative self-talk: Internalized criticism and limiting beliefs can hamper confidence.</li> <li data-sourcepos="25:1-26:0">Past negative experiences: Unsuccessful presentations or negative feedback can erode confidence.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="27:1-27:24">Building Confidence:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="29:1-36:0"> <li data-sourcepos="29:1-29:102">Practice and preparation: Thoroughly rehearse your speech to feel comfortable with the material.</li> <li data-sourcepos="30:1-30:101">Visualization: Imagine yourself delivering a successful presentation with confidence and poise.</li> <li data-sourcepos="31:1-31:100">Positive self-talk: Actively replace negative thoughts with affirmations about your abilities.</li> <li data-sourcepos="32:1-32:106">Seek feedback: Ask trusted individuals for constructive criticism and use it to improve your skills.</li> <li data-sourcepos="33:1-33:157">Consider a speaking coach: Working with a coach can provide personalized guidance and support to address specific challenges and confidence barriers.</li> <li data-sourcepos="34:1-34:114">Start small: Gradually increase the size and complexity of your speaking engagements as you gain experience.</li> <li data-sourcepos="35:1-36:0">Focus on progress: Celebrate small successes and acknowledge your improvement over time.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="37:1-37:282">Remember:</h2> Confidence in public speaking is a journey, not a destination. By actively practicing, embracing feedback, and focusing on your strengths, you can overcome fear of public speaking and develop the confidence to deliver impactful and memorable presentations. " href="https://orai.com/glossary/confidence/" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link">confidence and control over your message.

Tips for Controlling Rate of Speech:

Be mindful of your pace: Pay attention to how fast you speak and consciously slow down if needed.
Practice with a recording: Listen back to identify areas where you can adjust your rate.
Use pauses effectively: Strategic pauses for emphasis and audience reflection can also pace your Speech A form of communication involving spoken language, it is used to express ideas, share information, tell stories, persuade, or entertain. Public speaking is a powerful tool used in diverse contexts, ranging from casual conversations to formal presentations. <h2 data-sourcepos="5:1-5:27">Components of a Speech:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="7:1-10:0"> <li data-sourcepos="7:1-7:73">Content: The information, message, or story conveyed through words.</li> <li data-sourcepos="8:1-8:106">Delivery: The vocal and physical presentation, including clarity, volume, gestures, and eye contact.</li> <li data-sourcepos="9:1-10:0">Structure: The organization of the content, typically following an introduction, body, and conclusion.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="11:1-11:21">Speech in Action:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="13:1-17:0"> <li data-sourcepos="13:1-13:88">Informing: Sharing knowledge and facts, educating an audience on a specific topic.</li> <li data-sourcepos="14:1-14:119">Persuading: Advocating for a particular viewpoint, using arguments and evidence to influence thoughts or actions.</li> <li data-sourcepos="15:1-15:93">Motivating: Inspiring and energizing an audience, fostering action and positive change.</li> <li data-sourcepos="16:1-17:0">Entertaining: Engaging and delighting an audience through humor, storytelling, or creative language.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="18:1-18:32">Public Speaking and Anxiety:</h2> Many people experience public speaking anxiety, a fear of speaking in front of an audience. While it's common, effective preparation, practice, and breathing techniques can significantly reduce anxiety and improve delivery. <h2 data-sourcepos="22:1-22:32">Different Types of Speeches:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="24:1-28:0"> <li data-sourcepos="24:1-24:81">Informative speech: Focuses on conveying information clearly and concisely.</li> <li data-sourcepos="25:1-25:102">Persuasive speech: Aims to convince the audience to adopt a particular viewpoint or take action.</li> <li data-sourcepos="26:1-26:99">Motivational speech: Inspires and energizes the audience, building enthusiasm and commitment.</li> <li data-sourcepos="27:1-28:0">Entertaining speech: Aim to amuse and delight the audience, often using humor, storytelling, or anecdotes.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="29:1-29:33">Crafting a Compelling Speech:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="31:1-35:0"> <li data-sourcepos="31:1-31:106">Know your audience: Tailor your content and delivery to their interests, needs, and prior knowledge.</li> <li data-sourcepos="32:1-32:107">Have a clear message: Identify the main point you want to convey and structure your speech around it.</li> <li data-sourcepos="33:1-33:111">Engage your audience: Use varied vocal techniques, storytelling, and visual aids to keep them interested.</li> <li data-sourcepos="34:1-35:0">Practice, practice, practice: Rehearse your speech out loud to refine your delivery and build confidence.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="36:1-36:13">Remember:</h2> Speech is a powerful tool for communication, connection, and influence. By understanding its elements, addressing potential anxieties, and tailoring your delivery to different contexts, you can harness the power of speech to achieve your intended goals and captivate your audience. " href="https://orai.com/glossary/speech/" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link">speech .
Focus on breathing: Deep breaths help control vocal cords and naturally slow your Speech A form of communication involving spoken language, it is used to express ideas, share information, tell stories, persuade, or entertain. Public speaking is a powerful tool used in diverse contexts, ranging from casual conversations to formal presentations. <h2 data-sourcepos="5:1-5:27">Components of a Speech:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="7:1-10:0"> <li data-sourcepos="7:1-7:73">Content: The information, message, or story conveyed through words.</li> <li data-sourcepos="8:1-8:106">Delivery: The vocal and physical presentation, including clarity, volume, gestures, and eye contact.</li> <li data-sourcepos="9:1-10:0">Structure: The organization of the content, typically following an introduction, body, and conclusion.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="11:1-11:21">Speech in Action:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="13:1-17:0"> <li data-sourcepos="13:1-13:88">Informing: Sharing knowledge and facts, educating an audience on a specific topic.</li> <li data-sourcepos="14:1-14:119">Persuading: Advocating for a particular viewpoint, using arguments and evidence to influence thoughts or actions.</li> <li data-sourcepos="15:1-15:93">Motivating: Inspiring and energizing an audience, fostering action and positive change.</li> <li data-sourcepos="16:1-17:0">Entertaining: Engaging and delighting an audience through humor, storytelling, or creative language.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="18:1-18:32">Public Speaking and Anxiety:</h2> Many people experience public speaking anxiety, a fear of speaking in front of an audience. While it's common, effective preparation, practice, and breathing techniques can significantly reduce anxiety and improve delivery. <h2 data-sourcepos="22:1-22:32">Different Types of Speeches:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="24:1-28:0"> <li data-sourcepos="24:1-24:81">Informative speech: Focuses on conveying information clearly and concisely.</li> <li data-sourcepos="25:1-25:102">Persuasive speech: Aims to convince the audience to adopt a particular viewpoint or take action.</li> <li data-sourcepos="26:1-26:99">Motivational speech: Inspires and energizes the audience, building enthusiasm and commitment.</li> <li data-sourcepos="27:1-28:0">Entertaining speech: Aim to amuse and delight the audience, often using humor, storytelling, or anecdotes.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="29:1-29:33">Crafting a Compelling Speech:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="31:1-35:0"> <li data-sourcepos="31:1-31:106">Know your audience: Tailor your content and delivery to their interests, needs, and prior knowledge.</li> <li data-sourcepos="32:1-32:107">Have a clear message: Identify the main point you want to convey and structure your speech around it.</li> <li data-sourcepos="33:1-33:111">Engage your audience: Use varied vocal techniques, storytelling, and visual aids to keep them interested.</li> <li data-sourcepos="34:1-35:0">Practice, practice, practice: Rehearse your speech out loud to refine your delivery and build confidence.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="36:1-36:13">Remember:</h2> Speech is a powerful tool for communication, connection, and influence. By understanding its elements, addressing potential anxieties, and tailoring your delivery to different contexts, you can harness the power of speech to achieve your intended goals and captivate your audience. " href="https://orai.com/glossary/speech/" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link">speech .
Join a Public Speaking  Public speaking refers to any live presentation or speech. It can cover a variety of topics on various fields and careers (you can find out more about public speaking careers here: https://orai.com/blog/public-speaking-careers/. Public speaking can inform, entertain, or educate an audience and sometimes has visual aids.   Public speaking is done live, so the speakers need to consider certain factors to deliver a successful speech. No matter how good the speech is, if the audience doesn't connect with the speaker, then it may fall flat. Therefore, speakers have to use a lot more nonverbal communication techniques to deliver their message.   <h2>Tips for public speaking</h2>   <ul> <li>Have a sense of humor.</li> <li>Tell personal stories that relate to the speech you're giving.</li> <li>Dress appropriately for the event. Formal and business casual outfits work best.</li> <li>Project a confident and expressive voice.</li> <li>Always try to use simple language that everyone can understand.</li> <li>Stick to the time given to you.</li> <li>Maintain eye contact with members of your audience and try to connect with them.</li> </ul>  " href="https://orai.com/glossary/public-speaking/" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link">public speaking course: Gain feedback and practice exercises to refine your pace control.
Consider working with a Speech Coach A speech coach is a trained professional who provides personalized guidance and support to individuals seeking to improve their public speaking skills. Whether you aim to master public speaking for professional presentations, overcome stage fright, or simply hone your everyday communication, a speech coach can tailor their expertise to meet your needs and goals. <h2 data-sourcepos="5:1-5:32">What Does a Speech Coach Do?</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="7:1-13:0"> <li data-sourcepos="7:1-7:124">Conduct assessments: Analyze your strengths, weaknesses, and communication style through evaluations and observations.</li> <li data-sourcepos="8:1-8:149">Develop personalized plans: Create a customized roadmap with exercises, techniques, and feedback to address your specific areas of improvement.</li> <li data-sourcepos="9:1-9:167">Offer expert instruction: We will guide you through various aspects of public speaking, including vocal control, body language, content delivery, and overcoming anxiety.</li> <li data-sourcepos="10:1-10:168">Provide practice opportunities: Facilitate mock presentations, simulations, and role-playing scenarios to refine your skills in a safe and supportive environment.</li> <li data-sourcepos="11:1-11:114">Offer constructive feedback: Identify areas for improvement and suggest strategies for achieving your goals.</li> <li data-sourcepos="12:1-13:0">Boost confidence and motivation: Encourage and support you throughout your journey, empowering you to become a confident and impactful communicator.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="14:1-14:40">Who Can Benefit from a Speech Coach?</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="16:1-20:0"> <li data-sourcepos="16:1-16:174">Professionals: Refining public speaking skills can benefit executives, entrepreneurs, salespeople, leaders, and anyone who presents in professional settings.</li> <li data-sourcepos="17:1-17:160">Students: Teachers, public speakers, debaters, and students wanting to excel in presentations or classroom settings can gain valuable skills with a coach.</li> <li data-sourcepos="18:1-18:176">Individuals who fear public speaking: Coaching can help those who experience anxiety or nervousness when speaking in public develop strategies and gain confidence.</li> <li data-sourcepos="19:1-20:0">Anyone seeking to improve communication: A coach can provide guidance to individuals seeking to enhance their communication skills for personal or professional development.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="21:1-21:28">Types of Speech Coaches:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="23:1-26:0"> <li data-sourcepos="23:1-23:110">Private coaches: Work one-on-one with individuals to provide highly personalized attention and feedback.</li> <li data-sourcepos="24:1-24:130">Group coaches: Offer workshops or classes in group settings, often at a lower cost but with less individualized attention.</li> <li data-sourcepos="25:1-26:0">Specialization coaches: Some coaches specialize in executive communication, storytelling, or presentation design.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="27:1-27:35">Finding the Right Speech Coach:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="29:1-33:0"> <li data-sourcepos="29:1-29:91">Identify your goals: What areas do you want to improve? What are your specific needs?</li> <li data-sourcepos="30:1-30:109">Research credentials and experience: Look for qualified coaches with relevant experience and expertise.</li> <li data-sourcepos="31:1-31:122">Consider availability and budget: Set a budget and explore options that fit your schedule and financial constraints.</li> <li data-sourcepos="32:1-33:0">Schedule consultations: Talk to potential coaches to assess their personality, approach, and compatibility with your needs.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="34:1-34:418">Remember:</h2> Investing in a speech coach can be a transformative experience, enhancing your communication skills, boosting your confidence, and empowering you to achieve your communication goals. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting your journey, consider exploring the potential of working with a speech coach to unlock your full potential as a communicator and master public speaking. " href="https://orai.com/glossary/speech-coach/" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link">speech coach : They can provide personalized guidance and tailored techniques for specific settings.

The Rate of Speech  Rate of speech, also known as speaking rate or tempo, refers to the speed at which you speak, measured in words per minute (wpm). It plays a crucial role in effective communication, impacting comprehension, engagement, and overall delivery in various contexts, including public speaking. While speech coaches can offer personalized guidance, public speaking courses can also provide valuable techniques for controlling your speaking rate for clear and impactful communication. <h2 data-sourcepos="5:1-5:39">Factors Influencing Rate of Speech:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="7:1-11:0"> <li data-sourcepos="7:1-7:100">Nervousness: Anxiety can increase speaking rate, making it harder for listeners to understand.</li> <li data-sourcepos="8:1-8:100">Complexity of information: Technical vocabulary or complex concepts may require a slower pace.</li> <li data-sourcepos="9:1-9:97">Target audience: Tailor your rate to the audience's understanding level and cultural norms.</li> <li data-sourcepos="10:1-11:0">Purpose of the speech: Informative speeches benefit from a moderate pace, while persuasive speeches might involve strategic variations.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="12:1-12:25">Ideal Rate of Speech:</h2> There's no single "perfect" rate, depending on various factors. However, research suggests an ideal range between 150-180 wpm for optimal comprehension and engagement in general communication. This range may vary in public speaking depending on the specific context and purpose. <h2 data-sourcepos="16:1-16:44">Benefits of a Controlled Rate of Speech:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="18:1-22:0"> <li data-sourcepos="18:1-18:109">Improved clarity and understanding: Allows listeners to process information easily, reducing confusion.</li> <li data-sourcepos="19:1-19:103">Enhanced emphasis and impact: Strategic slowing down can highlight key points and evoke emotions.</li> <li data-sourcepos="20:1-20:99">Increased audience engagement: A balanced pace keeps listeners focused and prevents tune-out.</li> <li data-sourcepos="21:1-22:0">Greater credibility and professionalism: Projects confidence and control over your message.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="23:1-23:40">Tips for Controlling Rate of Speech:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="25:1-31:0"> <li data-sourcepos="25:1-25:109">Be mindful of your pace: Pay attention to how fast you speak and consciously slow down if needed.</li> <li data-sourcepos="26:1-26:94">Practice with a recording: Listen back to identify areas where you can adjust your rate.</li> <li data-sourcepos="27:1-27:110">Use pauses effectively: Strategic pauses for emphasis and audience reflection can also pace your speech.</li> <li data-sourcepos="28:1-28:100">Focus on breathing: Deep breaths help control vocal cords and naturally slow your speech.</li> <li data-sourcepos="29:1-29:102">Join a public speaking course: Gain feedback and practice exercises to refine your pace control.</li> <li data-sourcepos="30:1-31:0">Consider working with a speech coach: They can provide personalized guidance and tailored techniques for specific settings.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="32:1-32:348">Remember:</h2> The rate of speech is a powerful tool for optimizing communication. By understanding its importance, mastering pace control through dedicated practice, and considering resources like public speaking courses and speech coaches, you can deliver your message with clarity and impact and connect with your audience more effectively.  " href="https://orai.com/glossary/rate-of-speech/" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link">rate of speech is a powerful tool for optimizing communication. By understanding its importance, mastering pace control through dedicated practice, and considering resources like Public Speaking  Public speaking refers to any live presentation or speech. It can cover a variety of topics on various fields and careers (you can find out more about public speaking careers here: https://orai.com/blog/public-speaking-careers/. Public speaking can inform, entertain, or educate an audience and sometimes has visual aids.   Public speaking is done live, so the speakers need to consider certain factors to deliver a successful speech. No matter how good the speech is, if the audience doesn't connect with the speaker, then it may fall flat. Therefore, speakers have to use a lot more nonverbal communication techniques to deliver their message.   <h2>Tips for public speaking</h2>   <ul> <li>Have a sense of humor.</li> <li>Tell personal stories that relate to the speech you're giving.</li> <li>Dress appropriately for the event. Formal and business casual outfits work best.</li> <li>Project a confident and expressive voice.</li> <li>Always try to use simple language that everyone can understand.</li> <li>Stick to the time given to you.</li> <li>Maintain eye contact with members of your audience and try to connect with them.</li> </ul>  " href="https://orai.com/glossary/public-speaking/" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link">public speaking courses and Speech A form of communication involving spoken language, it is used to express ideas, share information, tell stories, persuade, or entertain. Public speaking is a powerful tool used in diverse contexts, ranging from casual conversations to formal presentations. <h2 data-sourcepos="5:1-5:27">Components of a Speech:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="7:1-10:0"> <li data-sourcepos="7:1-7:73">Content: The information, message, or story conveyed through words.</li> <li data-sourcepos="8:1-8:106">Delivery: The vocal and physical presentation, including clarity, volume, gestures, and eye contact.</li> <li data-sourcepos="9:1-10:0">Structure: The organization of the content, typically following an introduction, body, and conclusion.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="11:1-11:21">Speech in Action:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="13:1-17:0"> <li data-sourcepos="13:1-13:88">Informing: Sharing knowledge and facts, educating an audience on a specific topic.</li> <li data-sourcepos="14:1-14:119">Persuading: Advocating for a particular viewpoint, using arguments and evidence to influence thoughts or actions.</li> <li data-sourcepos="15:1-15:93">Motivating: Inspiring and energizing an audience, fostering action and positive change.</li> <li data-sourcepos="16:1-17:0">Entertaining: Engaging and delighting an audience through humor, storytelling, or creative language.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="18:1-18:32">Public Speaking and Anxiety:</h2> Many people experience public speaking anxiety, a fear of speaking in front of an audience. While it's common, effective preparation, practice, and breathing techniques can significantly reduce anxiety and improve delivery. <h2 data-sourcepos="22:1-22:32">Different Types of Speeches:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="24:1-28:0"> <li data-sourcepos="24:1-24:81">Informative speech: Focuses on conveying information clearly and concisely.</li> <li data-sourcepos="25:1-25:102">Persuasive speech: Aims to convince the audience to adopt a particular viewpoint or take action.</li> <li data-sourcepos="26:1-26:99">Motivational speech: Inspires and energizes the audience, building enthusiasm and commitment.</li> <li data-sourcepos="27:1-28:0">Entertaining speech: Aim to amuse and delight the audience, often using humor, storytelling, or anecdotes.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="29:1-29:33">Crafting a Compelling Speech:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="31:1-35:0"> <li data-sourcepos="31:1-31:106">Know your audience: Tailor your content and delivery to their interests, needs, and prior knowledge.</li> <li data-sourcepos="32:1-32:107">Have a clear message: Identify the main point you want to convey and structure your speech around it.</li> <li data-sourcepos="33:1-33:111">Engage your audience: Use varied vocal techniques, storytelling, and visual aids to keep them interested.</li> <li data-sourcepos="34:1-35:0">Practice, practice, practice: Rehearse your speech out loud to refine your delivery and build confidence.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="36:1-36:13">Remember:</h2> Speech is a powerful tool for communication, connection, and influence. By understanding its elements, addressing potential anxieties, and tailoring your delivery to different contexts, you can harness the power of speech to achieve your intended goals and captivate your audience. " href="https://orai.com/glossary/speech/" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link">speech coaches, you can deliver your message with Clarity In public speaking, clarity refers to the quality of your message being readily understood and interpreted by your audience. It encompasses both the content and delivery of your speech, ensuring your message resonates and leaves a lasting impact. <h2 data-sourcepos="5:1-5:16">Key Aspects:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="7:1-13:0"> <li data-sourcepos="7:1-7:133">Conciseness: Avoid unnecessary details, digressions, or excessive complexity. Focus on delivering the core message efficiently.</li> <li data-sourcepos="8:1-8:149">Simple language: Choose words and phrases your audience understands readily, avoiding jargon or technical terms unless you define them clearly.</li> <li data-sourcepos="9:1-9:145">Logical structure: Organize your thoughts and ideas logically, using transitions and signposts to guide your audience through your message.</li> <li data-sourcepos="10:1-10:136">Effective visuals: If using visuals, ensure they are clear, contribute to your message, and don't distract from your spoken words.</li> <li data-sourcepos="11:1-11:144">Confident delivery: Speak clearly and articulately, avoiding mumbling or rushing your words. Maintain good eye contact with your audience.</li> <li data-sourcepos="12:1-13:0">Active voice: Emphasize active voice for better flow and avoid passive constructions that can be less engaging.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="14:1-14:24">Benefits of Clarity:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="16:1-20:0"> <li data-sourcepos="16:1-16:123">Enhanced audience engagement: A clear message keeps your audience interested and helps them grasp your points easily.</li> <li data-sourcepos="17:1-17:123">Increased credibility: Clear communication projects professionalism and expertise, building trust with your audience.</li> <li data-sourcepos="18:1-18:111">Improved persuasiveness: A well-understood message is more likely to resonate and win over your audience.</li> <li data-sourcepos="19:1-20:0">Reduced confusion: Eliminating ambiguity minimizes misinterpretations and ensures your message arrives as intended.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="21:1-21:15">Challenges:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="23:1-27:0"> <li data-sourcepos="23:1-23:129">Condensing complex information: Simplifying complex topics without sacrificing crucial details requires skill and practice.</li> <li data-sourcepos="24:1-24:128">Understanding your audience: Tailoring your language and structure to resonate with a diverse audience can be challenging.</li> <li data-sourcepos="25:1-25:85">Managing nerves: Nerves can impact your delivery, making it unclear or rushed.</li> <li data-sourcepos="26:1-27:0">Avoiding jargon: Breaking technical habits and simplifying language requires constant awareness.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="28:1-28:22">Improving Clarity:</h2> <ul data-sourcepos="30:1-35:0"> <li data-sourcepos="30:1-30:117">Practice and rehearse: The more you rehearse your speech, the more natural and clear your delivery will become.</li> <li data-sourcepos="31:1-31:107">Seek feedback: Share your draft speech with others and ask for feedback on clarity and comprehension.</li> <li data-sourcepos="32:1-32:161">Consider a public speaking coach: A coach can provide personalized guidance on structuring your message, simplifying language, and improving your delivery.</li> <li data-sourcepos="33:1-33:128">Join a public speaking group: Practicing in a supportive environment can help you gain confidence and refine your clarity.</li> <li data-sourcepos="34:1-35:0">Listen to effective speakers: Analyze how clear and impactful others achieve communication.</li> </ul> <h2 data-sourcepos="36:1-36:250">Remember:</h2> Clarity is a cornerstone of impactful public speaking. By honing your message, focusing on delivery, and actively seeking feedback, you can ensure your audience receives your message clearly and leaves a lasting impression. " href="https://orai.com/glossary/clarity/" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link">clarity and impact and connect with your audience more effectively.

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Average Speaking Rate and Words per Minute

November 8, 2022 - Dom Barnard

The speed at which you talk has a huge influence on how the audience perceives you and your speech. It’s important, therefore, to understand your speaking rate and how to alter it depending on the type of speech you are delivering.

In this article, you’ll learn how to calculate your speaking rate and how it compares to the average rate for popular talks to give you some context. Audio samples of speaking rates at the extremes are provided, so you can understand the difference in words per minute.

At the end of the article, exercises are provided to help you develop an adaptive speaking rate.

How to calculate your speaking rate

Speaking rate is often expressed in words per minute (wpm). To calculate this value, you’ll need to record yourself talking for a few minutes and then add up the number of words in your speech. Divide the total number of words by the number of minutes your speech took.

Speaking rate (wpm) = total words / number of minutes

You can record yourself with this online voice recorder . Once you have the audio of your speech, there are two ways to get the number of words:

Manually count the words as you listen back to the audio
Upload the speech recording to a speech-to-text platform

When you have the speech converted to text format, copy the text into a software package such as Microsoft Word, which provides a useful word count for the document.

Once you have the number of words, convert the time to minutes – for example, if your speech was 4 minutes 30 seconds, you need to divide the number of words by 4.5 (as 30 seconds is half of a minute).

John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address, where he slowed his usually very high speaking rate down to below 100 wpm (his average was well above 150 wpm).

What is the average speaking rate?

The average speaking rate changes dramatically for the purpose of your speech. According to the National Center for Voice and Speech, the average conversation rate for English speakers in the United States is about 150 wpm . However, for radio presenters or podcasters, the wpm is higher.

Here is a list of average speech rates for different activities.

Average speech rates

Presentations : between 100-150 wpm for a comfortable pace
Conversational : between 120-150 wpm
Audiobooks : between 150-160 wpm, which is the upper range that people comfortably hear and vocalize words
Radio hosts and podcasters : between 150-160 wpm
Auctioneers : can speak at about 250 wpm
Commentators : between 250-400 wpm

To give these speech rates some context, if the speaking pace is 130 words per minute, you’ll finish reading an A4 page (Calibri, font size 11) in 4 minutes, 51 seconds.

Extremes of speaking rate – world record pace

Steven Woodmore is a British electronics salesman and comedian known for his rapid speech articulation, being able to articulate 637 wpm, a speed four times faster than the average person.

Woodmore was listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s fastest talker, a title which he held for five years, taking the helm from the previous record holder, John Moschitta, Jr.

A comparison of words per minute for popular TED Talks

Let’s compare different presentation styles to show you how speech rates can vary widely. We’ll use popular TED Talks to compare words per minute for different presentations.

We’ve analyzed five TED Talks, ranging from short speeches up to 22 minutes. When we were calculating the length of the presentation, we included time when the audience was clapping and when the presenter changed slides.

We tried to pick from a wide range of speech topics to get an unbiased average.

The average speaking rate was 173 words per minute. The speaking rate ranged from 154 to 201 words per minute.

Popular TED Talk speaking rates

How great leaders inspire action (Simon Sinek) – 170 wpm
The power of introverts (Susan Cain) – 176 wpm
Do schools kill creativity? (Sir Ken Robinson) – 165 wpm
Why we do what we do (Tony Robbins) – 201 wpm
The power of vulnerability (Brené Brown) – 154 wpm

Average words per minute for popular TED Talks (wpm)

What influences your overall speaking rate?

Here are several factors that affect the overall speaking rate, most of which can be controlled by you.

Regular speaking rate – this is the result of your environment, where you grew up, your parents, culture, friends around you, and more.
Nervousness – you’ve probably noticed it yourself, when you are nervous , you speak much quicker and take short shallow breaths as you rush through the content.
Saying something urgent – understandably, we speak much quicker when there is an emergency, for example calling an ambulance or explaining an incident to the police.
Mental fatigue – tiredness affects our thought process, making it harder for us to articulate ourselves, causing us to talk more slowly.
Complexity of the words – longer, more complex words will take slightly longer to say, and if you are counting words per minute, it will affect speech pace slightly (although somewhat negligible)
Complexity of content – if you are presenting complex content, you’ll want to speak slower than usual to give the audience time to comprehend the concepts and content.
Verbal pauses – pauses are a great way to break up the content and give emphasis to what you are saying. Naturally this will slow down your speaking rate. Read 10 Effective Ways to use Pauses in your Speech .
Event driven pauses – these are pauses caused by a change in slides, a demo of your product, checking your notes, and so on.
Audience driven pauses – these events are caused by your audience, for example, when they laugh and ask questions.

Example audio clips of different speech rates

Example 1 – why we do what we do (tony robbins).

Sample of ‘Why we do what we do’ speech, spoken at 201 wpm.

Example 2 – We Shall Fight on the Beaches (Winston Churchill)

Sample of ‘We Shall Fight on the Beaches’ speech, spoken at 128 wpm.

Tony Robbins TED Talk - Why we do what we do

Tony Robbins giving his TED Talk, Why we do what we do, with an average speaking pace of 201 wpm.

Is speaking rate important?

In short, yes, your rate of speech does have an impact on how the audience perceive you and your message.

Generally, a slower rate is easier to understand for the audience. If you include pauses as well, you give the audience time to absorb the messages of your presentation.

However listening back to the Tony Robbins speech above, which was at over 200 wpm, you’ll probably find you were still able to understand what he was saying. This is because he clearly articulates his words and uses easy to understand language. Clarity is just as important as speech pace.

Try to vary your speaking rate

No matter what your average speaking rate is over the entire speech, you should vary it throughout the speech. Varying your speech makes it more interesting for the audience and adds emotion to the content. Without pace variation, you’re in danger of sounding monotone.

For example, you can speak faster to convey excitement, or slower to reflect sadness or importance.

When to change your speed

Speaking fast – indication of passion, urgency, excitement, and emotion
Speaking slow – indication of importance, sadness, confusion, the seriousness of a point

When you’re speaking quickly, initially it is exciting for the audience, but after a minute or two, it stops being stimulating and becomes overwhelming.

When you are speaking slowly, it can grab the attention of the audience and help them process every word, but an entire talk at a slow pace will bore your audience: while waiting for you to get to the point they will lose interest.

Remember: The rate we speak at is highly individual

This is an important point to remember. If you take some well-known speeches and change the pace of their delivery, the meaning would be lost. For example, the “ I Have a Dream ” by Martin Luther King was spoken at a slow rate.

The long pauses and carefully spoken words give us time to absorb the information and plenty of time for the audience to applaud throughout. Even if you did not understand the words, the slow pace indicates that the message is important and should be taken seriously.

Cultural differences

Culture plays a big role in the pace we naturally speak at. Even locations within the same country can make a difference – people in London typically speak faster than people from Yorkshire for example. Also, if English isn’t the speakers first language, they usually speak a little slower as well.

How to practice: Getting the right speaking pace

Test your speaking pace.

Practice reading a transcript aloud at different paces to better understand how different speeds sound. Learn More

Here are two ways to measure and practice your speaking pace.

Use a metronome

The metronome ticks at a certain rate depending on what you set it to. If you want to speak at 130 words per minute, set the metronome to this value and practice saying a word every tick of the metronome.

This is a good start, however when actually presenting to an audience, you’ll want to vary this pace to emphasise certain points – a speech at exactly 130 wpm throughout would sound very monotone and rehearsed.

Use practice exercises

Online exercises let you practice your speech in a variety of scenarios. Practice presenting at a conference, delivering a sales pitch, answering interview questions, and more. With VirtualSpeech practice exercises , you can get feedback on your speaking rate after your speech and adjust it accordingly for your next speech.

Example practice exercises you can use to measure your speaking pace during a speech or presentation. See all the practice exercises here .

5 exercises to develop an adaptive speaking rate

Tips taken from Quick & easy tips for speaking rate

1. Reading children’s stories

Read a children’s story silently several times to familiarize yourself with the flow. Go through it again, noting which passages would suit taking more quickly and which should be slower. Then read it aloud and listen carefully to how speed alters interpretation. Repeat the exercise altering your speed over particular passages, noting the differences.

Record yourself if possible doing this and all the following exercises. Save all the versions you do. You’ll then have them to refer back to. Recording takes out the guess work as you can hear exactly what you did, rather than what you imagined you did. It doesn’t lie!

2. Read factual reports

Pick an information loaded report from a newspaper or magazine.

Go through it silently to familiarize yourself with the flow of material and then read it aloud. Make a note of which passages need careful or slow reading and which can be taken at a faster rate. Re-read aloud until you feel you have the mix of speeds right.

As an extension exercise, read the report as if you were reading for an audience who knew nothing about the subject. Note what changes you made and why.

3. Experiment with one of your own speeches

Record and time yourself delivering a speech of your own at your current ‘normal’ speaking rate.

Note the time down. Now go through again having marked passages for slower or faster treatment. Note the new time and your new insights.

4. Listen to good speakers

Listen to speakers you admire. They could be radio presenters, commencement speeches , anybody accustomed to speaking in public. Note the different rates of speech they use over the course of their presentation and the effectiveness and experiment with them for yourself.

5. Play with material you are familiar with

Read or recite part of a text you know well quickly (or slowly). If you can record yourself, do so. If not, listen and note the effect it has on you. If you’ve recorded yourself, play it back.

Ask yourself where was the speed effective? Where was it detrimental? Mark those places on your script. Read again incorporating your changes.

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4 modes of delivery
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Speech delivery

Quick & easy tips for speaking rate

- how to pace your speech for maximum impact.

By: Susan Dugdale | Last modified: 02-03-2022

If you habitually speak too fast, or too slowly, and you want to communicate well it's time to learn more about adapting your rate of speech to meet the needs of your audience and your content.

What you'll find on this page:

an overview of the result of speaking too fast or too slowly
w hy flexible speaking rates have more impact
how speech rate is interpreted
6 exercises to develop an effective speaking rate
links to more articles on speech rate : how to calculate it - 2 easy methods and a quick reference guide on the average number of words per minute in speeches 1 through to 10 minutes long.

Graphic: boy with open mouth. Text: blah, blah, blah ... 6 quick and easy tips to develop an effective speaking rate.

You need these tips if you speak too quickly

If you've ever been called a motor-mouth, you'll know it's because the words rocket out of your mouth.

Maybe you have so many ideas you want to share, and maybe you need to get them out quickly because there are so many more coming up fast behind them!

It's fun and exciting to listen to fast speech, for a while. However when your speech stops being stimulating and starts being uncomfortable, ears switch off.

And you need them if you speak too slowly

Slow word-by-very-slow-word turns ears off too.

People wait-and-wait for you to get on with it, eventually losing interest.

The answer is variety - developing a flexible speaking rate

The solution to the speaking too fast or too slowly problem is not the middle ground. Rather it is to vary your speaking rate: to match it to meet the needs of your audience and, your content.

Let's imagine your speech as a journey

A road winding its way through bare brown hills. Text: The thread of a speech linking the beginning, body and conclusion together is like a road.

Picture in your mind the layout of your speech.

You'll have an introduction, followed by a series of main ideas with supporting examples or illustrations. To finish there'll be a conclusion.

Now think of the thread, (the theme, the main ideas), linking it altogether.

That thread is similar to a road. When you give a speech you are taking your audience on a journey, a road trip.

Your mouth is the vehicle carrying both your message and your audience along. And you are its driver.

You are in complete control of how you deliver, or drive your speech from beginning to end.

Making choices on how you deliver your speech

As the driver you make choices affecting your message, and your audience.

Choosing to deliver your speech too fast

You can whirl them through your speech so fast the scenery blurs. So while you're busy negotiating a series of complicated hair pin bends at full throttle, that is rattling off a complex series of ideas with examples, your poor audience is gazing out the back window trying to work out what they've missed and where they are.

One by one your listeners will get dizzy and exhausted through the effort they're making to keep up with you. Then they'll close off their ears and sit quietly waiting for the ride to stop.

Choosing to speak too slowly

Or by contrast you can proceed so cautiously your passengers want to get out and walk. Listening to your speech is pure tedium.

Becoming a responsive speaker

If you were a responsive driver (speaker) you would be continually adjusting your speed to meet the road conditions (your speech content) and the needs of your passengers (audience).

There would be places to slow and perhaps even stop for the audience to catch their breath. There would also be places where a quick burst of acceleration would give an exciting thrill.

Interpreting speech rate

A FASTER speaking speed signals urgency, excitement, passion or raw emotion.

In contrast a SLOWER speaking rate signals importance, seriousness or significant ideas. Slow says: 'LISTEN UP! YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS.'

A new concept or complex information may need to be delivered slowly to give the audience time to grasp it before moving on. 'Slow' is also useful for summarizing material.

The combination of slow, fast, and medium speeds makes your speech easier to listen to.

Negative connotations of going too fast or too slow

Both fast and slow rates of speech can be interpreted negatively by those listening to it.

Speaking too quickly could be seen as evidence of anxiety or fear.

Speaking too slowly could be interpreted as a lack of intelligence or, a lack of knowledge about the speech subject.

6 exercises to develop flexible speaking rate

1. reading children's stories.

Read a children's story silently several times to familiarize yourself with the flow. Go through it again noting which passages would suit taking more quickly and which should be slower. Then read it aloud and listen carefully to how speed alters interpretation. Repeat the exercise altering your speed over particular passages, noting the differences.

Record yourself if possible doing this and all the following exercises. Save all the versions you do. You'll then have them to refer back to. Recording takes out the guess work as you can hear exactly what you did, rather than what you imagined you did. It doesn't lie!

2. Read factual reports

Pick an information loaded report from a newspaper or magazine.

As an extension exercise read the report as if you were reading for an audience who knew nothing about the subject. Note what changes you made and why.

3. Experiment with one of your own speeches

Record and time yourself delivering a speech of your own at your current 'normal' speaking rate.

Note the time down. Now go through again having marked passages for slower or faster treatment. Note the new time and your new insights.

4. Practice with a partner

Practice with a partner. Go through any of the exercises above. Explain what you doing and ask them to listen for effectiveness. Get them to note examples where you did well and where you needed to alter your speech rate and why.

5. Listen to good speakers

Listen to speakers you admire. They could be radio presenters, preachers ... anybody accustomed to speaking in public. Note the different rates of speech they use over the course of their presentation and the effectiveness and experiment with them for yourself.

6. Play with material you are familiar with

Read or recite part of a text you know well quickly (or slowly). If you can record yourself, do so. If not, listen and note the effect it has on you. If you've recorded yourself, play it back. Ask yourself where was the speed effective? Where was it detrimental? Mark those places on your script. Read again incorporating your changes.

Exercise patience

And lastly, be patient with yourself. Changing your normal speaking rate is challenging. The habitual speed of words leaving our mouths is deeply ingrained. As children we are very effective sponges. We soak up everything around us, including the speech rates used by our significant adults. What was their normal speech speed becomes ours. It feels natural, comfortable and right!

Altering rate is not impossible but it does require awareness, effort and PRACTICE!

Developing a flexible speech rate is only PART of the skill set used by a successful speaker. You can put more in your tool box.

The magic of silence

Remember the image of your mouth as the driver? When your tongue is high revving, it's accelerating away. When you're stuck in first gear, it's crawling forward one little word at a time.

Now you've got control over rate, it's time to turn your attention to the brakes. Skilled use of the brakes are the key to effective silence.

Find out how to use the Power of the Pause .

Quote:The right word may be effective but nothing has ever been as effective as a rightly timed pause.

PS. More on speaking rate!

Did you know the average 'natural' (ordinary conversational speech) speaking rate ranges between approximately 130-200 words per minute?

Speaking rate has multiple variations including regional and national. Listen to what is regarded as 'normal' to make any adjustments needed before you speak in public. To find out more click speech rate .

Speech rate and words per minute

Speaking trumpet on a yellow background. Text: Bla, bla, bla. How many words per minute in a speech?

When you have a speech to give with a strict time limit it's useful to have an estimate of how many words will fit comfortably into the time allocated, before you begin to write.

For more see: How many words per minute in a speech: a quick reference guide for 1 through to 10 minute speeches.

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10.3 Vocal Delivery

Learning objectives.

Identify elements of vocal delivery that make a speech more engaging.
Identify elements of vocal delivery that make a speech clearer.
Discuss the relationship between vocal delivery and speaker credibility.

Vocal delivery includes components of speech delivery that relate to your voice. These include rate, volume, pitch, articulation, pronunciation, and fluency. Our voice is important to consider when delivering our speech for two main reasons. First, vocal delivery can help us engage and interest the audience. Second, vocal delivery helps ensure that our ideas are communicated clearly.

Speaking for Engagement

We have all had the displeasure of listening to an unengaging speaker. Even though the person may care about his or her topic, an unengaging delivery that doesn’t communicate enthusiasm will translate into a lack of interest for most audience members. Although a speaker can be visually engaging by incorporating movement and gestures, which we will discuss more later, a flat or monotone vocal delivery can be sedating or even annoying. Incorporating vocal variety in terms of rate, volume, and pitch is key to being a successful speaker.

Rate of speaking refers to how fast or slow you speak. If you speak too fast, your audience will not be able to absorb the information you present. If you speak too slowly, the audience may lose interest. The key is to vary your rate of speaking in a middle range, staying away from either extreme, in order to keep your audience engaged. In general, a higher rate of speaking signals that a speaker is enthusiastic about his or her topic. Speaking slowly may lead the audience to infer that the speaker is uninterested, uninformed, or unprepared to present his or her own topic. These negative assumptions, whether they are true or not, are likely to hurt the credibility of the speaker. Having evaluated thousands of speeches, I can say that, in terms of rate, the issue speakers face is speaking too fast. The goal is to speak at a rate that will interest the audience and will effectively convey your information. Speaking at a slow rate throughout a speech would likely bore an audience, but that is not a common occurrence.

Some people naturally speak faster than others, which is fine, but we can all alter our rate of speaking with practice. If you find that you are a naturally fast speaker, make sure that you do not “speed talk” through your speech when practicing it. Even if you try to hold back when actually delivering your speech, you may fall back into your practice routine and speak too fast. You can also include reminders to “slow down” on your speaking outline.

Volume refers to how loud or soft your voice is. As with speaking rate, you want to avoid the extremes of being too loud or too soft, but still vary your volume within an acceptable middle range. When speaking in a typically sized classroom or office setting that seats about twenty-five people, using a volume a few steps above a typical conversational volume is usually sufficient. When speaking in larger rooms, you will need to project your voice. You may want to look for nonverbal cues from people in the back rows or corners, like leaning forward or straining to hear, to see if you need to adjust your volume more. Obviously, in some settings, a microphone will be necessary to be heard by the entire audience. Like rate, audiences use volume to make a variety of judgments about a speaker. Softer speakers are sometimes judged as meek, which may lead to lowered expectations for the speech or less perceived credibility. Loud speakers may be seen as overbearing or annoying, which can lead audience members to disengage from the speaker and message. Be aware of the volume of your voice and, when in doubt, increase your volume a notch, since beginning speakers are more likely to have an issue of speaking too softly rather than too loudly.

Speak a couple steps above your regular volume for speeches that occur in typically sized classrooms or meeting rooms that seat twenty to forty people. A microphone may be necessary for larger groups or rooms.

Speaker at Podium – CC BY 2.0.

Pitch refers to how high or low a speaker’s voice is. As with other vocal qualities, there are natural variations among people’s vocal pitch. Unlike rate and volume, there are more physiological limitations on the control we have over pitch. For example, males generally have lower pitched voices than females. Despite these limitations, each person still has the capability to intentionally change their pitch across a range large enough to engage an audience. Changing pitch is a good way to communicate enthusiasm and indicate emphasis or closure. In general, our pitch goes up when we are discussing something exciting. Our pitch goes down slightly when we emphasize a serious or important point. Lowering pitch is also an effective way to signal transitions between sections of your speech or the end of your speech, which cues your audience to applaud and avoids an awkward ending.

Of the vocal components of delivery discussed so far, pitch seems to give beginning speakers the most difficulty. There is a stark difference between the way I hear students speak before and after class and the way they speak when they get in front of the class. It’s like giving a speech temporarily numbs their ability to vary their pitch. Record yourself practicing your speech to help determine if the amount of pitch variety and enthusiasm you think you convey while speaking actually comes through. Speakers often assume that their pitch is more varied and their delivery more enthusiastic than the audience actually perceives it to be. Many of my students note this on the self-evaluations they write after viewing their recorded speech.

Vocal Variety

Overall, the lesson to take away from this section on vocal delivery is that variety is key. Vocal variety includes changes in your rate, volume, and pitch that can make you look more prepared, seem more credible, and be able to engage your audience better. Employing vocal variety is not something that takes natural ability or advanced skills training. It is something that beginning speakers can start working on immediately and everyone can accomplish. The key is to become aware of how you use your voice when you speak, and the best way to do this is to record yourself. We all use vocal variety naturally without thinking about it during our regular conversations, and many of us think that this tendency will translate over to our speaking voices. This is definitely not the case for most beginning speakers. Unlike in your regular conversations, it will take some awareness and practice to use vocal variety in speeches. I encourage students to make this a delivery priority early on. Since it’s something anyone can do, improving in this area will add to your speaking confidence, which usually translates into better speeches and better grades further on.

Speaking for Clarity

In order to be an effective speaker, your audience should be able to understand your message and digest the information you present. Audience members will make assumptions about our competence and credibility based on how we speak. As with other aspects of speech delivery, many people are not aware that they have habits of speech that interfere with their message clarity. Since most of our conversations are informal and take place with people we know, many people don’t make a concerted effort to articulate every word clearly and pronounce every word correctly, and most of the people we talk to either don’t notice our errors or don’t correct us if they do notice. Since public speaking is generally more formal than our conversations, we should be more concerned with the clarity of our speech.

Articulation

Articulation refers to the clarity of sounds and words we produce. If someone is articulate, they speak words clearly, and speakers should strive to speak clearly. Poor articulation results when speakers do not speak clearly. For example, a person may say dinnt instead of didn’t , gonna instead of going to , wanna instead of want to , or hunnerd instead of hundred . Unawareness and laziness are two common challenges to articulation. As with other aspects of our voice, many people are unaware that they regularly have errors in articulation. Recording yourself speak and then becoming a higher self-monitor are effective ways to improve your articulation. Laziness, on the other hand, requires a little more motivation to address. Some people just get in the habit of not articulating their words well. I’m sure we all know someone who mumbles when they speak or slurs their words together. From my experience, this is a problem that I’ve noticed more among men than women. Both mumbling and slurring are examples of poor articulation. In more informal settings, this type of speaking may be acceptable, but in formal settings, it will be negatively evaluated, which will hurt a speaker’s credibility. Perhaps the promise of being judged more favorably, which may help a person become more successful, is enough to motivate a mumbler to speak more clearly.

When combined with a low volume, poor articulation becomes an even greater problem. Doing vocal warm-ups like the ones listed in Section 10.1 “Managing Public Speaking Anxiety” or tongue twisters can help prime your mouth, lips, and tongue to articulate words more clearly. When you notice that you have trouble articulating a particular word, you can either choose a different word to include in your speech or you can repeat it a few times in a row in the days leading up to your speech to get used to saying it.

Pronunciation

Unlike articulation, which focuses on the clarity of words, pronunciation refers to speaking words correctly, including the proper sounds of the letters and the proper emphasis. Mispronouncing words can damage a speaker’s credibility, especially when the correct pronunciation of a word is commonly known. I have actually heard someone, presenting on the topic of pronunciation, mispronounce the word pronunciation , saying “pro-NOUN-ciation” instead of “pro-NUN-ciation.” In such a case, it would not be unwarranted for the audience to question the speaker’s expertise on the subject.

We all commonly run into words that we are unfamiliar with and therefore may not know how to pronounce. I offer my students three suggestions when faced with this problem. The first is to look the word up in an online dictionary. Many dictionaries have a speaker icon with their definitions, and when you click on it, you can hear the correct pronunciation of a word. Some words have more than one pronunciation—for example, Caribbean —so choosing either of the accepted pronunciations is fine. Just remember to consistently use that pronunciation to avoid confusing your audience. If a word doesn’t include an audio pronunciation, you can usually find the phonetic spelling of a word, which is the word spelled out the way it sounds. There will occasionally be words that you can’t locate in a dictionary. These are typically proper nouns or foreign words. In this case, I suggest the “phone-a-friend” strategy. Call up the people you know who have large vocabularies or are generally smart when it comes to words, and ask them if they know how to pronounce it. If they do, and you find them credible, you’re probably safe to take their suggestion. The third option is to “fake it ‘til you make it” and should only be used as a last resort. If you can’t find the word in a dictionary and your smart friends don’t know how to pronounce it, it’s likely that your audience will also be unfamiliar with the word. In that case, using your knowledge of how things are typically pronounced, decide on a pronunciation that makes sense and confidently use it during your speech. Most people will not question it. In the event that someone does correct you on your pronunciation, thank him or her for correcting you and adjust your pronunciation.

Fluency refers to the flow of your speaking. To speak with fluency means that your speech flows well and that there are not many interruptions to that flow. There are two main disfluencies, or problems that affect the flow of a speech. Fluency hiccups are unintended pauses in a speech that usually result from forgetting what you were saying, being distracted, or losing your place in your speaking notes. Fluency hiccups are not the same as intended pauses, which are useful for adding emphasis or transitioning between parts of a speech. While speakers should try to minimize fluency hiccups, even experienced speakers need to take an unintended pause sometimes to get their bearings or to recover from an unexpected distraction. Fluency hiccups become a problem when they happen regularly enough to detract from the speaker’s message.

Verbal fillers are words that speakers use to fill in a gap between what they were saying and what they’re saying next. Common verbal fillers include um , uh , ah , er , you know , and like . The best way to minimize verbal fillers is to become a higher self-monitor and realize that you use them. Many students are surprised when they watch the video of their first speech and realize they said “um” thirty times in three minutes. Gaining that awareness is the first step in eliminating verbal fillers, and students make noticeable progress with this between their first and second speeches. If you do lose your train of thought, having a brief fluency hiccup is better than injecting a verbal filler, because the audience may not even notice the pause or may think it was intentional.

Common Causes of Fluency Hiccups

Lack of preparation. Effective practice sessions are the best way to prevent fluency hiccups.
Not writing for speaking. If you write your speech the way you’ve been taught to write papers, you will have fluency hiccups. You must translate the written words into something easier for you to present orally. To do this, read your speech aloud and edit as you write to make sure your speech is easy for you to speak.
A poorly prepared speaking outline. Whether it is on paper or note cards, sloppy writing, unorganized bullet points, or incomplete/insufficient information on a speaking outline leads to fluency hiccups.
Distractions. Audience members and the external environment are unpredictable. Hopefully audience members will be polite and will silence their phones, avoid talking while the speaker is presenting, and avoid moving excessively. There could also be external noise that comes through a door or window. A speaker can also be distracted by internal noise such as thinking about other things.

“Getting Plugged In”

Delivering Presentations Online

As many people and organizations are trying to do more with smaller budgets, and new software becomes available, online presentations are becoming more common. Whether using a Webinar format, a WebEx, Skype, FaceTime, Elluminate Live, or some other program, the live, face-to-face audience is now mediated through a computer screen. Despite this change in format, many of the same basic principles of public speaking apply when speaking to people virtually. Yet many business professionals seem to forget the best practices of public speaking when presenting online or don’t get that they apply in both settings. The website TheVirtualPresenter.com offers many tips for presenting online that we’ve covered in this book, including be audience focused, have engaging delivery, and use visual aids effectively (Courville, 2012). Yet speakers need to think about some of these things differently when presenting online. We have natural ways to engage an audience when presenting face-to-face, but since many online presentations are only one-way in terms of video, speakers have to rely on technology like audience polls, live chat, or options for audience members to virtually raise their hand when they have a question to get feedback while speaking. Also, in some formats, the audience can only see the presenter’s computer desktop or slide show, which pulls attention away from physical delivery and makes vocal delivery and visual aids more important. Extemporaneous delivery and vocal variety are still key when presenting online. Reading from your slides or having a monotone voice will likely not make a favorable impression on your audience. The lesson to take away is that presenting online requires the same skills as presenting in person, so don’t let the change in format lead you to make mistakes that will make you a less effective speaker.

Have you ever presented online or been an audience member for an online presentation? If so, describe your experience and compare it to face-to-face speaking.
What are some of the key differences between presenting online and presenting in person that a speaker should consider?
How might online presentations play into your future career goals? What types of presentations do you think you would give? What could you do to ensure the presentations are effective?

Key Takeaways

Speakers should use vocal variety, which is changes in rate, volume, and pitch, to make a speech more engaging.
Speakers should use proper articulation and pronunciation to make their message clear.
Interruptions to the fluency of a speech, including fluency hiccups and verbal fillers, detract from the speaker’s message and can lessen a speaker’s credibility.
Record yourself practicing your speech. How does your speech sound in terms of vocal variety? Cite specific examples.
Listen to your recorded speech again. How would you evaluate your articulation and pronunciation? Cite specific examples.
Over the course of a day, take note of verbal fillers that you tend to use. List them here so you can be a higher self-monitor and begin to notice and lessen your use of them.

Courville, R., “Delivery,” TheVirtualPresenter.com, accessed November 5, 2012, http://thevirtualpresenter.com/category/delivery .

Communication in the Real World Copyright © 2016 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Tools for Clear Speech

Intelligibility : Fluency : Communication

Speaking Rate

Rhythm & thought groups, linking & connected speech, what is an effective speaking rate.

It might seem like the faster you are able to speak a second language, the clearer and “more native-sounding” your speech will be. Actually, this is not the case! Speech that is too fast will often be harder to understand than speech that is spoken at a more moderate rate. This is particularly true when one’s speech is difficult to understand at a moderate rate; just speeding up the rate of speech will not necessarily solve the problem. 1 On the contrary, it may make one’s speech even harder to understand. 1, 2, 3

On the other hand, speaking too slowly may also have a negative impact on your intelligibility. If you think your speaking rate might be affecting your intelligibility, we recommend that you speak just slightly slower than the average English speaker (about 150 words per minute). That means that you might want to aim for about 140 words per minute. 4 That sounds like this:

Approximately 143 Words Per Minute :

Actually that reminder of my daughter brings me to the beginning of my story. 1996, when I gave my first TEDTalk, Rebecca was five years old and she was sitting right there in the front row. I had just written a book that celebrated our life on the internet and I was about to be on the cover of Wired magazine. In those heady days, we were experimenting with chat rooms and online virtual communities. We were exploring different aspects of ourselves. And then we unplugged. I was excited. And, as a psychologist, what excited me most was the idea that we would use what we learned in the virtual world about ourselves, about our identity, to live better lives in the real world. Now fast-forward to 2012. I’m back here on the TED stage again. My daughter’s 20. She’s a college student. She sleeps with her cellphone, so do I. Connected, but alone? | Sherry Turkle

What factors affect speaking rate?

Your speaking rate is likely to change based on the type of speaking and the context. For example, you should probably speak at a slightly slower rate when giving a presentation than when you are having a normal conversation. It’s also normal for nervousness to affect speaking rate, which is why rehearsing for public speaking events is crucial ( come practice with us! ).

In addition, individual speaking rates naturally vary. Some people speak at a faster or slower rate than others, and that is perfectly okay! The goal is only for your speaking rate not to affect your intelligibility. We provided more examples of different speaking rates below .

How can I figure out my average speaking rate?

The formula for calculating speaking rate is number of words divided by number of minutes (# words/# mins) . Here are some suggested steps for figuring out your average speaking rate:

How can I practice modifying my speaking rate?

We highly recommend incorporating shadowing practice into your daily pronunciation and speaking practice. Shadowing is the action of imitating a speech sample as closely and as quickly as possible. With or without a transcript, you follow “just behind” a recording. It’s a good idea to pick a specific feature of intelligibility to focus on when shadowing, and speech rate is one option. Try it with the TED Talks above or below, and check out our other suggested resources for shadowing !

In addition, if you want to change your speaking rate, it’s a good idea to be mindful of your pausing . Short pauses between thoughts are normal and expected in spoken American English. However, pausing too often or for too long can make speech harder to understand. 5 Our sections on Thought Groups will introduce you to focus words and pausing, and will give you helpful tips on how to pause appropriately to improve your intelligibility.

More examples of speech that is spoken at other, also intelligible rates:

Approximately 120 words per minute :.

In 1991, I went to my first lecture on brain SPECT imaging. SPECT is a nuclear medicine study that looks at blood flow and activity, it looks at how your brain works. SPECT was presented as a tool to help psychiatrists get more information to help their patients. In that one lecture, my two professional loves, medical imaging and psychiatry, came together, and quite honestly, revolutionized my life. Over the next 22 years, my colleagues and I would build the world’s largest database of brain scans related to behavior on patients from 93 countries. The most important lesson from 83,000 brain scans | Daniel Amen | TEDxOrangeCoast

Approximately 165 Words Per Minute :

I’m a storyteller, and I would like to tell you a few personal stories about what I like to call the danger of the single story. I grew up on a university campus, in eastern Nigeria. My mother says that I started reading at the age of two, although I think four is probably close to the truth. So I was an early reader, and what I read were British and American children’s books. I was also an early writer, and when I began to write at about the age of seven, stories in pencil with crayon illustrations that my poor mother was obligated to read, I wrote exactly the kinds of stories I was reading. All my characters were white and blue-eyed; they played in the snow; they ate apples; and they talked a lot about the weather, how lovely it was that the sun had come out. Now this despite the fact that I lived in Nigeria, I had never been outside Nigeria. We didn’t have snow; we ate mangoes; and we never talked about the weather because there was no need to. The danger of a single story | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

What do you do now?

First , visit our section on Thought Groups to learn more about how pausing affects your intelligibility. We also recommend practicing your rhythm and connected speech , both of which will help you improve your fluency and intelligibility overall.

Second , as we noted above, we highly recommend incorporating shadowing into your daily pronunciation and speaking practice. Shadowing is the action of imitating a speech sample as closely and as quickly as possible. With or without a transcript, you follow “just behind” a recording. It’s a good idea to pick a specific feature of intelligibility to focus on when shadowing, and speech rate is one option. Check out our list of recommended TED Talks for shadowing on our Helpful Links & Resources page .

Third , make an appointment with a Speech Consultant to discuss your speaking rate and get personalized recommendations that fit your intelligibility goals.

References: 1 Anderson‐Hsieh, J., & Koehler, K. (1988). The effect of foreign accent and speaking rate on native speaker comprehension. Language learning , 38 (4), 561-613. 2 Munro, M. J., & Derwing, T. M. (2001). Modelling perceptions of the comprehensibility and accentedness of L2 speech: The role of speaking rate. Studies in Second Language Acquisition , 23 (4), 451-468. 3 Llurda, E. (2000). Effects of intelligibility and speaking rate on judgements of non-native speakers’ personalities. IRAL-International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching , 38 (3-4), 289-300. 4 The National Center for Voice and Speech. (n.d.). Voice Qualities. Retrieved April 20, 2020 from http://www.ncvs.org/ncvs/tutorials/voiceprod/tutorial/quality.html 5 Kang, O. (2010). Relative salience of suprasegmental features on judgments of L2 comprehensibility and accentedness. System , 38 (2), 301-315.

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Harmonizing the Art and Science of Vocal Expression

Mastering Rate Of Speech In Communication: A Comprehensive Guide

October 27, 2023 By David V. Risner Leave a Comment

Have you ever seen people talk fast or slow? that is their rate of speech.

In this blog, we will explore the rate of speech in communication and how it affects our ability to connect with others.

Rate Of Speech In Communication

The rate of speech in communication is how many words you say per minute.

Ever had a chat with someone who talks like a turbocharged motor?

Or maybe you’ve met the slow-motion speaker who takes forever to get to the point?

Speech speed can impact how well we understand and engage in conversations.

Example: Imagine you’re at a coffee shop ordering your favourite brew. The barista asks if you want whipped cream.

If they rattle off options at lightning speed, you might end up with an unexpected latte topping.

On the flip side, if they take ages to finish their sentence, your order could turn into a novella.

Importance Of Rate Of Speech In Communication

Speaking rate is important in communication. Here’s why:

1. Understanding: If you talk too fast, people might not understand you. If you talk too slowly, they might get bored.

2. Clarity: Speaking at the right speed helps people understand you better.

3. Engagement: The right pace keeps people interested in what you’re saying.

4. Expression : How you speak can show your emotions. Talking quickly can show excitement while speaking slowly can show seriousness.

5. Audience: You should adjust your speed to fit your audience. Different groups may need different speeds.

Speaking at the right rate is crucial for clear communication. It helps people understand and stay engaged with your message.

What Effects Rate Of Speech In Communication

Your speaking speed depends on many things:

1. Context and Purpose: Where and why you’re talking matter. For example, formal presentations need a different speed than casual chats.

2. Topic Complexity: How hard the topic is affects your speed. Complicated stuff might need slower talking for clarity.

3. Audience: Who you’re talking to matters. Experts might want faster talk, but beginners need it slower.

4. Emotion and Tone: Feeling excited makes you talk fast, but serious things slow you down.

5. Clear Words: Making sure your words are clear is important. Speaking too fast can make it unclear.

6. What People Think: People see slightly faster talkers as more skilled and likeable.

7. Personal Stuff: Your physical traits, like how you talk and your training, influence your speed.

8. Cultural Ways: Your region’s communication style can also play a part.

Your talking speed can change, and understanding these things helps you talk effectively.

Average Speech Rates In Different Types of Speech

Speech rates change depending on where and why you’re talking. Here’s the speed you’d typically talk at in different situations:

1. Casual Chats: In everyday talks with pals, you’d speak at about 125-150 words per minute (WPM) . It’s comfy and helps everyone follow along.

2. Public Speaking: When giving speeches or TED Talks , you’d aim for 150-160 WPM . This keeps the audience engaged without feeling rushed.

3. Clear Teaching: In teaching or broadcasting, speech slows down to about 150 WPM . This clarity ensures everyone understands the message.

4. High-Energy Chat: In exciting settings like sports commentary, you might go as fast as 170 WPM . It matches the action.

5. Audiobooks and Podcasts: Narrating audiobooks or hosting podcasts, you’d stick to 150-160 WPM . It’s a balance of storytelling and understanding.

6. Slow and Precise: For things like instructions or announcements, a slower pace of 100-120 WPM lets the audience grasp every detail.

Different situations call for different speaking speeds. It’s all about keeping things clear and engaging for your audience.

Perfect Rate Of Speech In Communication

Finding the ideal speech rate is essential for effective communication . Here’s how you can develop a perfect rate of speech:

1. Practice Daily: Practice speaking at different speeds, from slow to fast. This helps you become comfortable with various rates and adapt to different situations.

2. Record Yourself: Use a recording device or app to record your speech. Listen to the recordings to identify areas where you can improve your pace and clarity.

3. Metronome: Try using a metronome to set a consistent pace. It’s like music for your speech. Practice speaking in sync with the metronome to develop a consistent rate.

4. Get Feedback: Seek feedback from others, such as teachers, peers, or mentors. They can provide valuable insights into your speech rate.

5. Read Aloud: Read books, articles, or scripts aloud at different speeds. This enhances your ability to adjust your pace while maintaining clarity.

6. Analyze Great Speakers: Study the speech rates of effective communicators, like TED Talk speakers. Look at how they pace their speech to engage the audience and convey their message.

7. Use Pauses: Incorporate deliberate pauses in your speech. Pauses can emphasize key points and allow the audience to absorb information.

8. Adapt to the Audience: Consider your audience’s preferences and needs. Adjust your speech rate according to your listeners.

9. Stay Relaxed: Nervousness can lead to speaking too quickly. Focus on staying calm and relaxed, which can help maintain a steady pace.

10. Get Professional Help: If you’re struggling, consider a speech coach for personal guidance.

Remember, the perfect rate of speech in communication, adaptability is key. Developing a wide range of speech rates will serve you well in different situations.

5 Exercises To Improve Your Rate Of Speech In Communication

These exercises will help you adjust your speaking speed for effective communication.

1. Reading Children’s Stories

– Read a children’s story silently to get a sense of the flow.

– Identify passages to speak faster and slower.

– Read aloud, noting how speed affects interpretation.

– Record yourself to review and learn from your performance.

2. Reading Factual Reports

– Choose an information-rich report from a newspaper.

– Familiarize yourself with the content and read it aloud.

– Identify sections for slow or fast reading.

– Practice until you find the right mix of speeds.

– Imagine explaining the report to a novice audience for added practice.

3. Experiment with Your Speech

– Record your speech at your usual rate.

– Time yourself and note the duration.

– Revisit the speech, marking areas for speed adjustments.

– Record it again and note the changes in time and insights.

4. Listen to Skilled Speakers

– Listen to accomplished public speakers, like radio hosts etc.

– Observe their varying speaking rates during their presentations.

– Experiment with different rates inspired by what you observed.

5. Work with Familiar Material

– Recite a well-known text at different speeds.

– Record if possible or listen and assess the impact.

– Identify where speed was effective and where it wasn’t.

– Adjust your script accordingly and practice.

How To Make Your Speech Interesting?

To make your speech interesting, change how fast you talk. Don’t talk at the same speed all the time.

It can make your speech boring. Instead, switch between talking fast and talking slow.

Talking Fast: Use this when you want to show excitement or urgency. It adds emotion to your speech. But if you talk fast for too long, it can become too much for your audience.

Talking Slow: This is good for important or serious parts of your speech. It helps people focus on what you’re saying. Yet, if your whole speech is slow, it might make your audience lose interest.

So, mix it up. Talk fast when you need to, and slow down when it’s important. This keeps your audience engaged and adds feeling to your speech.

How to Calculate Rate Of Speech In Communication

To calculate it, you’ll need a stopwatch and a transcript of what you said. Here’s how it works:

1. Get a Timer : First things first, grab your phone or a good old-fashioned watch – something with a timer.

2. Choose a Sample : Next, pick a piece of text, like a paragraph from a book or even this article.

3. Time Yourself : Start the timer and read the text out loud. Stop the timer once you’re done.

4. Count the Words : Count the words you read. Let’s say it’s 150 words.

5. Do the Math : Now, divide the number of words (150 in our example) by the number of minutes it took you to read. So, if it took you 2 minutes, the rate would be 150 words divided by 2 minutes, which equals 75 words per minute (wpm).

The way you speak can make a big difference in how well your message comes across.

We’ve looked at what speech rate is, why it matters, and how to improve it.

Remember, it’s important to find the right balance in your speech rate. Don’t talk too fast or too slow.

Varying your pace can make your message more interesting.

As you continue communicating with others, keep these tips in mind.

Effective communication isn’t about what you say, but how you say it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is prosody and the rate of speech .

Prosody is the way we express feelings through elements like rhythm, and tone in our speech. It’s like the melody of language.

The rate of speech is how fast or slow we talk.

Prosody and speech rate are important because they help us convey emotions, and make sure others understand us.

If we talk too fast, it can be hard for people to follow, but if we talk too slowly, it might get boring.

What Is The Best Rate Of Speech?

The best speaking rate is approximately 143 words per minute. This pace allows you to communicate effectively without rushing or becoming boring.

But, it’s essential to adapt your rate based on the context and audience.

Practice is key to finding your optimal speaking rate and adjusting it for different situations.

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What is the Average Speaking Rate?

What’s the average speaking rate ? Is it better to speak faster or is is better to speak slower?

In this article, we answer these questions and look at the factors which influence your speaking rate , a critical component of your delivery.

Speech Pauses
Filler Words (um, ah)
Speaking Rate
Vocal Volume
Vocal Projection
Vocal Strength Exercises

How to calculate your speaking rate

The most common way to express one’s speaking rate is in words per minute (wpm). To calculate this, simply take the total number of words spoken and divide by the number of minutes it took you to speak them.

Speaking Rate (wpm) = Total words / # of minutes

Another way to measure speaking rate is in syllables per minute (spm):

Speaking Rate (spm) = Total syllables / # of minutes

Why syllables per minute? Not all words are equal. Consider these two sentences:

Modern readability tests are designed to indicate comprehension difficulty when reading a passage of contemporary academic English. (17 words; 41 syllables)
Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country. (17 words; 19 syllables)

If you were to speak these two sentences at the same rate in words per minute, the first passage would seem considerably faster because you are saying more.

Despite the sensibility of using syllables/minute, the words/minute measure is more commonly used, because it is generally easier to calculate.

How to determine your speaking rate

A really quick estimate of your speaking rate can be obtained by timing yourself while reading a selection of text with a known word count. Then, simply calculate using the method above.

But, this is not really your speaking rate. It’s your reading rate . Even if you read out loud, it’s not the same thing as a speaking rate.

The best way to determine your speaking rate is to time yourself delivering a real speech with a real audience. (Video helps — you can count your words from it too.)

What is the average speaking rate?

The average speaking rate will vary across languages and situations. But, rather than dodging the question entirely, let’s come up an estimate given a fairly narrow speaking situation — TED talks — which we often study in Six Minutes speech critiques.

I analyzed 9 TED talks which have been critiqued on Six Minutes . These talks ranged from just under 7 minutes in length to just under 20 minutes. Some speakers used visuals, some did not. Their topics were widely variable. [Click the links in the table below to view these speeches and read the critiques. Note that the Steve Jobs talk was not delivered at a TED conference, but is included on the TED website.]

For these 9 talks, the average speaking rate is 163 words per minute .
Two thirds of the talks are clustered in a narrow range between 153 and 168 words per minute.
Remember that this average and range do not necessarily apply to all speaking situations.

One can also calculate the speaking rate for the 9 TED talks in syllables per minute, and these results are shown below, sorted in the same order as in the words/minute chart above.

The most notable difference using the syllables/minute measure is that of Majora Carter. She has a much higher syllables/word count (1.62) compared to the others, which all fall between 1.43 and 1.54. More frequent use of longer words is one factor which contributes to my perception that she’s talking too fast.

What influences your overall speaking rate?

There are many factors which influence your overall speaking rate:

Your normal speaking rate This is a product of your birth, your culture, and your history (family, profession, etc.) Some people talk faster. Some people talk slower. Neither is inherently good or bad .
Nervousness and stress Speaking under pressure tends to make you speak faster. I am not immune to this trait. If I’m speaking with notes of any kind, I’ll often write “SLOW DOWN” in red ink in the margin as a reminder.
Mental fatigue If you are tired, you will tend to speak slower. You’ll also tend to make more mistakes which further slows your effective speaking rate.
Complexity of the words If you’re measuring speaking rate in words per minute, then longer words will usually slow down your speaking rate.
Complexity of content Longer sentences and more complex speech content means more pauses are necessary, and this will slow down your speaking rate, too. This is desirable because it helps your audience — they need more time to mentally process longer sentences and more complex content. However, it would help them more to simplify your content and shorten your sentences.
Verbal pauses Insertion of natural pauses in your verbal delivery will slow your speaking rate, but the gains in understandability are worth it!
Extra pauses induced by you Every time you stop to checking your notes, think to search for a word, show a prop or slide, or demonstrate something, your speaking rate drops. Often, the benefits of doing these things outweighs the drawbacks. [Some of these pauses can be reduced by more thorough preparation.]
Extra pauses induced by your audience When your audience applauds or laughs, this slows you down too. Larger audiences tend to induce larger delays.
Extra pauses induced by the environment These are harder to predict, but you should allow for them. For example, loud noises outside the room or other distractions may force you to pause, or repeat yourself.

All but the last two factors are completely within your control, and even those last two factors can be predicted somewhat.

Is it better to speak faster or is is better to speak slower?

It depends, but if you are anywhere close to the range of the speakers analyzed above (133 to 188 words/minute), you’re fine.

Generally, slower is more intelligible than faster speech. Appropriate pauses allow your audience time to digest what you’ve said and begin to process it. However, instead of worrying too much about your numerical speaking rate, it probably would be better to focus on improving your clarity and lowering the complexity of your language.

Clarity : Good enunciation, sharp pronunciation, and proper stresses will produce clear language and make it easy for your audience to hear each word.
Complexity : By simplifying words and simplifying your sentences by eliminating unnecessary words, you become much more understandable.

Vary your speaking rate!

No matter what your average speaking rate is over the entire speech, you should always vary it within a speech. Don’t deliver sentence after sentence at the same exact rate. Varying your speech rate adds life to your vocal delivery, and allows you to convey both meaning and emotional content.

For example, you can speak a little faster to convey excitement, or a little slower to reflect sadness or confusion.

Final Thoughts

I know very few people who speak considerably too slow, but many who speak too fast. Because of the common tendency to put too much content into our presentations, we tend to speak at a blazing speed to get through it all. So, in general, slow down!

Like many delivery characteristics, the best way to be aware of whether you are doing it well is to solicit feedback. Ask trusted audience members whether your pace was too slow, too fast, or just right.

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27 comments.

Great post Andrew. I love the analysis. Research shows that Australians generally speak slower than other english speakers, and I recently ( http://wp.me/p2k3hy-Ev ) suggested that we speak around 100 wpm. Quite a difference! Despite this, I have a flash card that I take into every high school speech class and I use it a LOT. It says “slow down”.

Fascinating! I wasn’t aware of the speaking rate difference in Australians. Do you have a reference to the research handy?

it is said that the normalspeaking rate is 140_160 word per minute

Thanks for this post Andrew. I think it also depends on the nature of the speech. My experience in Toastmasters tells me that, when telling stories and trying to convey emotion, I’ll speak much slower than when speaking about plain facts and figures. Is this your case as well?

Yes, it certainly depends on the nature of the overall speech and, as you have pointed out, on the nature of what you are presenting at a given time within the speech.

I agree that emotional content and stories (which have more dramatic pauses) tend to be delivered slower than factual details, but even that isn’t a hard rule.

Andrew, As always I appreciate your thoroughness and your practical approach to dealing with the challenges of public speaking. I agree with this article and thank you for your approach using syllables rather than words to assess rate of speech. One thought, another situation affecting ROS is the fact that people may not practice speaking at the slower pace often enough. This is where it is helpful to read a piece aloud that has the desired number of words in it (or syllables) and time yourself to be able to read it at the correct pace. If you do that often enough, you get the “feel” of that pace and can more easily duplicate it under pressure. And you’ll also notice that when you slow down you are more able to add nuances and variety, making the slower pace actually MORE interesting than the faster one, in case you are worried about boring people when speaking more slowly.

Up to now, I’ve never seen syllables used to express speaking speed, but it makes such sense – as the comparison of sentences with the same word count but vastly different syllable counts clearly shows in this post.

A while ago, I published a piece about using fewer syllables when speaking. It lists 14 terms that people often use when speaking (or writing), and it gives low-syllable equivalents (up to 80% shorter) for each term: http://remotepossibilities.wordpress.com/2011/12/31/minimise-blur-firstframework-part-1m/#bb3

If you make simple changes like those, you can avoid rushing, and your audience can absorb your message far better.

Here’s another tip related to speaking rate, which I’ve found really handy when listening to recorded speeches or webinars: By using Windows Media Player (or a similar tool), you can play recordings slower or faster than normal speed.

Typically, speakers talk too fast. So you can use Media Player to slow down the recording, and/or you can keep clicking Pause to give yourself time to digest what was just said.

Conversely, for slow or well-paced speakers, you can play a recording at (say) 150% speed, so for instance you can hear a 1-hour webinar in only 40 minutes. What a timesaver! (I’m in Australia like Claire, above, but the slowest speaker I’ve come across is actually a well-known CEO from the US. In a live speech, the slow speed lets you absorb what he’s saying, but in a recording it can get frustrating unless you speed it up.)

If your version of Media Player’s like mine, you’ll find the speed control by choosing View > Enhancements > Play Speed Settings. (In Media Player on Windows 7, instead you choose Play > Play Speed, which gives you just 3 speeds to choose from.)

I hope you find that as handy as I have!

Thanks for the tip, Craig. I’ll have to try that out.

Andrew, This is extremely helpful for novice public speakers. I am forever being asked how much can I say in a minute? What’s interesting about the numbers for me is that they look so high. Once you allow time for audience reaction and time to pause to let your points sink in, I always find that even the fastest public speakers struggle to get much more than 140 words per minute. 150 tops. It’s our nervous novices that speak at 180. I’d be interested to know: Why is it that these experienced hands say so many words? Does their experience mean that they can command an audience’s attention and compress more content into less time? Or would they be better if the slowed down?

Without a great deal more data, it’s hard to answer your questions. However, I think it is fair to say that these TED speakers are able to deliver at a higher words/minute rate because [1] they are extremely well-prepared, and thus rarely make any verbal slips which would slow them down and [2] the culture of TED talks tends to allow for a pretty high information density.

As for whether these talks would be better if slowed down, I leave it up to the audience.

As a trainer of professional actors I can assure you that there seems to be more of a correlation of slower speed with “reading” and faster speed with passion. Perhaps the TED speakers are a bit more passionate about their ideas?

Wow. I couldn’t disagree more. If a person is aligning operative words then TEMPO has almost no bearing on the speech. If someone is passionate then they are going to speak at a faster rate (SPM), but they will also hit words in such a way as to convey meaning. Anything between 160-210 (wpm) is common in everyday speech. Why should conveying ideas in a “speech” be different?

Love your pages! However, please take caution when using the word ” slower”. It is an adjective. When speaking of how something is done, the proper use is ” more slowly”. 😉

I agree with you SO much that I filed a federal lawsuit asking court and other public officers to SLOWDOWN. My lawsuit is called Ovitsky v. Washington County, etc. It’s less about money and more about understanding what people are speaking, for me most of the time it is “too fast,” quite literally. Federal relay types about 60 wpm. Court officers speak 100+ wpm. If I can walk away with one non financial gain, it would be a federal order asking the locals to slow down and also asking FCC to hire faster typists to transcribe calls for deaf. I write for myself, I cannot read 100+ wpm, I can read about 80 wpm and I can hear maybe 60 wpm with pauses and repeats, which is why I use deaf telecom, I need a SLOWDOWN more than I need the visual but after seven years, I’m accustomed to doing both. I am in Oregon, not far from where ye hail from? Au Canada? In any event, thank you for your wonderful article and I appreciate your posting it. I re-posted it on my FaceBook page with a link back to this site.

Hi, Andrew, Congratulations for your blog! It’s terrific! I also write about public communication, but I focus on phonetics. I’ll keep reading your posts, thanks!! Carolina (Madrid, Spain)

Ray Hull, Ph.D. recommended 124 wpm.

That was great to read your research Please advise the top 10 speech or speaker in a world

Many Thanks

Nice article, I came here looking to learn what speed I wanted to be able to play guitar at. I was wondering if you might have an article you could direct me to which delves deeper into the mood tone/frequency or as you put it an article that tells me what speed rates convey what sorts of meanings and emotions?

Andrew, thank you! One of the 1st training segments of Accent training ( Not “accent reduction” – rather “Accent Addition”) is to train folks how to monitor their speaking rate. We do this by doing an analysis of TED speakers on the # of words per minute ( WPM). The Syllables Per Minute (SPM) analysis that you have done is phenomenal. A person cannot change how they move their speaking/articulator-voice muscles until they can be attuned to and control the speed of their speaking movements. Additionally, they cannot be attuned to how their listeners are responding or understanding if they cannot use effective pauses. Your analysis of the WPM and SPM of top TED speakers helps others to strategically garner specific tactics to be more effective speakers. Again, Thank you!!!

Thank you for this post Andrew! I learned a lot of details about public speaking while browsing through your blog. It actually inspired me to create an app which estimates the speaker’s speaking rate, pauses, pitch and volume (a digital presentation coach). Now available for free on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/quantle/id1241930976 Thanks again for your valuable pages!

a very good job. I hope you will creat a a android version of the app. Thank you.

Hi Andrew. Thank you for your very interesting post on speaking rate. I am interested in doing this at a more academic level, in a paper, for instance. Do you have any papers/references on calculating speaking rate? Thank you in advance for your help.

Interesting that the fact of deafness are not being dealt with enough. Some deaf persons (especially older persons) has big difficulties in following newsreaders. It must be remembered that with the years all functions slow down a little bit with extreme cases here and there.Also older persons tend to listen more to radio and tv and find it very difficult in understanding than in the past.I am very fond of news channels but find that some readers (especially women ) are faster readers than their male colleges.To all out there please speak slower!

Do you have DVDs to help with practice sounds

Recently I reviewed a video where the speaker talked at 230 wpm! (I linked to this post for comparison with other talks.)

You might think that’d be WAY too fast, but in that case I think the speaker pulled it off.

If done well, one benefit of speaking so fast is that it conveys passion for the topic. See what you think…

The reason why Majora Carter’s spw is so much higher is because she says ‘sustainability’, ‘environmental’ and ‘sustainable development’ a lot.

You could also say that: • the avg wpm of those “2/3 between 153 and 168 wpm” is 160; and that • the avg spm of those talks is 274, and 237 amongst without the 3 fast-talking women and slomo Gore.

Personally, I’m more interested in how fast can people listen. Any clues?

Recent Tweets

163 words per minute is an average speaking rate for presentations. http://t.co/Tknk8f0A0O #speaking — @anthea_rowe Sep 10th, 2015

This was helpful to me as I’m preparing a talk: What is the Average Speaking Rate? https://t.co/oA8Scl26sx by @6minutes — @cesarbrea Oct 19th, 2015

@AlexWattsEsq about 90 hours by my very unscientific estimate. Used average speaking rate here: https://t.co/8CHXhuUt5K — @InfiniteClock Dec 2nd, 2015

What is the Average Speaking Rate? Very insightful 🙂 @GitteWBruhn and @SCThatcher https://t.co/UmmT6sa4N3 by @6minutes — @ClaireLauper Dec 18th, 2015

@grace_elliot Varies quite a lot. Some useful info here https://t.co/lXLdUZty91 😊 — @DamianSomebody Apr 20th, 2016

The average speaking rate of English as 1st Language TED speakers in Words & syllables https://t.co/ekitKC9jw6 — @accentcoach Jun 14th, 2016

#TuesdayTips Too fast, too slow, or just right? Good article by @6minutes on pace of speech. https://t.co/hPXErFUsVX — PitchVantage (@pitchvantage) Jul 5th, 2016

.@6minutes Found today. Looking forward to following. https://t.co/yWCQwBzJjg — @realestaterossi Nov 19th, 2016

¿sabías que la velocidad media de hablar óptima en un discurso está entre 153 y 168 palabras? #apor1600kwds https://t.co/bbwrBgo7BU — @DanielRDelPino Oct 17th, 2017

What is the Average Speaking Rate? https://t.co/Th6LajR5J8 — @BigDru Jul 6th, 2018

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What is the ideal rate of speech?

Lynda Stucky July 30, 2015 Build Your Brand , Develop Your Speech , Public Speaking

Are you fast talker? If you are, you may be losing the most important person in the room: the listener! A good rate of speech ranges between 140 -160 words per minute (wpm). A rate higher than 160 words per minute can be difficult for the listener to absorb the material. There may be some areas of the country that speak at faster rates but a slower rate is preferable. Too slow of a rate may give the listener the perception of slow thinking, incompetence and being uneducated. If you have a foreign accent though, speaking slowly is crucial since pronunciation may be a challenge for the listener. Use a speed that is closer to 140 words per minute.

Have you ever heard the difference between different rates? I encourage you to “hear” for yourself! I have recorded the same passage for you so that you can compare. What might be most helpful (especially if you don’t have time to listen to them all) is just listen to 140, 170 and 200 wpm. Take note of the differences you hear (intonation, pronunciation, etc.) and the way each rate makes you feel.

Rainbow Passage 140 wpm

Rainbow Passage 150 wpm

Rainbow Passage 160 wpm

Rainbow Passage 170 wpm

Rainbow Passage 180 wpm

Rainbow Passage 190 wpm

Rainbow Passage 200 wpm

The rate of speech that we speak at is highly individual. Speech rate affects the listener’s perception of the speaker and the relative importance of the message. Imagine “I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King spoken at a fast rate. The length of time that the speech was spoken gives us time to imagine and to process the information. We wouldn’t process this meaningful and complex information if it had been spoken more quickly. In fact, we would most likely lose interest. A slow rate signals importance and sends a message that the content should be taken seriously.

Now if the content is unimportant and spoken too slowly, the listener may become impatient and bored and consequently lose interest, too. A slow speaker telling a story about a trip to the grocery store or a meeting agenda or something else less important, may find the listener watching with glazed over eyes.

Second language learners often speak the new language at the same rate they adopted in their first language. Given that there are generally some language errors present, speaking at a slower rate of speech will increase non-native English speaker’s chances of being better understood.

Humor, and light, frivolous messages are best expressed at a faster rate because we process that information a lot quicker.

When determining the rate of speech you want to use, analyze the content of your message. No matter what speed you choose, be sure to show enthusiasm through vocal variety and facial expression.

Tags: clearly speaking , ideal pace , lynda stucky , presenting , rate of speech , speaking executive , words per minute

Is the rate of speech need to be slower when speaking over the phone?

Yes, Anne. That’s a great idea because there are no visual cues for your listener. You’ll want to speak even more slowly on the phone.

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Presentation Science

Determining the Perfect Rate of Speech

By: Caitlin McGuire

I once experienced a scientific presentation that was delivered in what felt like light speed. I tried my hardest to follow along, but no matter how hard I tried, with each passing minute, I found myself more and more lost. Eventually the presentation ended, and to this day, I could not tell you what was discussed. What I experienced that day was a poor choice in rate of speech.

Scientists have proven that humans can understand speech at a rate of 400 words per minute, but does that mean we can comprehend at the same rate? As a presenter, it’s important to understand how to pace your presentation in such a way that your audience doesn’t just hear the words but also comprehends and absorbs the information as well.

When developing the pace of your presentation, there are 3 questions you should ask yourself to ensure you get maximum engagement from your audience.

What is the most comfortable pace for me? While your audience may be able to comprehend your speech at 400 words per minute, that doesn’t mean you will feel comfortable speaking at that rate. By selecting a rate that is either too fast or too slow for your comfort, your speech will feel awkward and unnatural. Not to mention, you’ll most likely feel uncomfortable with the pacing which will lead to more mistakes and a weaker delivery.

What feels natural for my content? In many ways, your content will dictate your presentation’s pace. If your content is designed to be eager and excited, then select a faster pace to build passion and intrigue; however, if you are looking to communicate a somber message, use a slower pace to convey emotion and authenticity instead.

Who is my audience? Considering who you are speaking to is a vital key in selecting your rate of speech. If you are presenting to an audience of CEOs, you may want to consider a faster rate of speech since their time is limited, and if your presentation feels like it is lagging, you may end up losing them before you even start. On the other end of the spectrum, if you’re speaking to an older audience, you may want to slow down a bit to help increase engagement with your information.

So, what’s the answer? When considering your rate of speech, the right answer is variety! As a presenter, you must learn to vary your speech’s pace based on the three questions above. Embracing the right pace in the right moment will help you to wow every audience in every setting.

Here are 3 exercises to help develop variety in your speech pace.

Practice reading children’s books. Children’s books have a specific tempo and cadence to them. By reading through them, you will strengthen your ability to develop a comfortable and rhythmic cadence. This exercise will give you great insight into how words flow together which can be implemented in your presentation. Along with developing overall cadence and flow, reading children’s books will help you develop your storytelling abilities.

Read factual reports. As a presenter, it’s your job to transform boring facts and figures into exciting reasons your audience should buy in to what you are sharing. By practicing reading a factual document, you can see what speech rate is ideal to bring those statistics to life. Record yourself during this exercise so you can listen to yourself and get a glimpse into what your audience will experience.

Practice with a partner. When it comes to understanding and developing the perfect rate of speech, it’s always good to have some help. Practice your presentation with a partner using different rates of speech. Ask for their opinion on the different options you choose. When selecting your partner, choose someone who also needs to practice their rate of speech, because sometimes the best way to learn and develop is to coach someone else through the exercise.

Listen to a variety of presenters. If you are looking to develop variety in your speech rate, then you must have variety in the people who influence you. It’s easy to fall into a rut of listening to the same speakers and people that we connect with, but developing variety means adding new speakers to your list. Consider listening to speakers you don’t necessarily connect with to help develop a more rounded speech pattern.

If your audience can’t understand you, they can’t engage with you. By finding the proper rate of speech, you will not only help your audience to follow along, but you will equip them to retain what you are sharing. So the next time you step out to present, remember that one size does not fit all, and choosing the right rate for your specific audience will change the game for your next presentation.

Looking to elevate your presentation skills? Check out the Presentation Mentor online course today.

Caitlin McGuire

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Assessing Speech

Causes of abnormal speech.

Psychiatric disorder - mood disorder, anxiety, schizophrenia
Confusion - delirium, dementia, intellectual disability
Dysphasia / aphasia
Dysarthria - stroke, brain injury, Parkinson's, MS
Dysphonia - laryngitis, neuropathology, trauma, mass, atrophy, systemic disease
Hearing impairment
English as a non-native language
Intoxication

Rate of Speech

Interpretation.

Slow speech (bradylalia) Depression, Parkinson's disease, cognitive impairment
Normal speech rate
Rapid speech (tachylalia) - fast speech but able to be redirected Normal, mania, anxiety, stimulants
Pressured speech - fast and without taking breaks, talking over other people and unable to be redirected Mania, anxiety

Volume of Speech

Loud (hyperphonia) Personality trait, hearing impairment, mania
Normal speech volume
Weak (hypophonia) - low or soft speech Shyness, anxiety, depression, Parkinson's disease

Quantity of Speech

Excessive talking (logorrhoea) - speaking at length and apparently without end Mania, ADHD, anxiety
Talkative - actively takes part in conversation. Normal
Poverty of speech - very little speech, even with persuasion. Shyness, depression, schizophrenia, cognitive impairment

Examples of Dysfluency

Stuttering - repetition, prolongation, or pauses in speech May be developmental, neurogenic, or psychogenic
Cluttering - rapid, disorganized speech with excessive word and phrase repetitions Often related to language or learning disabilities

Causes of Impaired Speech Fluency

Foreign language
Expressive - varied pitch and intonation Normal tonality
Monotone - the patient uses a single tone for vocal expression. Boredom, depression, schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder
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Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Meaning of rate in English

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rate noun [C] ( MEASURE )

slowly I got out of bed and walked slowly to the door.
slow Go slower! I can't keep up.
at a slow pace They are easy hikes, done at a slow pace.
at a slow speed You only have to hit a pedestrian at a slow speed to kill them.
at slow rate The economy grew at a slower rate during the second half of the year.
Over the last year , the rate of inflation has crept up to almost 7 percent .
The success rate was abnormally high.
We'll be lucky if we get there by midnight at this rate.
The city's most shocking statistic is its high infant mortality rate.
The survey found no correspondence between crime and unemployment rates.
at full/half throttle idiom
burst of speed
ground speed
hypervelocity
instantaneous velocity
light speed
speed of sound
supersonically

rate noun [C] ( PAYMENT )

The new phone rates will affect all consumers including businesses .
The lower tax rate is particularly advantageous to poorer families .
Our expectations are that the UK will cut its interest rate.
We charge a flat rate of $25 per hour .
The hotel has a special discount rate for newlyweds .
appropriation
circumstance
living wage
money supply
wherewithal
your daily bread idiom

rate noun [C] ( TAX )

Rate verb [t] ( judge ).

adjudication
interpretable
interpretive
interpretively
investigate
reinvestigate
reinvestigation
risk assessment
run over/through something

rate verb [T] ( TAX )

amortizable
anti-dumping
anti-progressive
at source phrase
financial year
fiscal drag
fiscal year
regressively
build quality
litmus test
multi-levelled
set the bar high/low idiom
take first/second place idiom

rate | American Dictionary

Rate noun [c] ( measurement ), rate verb ( value ), rate | business english, collocations with rate.

These are words often used in combination with rate .

Click on a collocation to see more examples of it.

Translations of rate

Get a quick, free translation!

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my lips are sealed

said when you are promising to keep a secret

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Dictionary +Plus Word Lists
rate (MEASURE)
rate (PAYMENT)
rate (JUDGE)
rate as something
rate (MEASUREMENT)
rate (VALUE)
rate sth (as) a buy/hold/sell
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Definition of rate noun from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

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Definition of rate

(Entry 1 of 3)

Definition of rate (Entry 2 of 3)

transitive verb

intransitive verb

Definition of rate (Entry 3 of 3)

calibre
lambast
rail (at or against)
tongue-lash

estimate , appraise , evaluate , value , rate , assess mean to judge something with respect to its worth or significance.

estimate implies a judgment, considered or casual, that precedes or takes the place of actual measuring or counting or testing out.

appraise commonly implies the fixing by an expert of the monetary worth of a thing, but it may be used of any critical judgment.

evaluate suggests an attempt to determine relative or intrinsic worth in terms other than monetary.

value equals appraise but without implying expertness of judgment.

rate adds to estimate the notion of placing a thing according to a scale of values.

assess implies a critical appraisal for the purpose of understanding or interpreting, or as a guide in taking action.

Examples of rate in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin rata , from Latin ( pro ) rata ( parte ) according to a fixed proportion

Middle English

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 5

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing rate

adjustable rate mortgage
at any rate
at a rate of knots
at this / that rate
basal metabolic rate
carload rate
case fatality rate
crude death rate
discount rate
exchange rate
fatality rate
first - rate
heart / pulse rate
mortality rate
rate of change
rate of exchange
rate of pay
second - rate
tenth - rate
third - rate
variable rate mortgage

Dictionary Entries Near rate

rat-claw foot

Cite this Entry

“Rate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rate. Accessed 5 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of rate.

Kids Definition of rate (Entry 2 of 3)

Kids Definition of rate (Entry 3 of 3)

Middle English raten "to scold violently"

Middle English rate "an estimated or determined value," from early French rate (same meaning), derived from Latin rata, literally, "fixed, determined," from (pro) rata (parte) "according to the fixed proportion"

Medical Definition

Medical definition of rate, legal definition, legal definition of rate, more from merriam-webster on rate.

Nglish: Translation of rate for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of rate for Arabic Speakers

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Unpacking the truth of antisemitism on college campuses

Odette Yousef

Colleges have become a flashpoint in discussions about rising antisemitism. But some on those campuses say the alarm from politicians and groups distorts reality and their motives should be examined.

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International

Fed holds interest rates at 23-year high as inflation continues to push back timing of a rate cut

From CNN's Bryan Mena, Elisabeth Buchwald, Krystal Hur and Alicia Wallace

US markets close mixed after volatile Fed day

US markets closed mixed on Wednesday on a volatile day of trading.

Stocks spent the morning largely unchanged before jumping higher when Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell indicated during a press conference that policymakers believed it was unlikely that they they would raise rates again in this cycle.

Investors, however, were unable to sustain the rally and the S&P 500 and tech-heavy Nasdaq fell again to close the day lower.

The blue-chip Dow ended Wednesday higher by 87 points, or 0.2%. The S&P 500 fell by 0.3% and the Nasdaq was also down 0.3%.

Wall Street ultimately was unable to snap April's losing streak. All three major indexes closed out last month lower after five months of gains. The Dow notched its worst month since September 2022.

In earnings news, shares of chip stocks fell after Advanced Micro Devices, or AMD, issued a lackluster earnings report. Shares of AMD were down 9% on Wednesday. Shares of Super Micro Computer also slid, ending the day 14% lower. Nvidia fell about 4%.

As stocks settle after the trading day, levels might still change slightly.

Here's what a 4% unemployment rate would mean to the Fed

The US unemployment rate has stayed below 4% for more than two years, a remarkable streak that hasn't been matched in decades.

But many economists thought the jobless rate would be well above 4% by now, given all the rate hikes aimed at slowing the economy to curb inflation. Well, it may only be a matter of time before the streak of a sub-4% unemployment ends.

What would that mean for the Federal Reserve? Not a whole lot, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday.

As of last month's jobs report , the unemployment rate is at 3.8%. It would take a material weakening in the labor market to catch central bankers' attention and potentially cause them to consider cutting rates sooner.

A couple of tenths of a percentage point increase in the unemployment rate "would probably not do that," Powell said.

Americans were paid an additional $235 billion in interest in 2023, thanks to the Fed

The exterior of the Federal Reserve Board Building is seen in Washington, DC, on June 14, 2022.

If you’re carrying a lot of high-interest debt, the fact that the Federal Reserve once again did not cut interest rates at its Wednesday meeting may be disappointing, if not surprising.

But if you have any savings, the Fed’s unwillingness to lower rates until it sees more consistent progress in inflation data has – and will continue to – put money in your pocket this year if you seek out federally insured accounts with the highest rates.

In 2023, savers made $315.4 billion in interest in deposit accounts, four times the $78.7 billion they earned in 2022, according to Lending Tree’s DepositAccounts.com, which used data from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in its calculations.

That’s because, after so many years of paltry interest rates, the Fed’s rate-hike campaign that began in 2022 made it possible for savers to earn inflation-beating yields on their US domestic deposits, including bank and credit union savings accounts, certificates of deposit and money market accounts.

At the same time, yields on Treasury bills have also been very competitive with the higher rates banks are offering and are equally low risk.

Read more here about how to grow your savings while the growing is good.

The Fed isn't influenced by politics in an election year, Powell stresses

When asked whether the upcoming 2024 election may influence the Fed's interest policymaking decisions, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell stressed the central bank's independence from politics.

The Fed chair said that mixing politics with the Fed's economic calculations would "reduce the likelihood we'd actually get the economics right."

"We're always going to do what we think the right thing for the economy is," Powell said. "That's what we do. We're not looking at anything else."

"I can't say it enough: We just don't go down that road," he added.

Is stagflation a problem? Powell's not the least bit worried

The latest gross domestic product report showing that economic growth slowed as inflation accelerated sparked concerns about stagflation, which is the combination of those two factors.

But Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said those concerns are misguided.

"I was around for stagflation. It was 10% unemployment. It was high single-digits inflation and very slow growth," he said, referring to one of the worst bouts of stagflation that happened in the 1970s after a spike in oil prices during the Arab oil embargo.

Right now, economic growth is "pretty solid" and the Fed's preferred inflation gauge is under 3%, Powell said. "I don't see the stag or the 'flation."

Markets shoot higher after Powell says a rate hike is "unlikely"

US markets surged Wednesday afternoon after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell indicated twice during a press conference that policymakers believed interest rate policy was already "restrictive" enough and that it was "unlikely" that they they would raise rates again in this cycle.

The Dow gained nearly 500 points, or 1.3%. The S&P 500 was up 1% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq was up 1.5%.

Powell: Rate hikes are "unlikely" but does not know when cuts could come

Jerome Powell speaks during a press conference meeting in Washington, DC, on Wednesday.

Leading up to the Federal Reserve's May meeting, a few officials have floated the need to potentially raise interest rates even higher to rein in inflation.

But Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday it's "unlikely that the next policy rate move will be a hike."

At the same time, he did not give any assurance of a rate cut this year, which investors continue to believe will occur, though their timetable has been pushed later into the year.

Powell reiterated that central bank policy decisions will depend on how the economy is evolving. At the last meeting, Fed officials' median projections called for three rate cuts this year.

When asked by a reporter if that would still be realistic given the Fed meets five more times this year, Powell responded, "I'm not really thinking of it that way." He said Fed officials still aren't confident inflation is sustainably heading back to the Fed's 2% target but said that when they do get that confidence, "rate cuts will be in scope."

Powell noted that his own "confidence in that is lower than it was" at previous meetings.

Treasury yields move lower following Fed decision

Yields on US Treasuries tumbled after the Federal Reserve announced its decision to leave interest rates unchanged. But that's likely not what's driving yields lower.

In the Fed's statement, it said it would be significantly slowing the pace at which it allows its holdings, namely US Treasuries, to mature without reinvesting them. That brought the yield on the 10-year Treasury note to fresh lows for the day.

US stocks, meanwhile, remained relatively unchanged following the announcement.

The blue-chip Dow was 157 points, or 0.4% higher. The S&P 500 was 0.1% lower and the tech-heavy Nasdaq remained flat.

Wall Street reacts to the Fed's latest decision

The Federal Reserve just announced it is keeping interest rates on hold at a 23-year high.

Here's what Wall Street has to say:

"We expect the downtrend in inflation has been delayed, not derailed. As for the Fed's balance sheet reduction, today’s decision to taper quantitative tightening is a nod to liquidity considerations in the financial system, rather than a shift in direction," said Whitney Watson, co-chief investment officer at Goldman Sachs Asset Management.
" [The Fed's] admission that there has been a lack of further progress confirms that imminent rate cuts are extremely unlikely. A pivot this year will require not just inflation stabilization, but convincing and durable evidence that the disinflation trend is back in play," said Seema Shah, chief global strategist at Principal Asset Management.
"The delay in rate cuts will continue to affect the discretionary budgets of lower- and middle-income consumers. ... Costs for daily goods and services like food and gas are still significantly higher when compared to pre-pandemic levels, keeping pressure on Americans’ bank accounts," said Stephen Rich, chief executive at Mutual of America Capital Management.
"The immediate market reaction saw yields fall to session lows as traders focused on the Fed’s plan to slow the runoff of its balance sheet. ...The runoff will mean less Treasury paper hitting the market over the next few months – the market is viewing this as dovish," said Rajeev Sharma, managing director of fixed income at Key Wealth .

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Fed Says Progress on Inflation Has Stalled, Keeps Rates Steady

Follow live coverage of the fomc meeting and the jerome powell's speech today..

Last Updated:

The Decision

The Federal Reserve acknowledged stalling progress in bringing down inflation to its 2% goal and opted to hold its benchmark interest rate at current levels.

Furthermore, Fed officials are “prepared to maintain the current target range for the federal funds rate for as long as appropriate,” Chairman Jerome Powell told reporters at the post-meeting press conference.

The central bank also said that it would slow the pace of reducing its balance sheet starting in June. That decision ensures money markets don’t experience an episode of volatility and stress as seen in September 2019, Powell noted.

19 hours ago

Powell Doubles Down on Central Bank’s Political Neutrality

Powell says rate cuts forecast is cloudy, strong employment, wages aren’t a deterrent to rate cuts, stagflation isn’t in the fed’s forecast.

20 hours ago

Interest-Rate Increase Is Still Unlikely

Powell says fed will hold rates higher 'as long as appropriate', fed acknowledges stalling progress in inflation fight, central bank to slow balance-sheet reduction in june, fed holds rates steady, latest updates.

18 hours ago

Markets Continue to Price In Rate Cuts in Fall

Megan Leonhardt

Expectations around when the Federal Reserve will lower interest rates this year shifted only slightly following Chair Jerome Powell’s press conference on Wednesday, indicating that investors’ views had been in line with the bank’s thinking.

The odds of September and November rate cuts improved slightly following the conclusion of the Fed’s policy meeting, prices of interest-rate futures indicate. There is currently a 42.4% probability of the first rate cut coming during the September meeting, according to the CME FedWatch Tool.

The CME FedWatch Tool also showed that there are now thin odds of a rate increase at some point during the year.

There was a “collective sigh of relief in the financial markets” after the Fed refrained from increasing its hawkishness dramatically at the May meeting, wrote Jack McIntyre, portfolio manager at Brandywine Global.

“In interpreting the statement in the context of recent macro releases, it is clear that the future path of Fed policy has become more uncertain,” wrote Daniel Murray, deputy chief investment officer and global head of research at EFG Asset Management.

“Futures are now pricing only slightly more than one rate cut this year. While it is not the central view, there is clearly also an increased probability that the Fed has to hike again,” Murray said. That scenario would likely play out if the labor market continues to show strength and inflation remains stubbornly above the bank’s 2% target.

U.S. Economy, Monetary Policy Is Diverging from Other Developed Markets, Powell Says

Nicholas Jasinski

A new phase could be on the way in terms of global monetary policy.

While economies and central banks in developed markets have been on generally the same path for most of the past four years—policymakers sought to boost growth during the pandemic and then took a more restrictive stance to fight inflation afterward—that is likely to change this year. Economic and inflation data for early 2024, plus statements by the European Central Bank, the Bank of Japan, and others, now suggest more divergent central bank policies.

“The difference between the United States and other countries that are now considering rate cuts is that they're just not having the kind of growth we're having,” Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell said on Wednesday, while inflation rates abroad may be similar to those in the U.S. or lower.

Strong growth and low unemployment in the U.S. means the Fed has the “luxury,” Powell said, of holding interest rates steady for longer to continue to put downward pressure on inflation. Other central banks may be able to declare victory over inflation sooner than the Fed, but may also have to respond to weakening economic growth sooner.

“We will be careful and cautious as we approach the decision to cut rates, whereas I think other jurisdictions may go before that,” Powell said.

Higher interest rates for longer in the U.S., relative to abroad, are a recipe for a strong dollar. The U.S. Dollar Index, which measures the dollar against a basket of other currencies, is up 4.5% so far this year.

As for emerging markets, Powell said that he sees less turmoil than in previous periods of higher Fed interest rates. “I think partly that’s because emerging market countries, many of them have much better monetary policy frameworks, much more credibility on inflation, and they're navigating this pretty well this time,” Powell said.

Unemployment Ticking Above 4% Likely Won’t Trigger Cuts

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday policymakers are ready to spring into action if the U.S. economy, particularly the labor market, experiences a sudden downturn.

But the key words are “unexpected weakening,” and the Fed would likely need to see more than simply the unemployment rate climbing above 4% from its current level of 3.8%.

“It would have to be meaningful and get our attention—and lead us to think that the labor market was really significantly weakening for us to want to react to it,” Powell said.

He added that unemployment increasing by a “a couple of tenths” of a percentage point would probably not do that.

“It would be a broader thing that would suggest that it would be appropriate to consider cutting” interest rates, Powell said. He added that the decision by Fed officials to lower rates depends on all the facts and circumstances, not just that one.

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Local elections live: 'Devastated' Tory candidate Andy Street refuses to blame Rishi Sunak after shock West Midlands defeat

Labour pulls off a stunning victory in the West Midlands mayoral election, with Tory incumbent Andy Street losing by just 1,508 votes.

Sunday 5 May 2024 00:22, UK

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Labour wins West Midlands mayoral election
'Devastated' Street refuses to blame Sunak for loss
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Vote 2024: Council results in full | Mayoral results in full
Live reporting by Charlotte Chelsom-Pill and (earlier) Ben Bloch

Thanks for joining us for another extremely busy day of local election news. You can join us tomorrow morning for a special election episode of Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips.

Until then, here are today's headlines:

Tory incumbent Andy Street has suffered a shock loss to Labour in the West Midlands mayoral race in a major blow to the prime minister;
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has heralded the win as a "significant piece of political history";
Sadiq Khan has won a historic third term as London mayor;
Andy Burnham was re-elected as Greater Manchester mayor for a third term with more than 60% of the vote;
Labour also won mayoral races in West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Liverpool City Region and Salford ;
The results mean Labour has won all but one of the mayoral races they were contesting, losing Tees Valley to the Tory incumbent;
The Conservatives have lost 473 seats and control of 12 councils;
Labour has gained eight councils and 185 seats;
The results mean the Liberal Democrats have won more council seats than the Conservatives;
The Green Party has netted an extra 74 seats, making serious gains in places like Bristol.

Richard Parker has pulled off a surprise victory in the West Midlands mayoral election.

The Labour candidate unseated Andy Street, winning by just 1,508 votes, to end the Tory's seven-year term.

Here's what you need to know about the relatively unknown politician.

Originally from Bristol, Mr Parker's father was a dock worker and his mother a school secretary.

He left school aged 16 and went straight to work at a local port authority before getting an economics degree.

Mr Parker went to work for PwC in 1989, where he gained his accountancy qualifications and went on to become a partner, managing the accountancy firm's relationship with the Labour Party.

Mr Parker also worked with council leaders to set up the West Midlands Combined Authority in 2016 before leaving to set up his own company RP Strategy.

IMAGES

What is the ideal rate of speech?
Rate of Speech
Rate of speech
Rate of speech
Convey Emotions with Your Rate of Speech
Speech Rate: Do you speak too fast, too slow, or just right?

VIDEO

Communication 101: Rate of speech
டான்ஸ் இரட்டை அர்த்த பேச்சு Double meaning speech நம்ம ஊர் கச்சேரி
🔵 Ratio Pronunciation
🐰 Text To Speech 🥕 Rate my performance in this interview 😎
deep meaning speech #motivationalvideo #motivation #motivational #motivationimage
Ready to find you 'FOCUS' To reclaim your Peace? #informative #fyp

COMMENTS

Articulation, Pitch, and Rate
According to The National Center for Voice and Speech, the average speaking rate for English speakers in the U.S. is around 150 words per minute. In a public speaking situation, you'll want to speak slower than average, around 125-150 words per minute. One of the ways to control your rate of speech is to make sure you are taking enough breaths.
Speech Rate: Do you speak too fast, too slow, or just right?
Slow speech is usually regarded as less than 110 wpm, or words per minute. Conversational speech generally falls between 120 wpm at the slow end, to 160 - 200 wpm in the fast range. People who read books for radio or podcasts are often asked to speak at 150-160 wpm. Auctioneers or commentators who practice speed speech are usually in the 250 to ...
Rate of speech: Definition, bonus tips, ideal rate, calculation
The accepted ideal speechrate is 140-160 words per minute. You must think about getting the facts to your listeners. If they can't comprehend what you're saying due to speaking fast, they will most likely lose interest in your speech. A slower rate is much more preferred than a faster one.
Rate of Speech
Rate of speech, also known as speaking rate or tempo, refers to the speed at which you speak, measured in words per minute (wpm).It plays a crucial role in effective communication, impacting comprehension, engagement, and overall delivery in various contexts, including public speaking.While speech coaches can offer personalized guidance, public speaking courses can also provide valuable ...
Average Speaking Rate and Words per Minute
Average speech rates. Presentations: between 100-150 wpm for a comfortable pace. Conversational: between 120-150 wpm. Audiobooks: between 150-160 wpm, which is the upper range that people comfortably hear and vocalize words. Radio hosts and podcasters: between 150-160 wpm. Auctioneers: can speak at about 250 wpm.
Quick and easy tips for speaking rate: 6 exercises
Note what changes you made and why. 3. Experiment with one of your own speeches. Record and time yourself delivering a speech of your own at your current 'normal' speaking rate. Note the time down. Now go through again having marked passages for slower or faster treatment. Note the new time and your new insights. 4.
10.3 Vocal Delivery
Vocal delivery includes components of speech delivery that relate to your voice. These include rate, volume, pitch, articulation, pronunciation, and fluency. Our voice is important to consider when delivering our speech for two main reasons. First, vocal delivery can help us engage and interest the audience. Second, vocal delivery helps ensure ...
Speaking Rate
This is particularly true when one's speech is difficult to understand at a moderate rate; just speeding up the rate of speech will not necessarily solve the problem. 1 On the contrary, it may make one's speech even harder to understand. 1, 2, 3. On the other hand, speaking too slowly may also have a negative impact on your intelligibility.
Mastering Rate of Speech in Communication: A Comprehensive Guide
Speaking rate is important in communication. Here's why: 1. Understanding: If you talk too fast, people might not understand you. If you talk too slowly, they might get bored. 2. Clarity: Speaking at the right speed helps people understand you better. 3. Engagement: The right pace keeps people interested in what you're saying.
What is the Average Speaking Rate?
For these 9 talks, the average speaking rate is 163 words per minute. Two thirds of the talks are clustered in a narrow range between 153 and 168 words per minute. Remember that this average and range do not necessarily apply to all speaking situations. One can also calculate the speaking rate for the 9 TED talks in syllables per minute, and ...
Speech-Language Pathologists' Knowledge of Speaking Rate and Its
Conture (2001) suggested that a conversational speaking rate of 160-180 wpm is considered to be "ideal" for a person who stutters, whereas Zebrowski and Kelly (2002) suggested that a parent's rate of speech should fall within 20-30 syllables per minute of his or her child (who stutters).
What is the ideal rate of speech?
A good rate of speech ranges between 140 -160 words per minute (wpm). A rate higher than 160 words per minute can be difficult for the listener to absorb the material. There may be some areas of the country that speak at faster rates but a slower rate is preferable. Too slow of a rate may give the listener the perception of slow thinking ...
Determining the Perfect Rate of Speech
While your audience may be able to comprehend your speech at 400 words per minute, that doesn't mean you will feel comfortable speaking at that rate. By selecting a rate that is either too fast or too slow for your comfort, your speech will feel awkward and unnatural. Not to mention, you'll most likely feel uncomfortable with the pacing ...
Assessing Speech
Interpretation. Slow speech (bradylalia) Depression, Parkinson's disease, cognitive impairment. Normal speech rate. Rapid speech (tachylalia) - fast speech but able to be redirected Normal, mania, anxiety, stimulants. Pressured speech - fast and without taking breaks, talking over other people and unable to be redirected Mania, anxiety.
How to Adjust the Rate of Speech in Innovative Presentations
Read one or two pages of a prepared (scripted) speech or presentation out loud and time yourself for a minute. Count the words you read and divide it by 60 to get your average wpm. A constant rate of speech almost always accompanies a dull, monotone speaking voice. Using an unvarying speed and pitch works great for a hypnotist ("you are ...
Whether our speech is fast or slow, we say about the same
Whether we speak quickly or slowly, the new study reports, we end up conveying information at about the same rate, because faster speech packs less information in each utterance. The study suggests we tend to converse within a narrow channel of communication data so that we do not provide too much or too little information at a given time, said ...
rate verb
rate somebody/something + adv./prep. The university is highly rated for its research. They rated him highly as a colleague. rate somebody/something + adj. Voters continue to rate education high on their list of priorities. rate somebody/something (as) something The show was rated (as) a success by critics and audiences.
Speech Rate in Second Language Listening
Speech rate is the speed of one's articulation, including usually the pause time between sentences or between thought groups. There are several means for measuring speech rate; the most popular means calculates total words or syllables uttered per minute. However, determining a normal speech rate for a language can be rather complicated because ...
RATE
RATE definition: 1. the speed at which something happens or changes, or the amount or number of times it happens or…. Learn more.
rate noun
Thesaurus rate. charge; fee; rent; fine; fare; toll; These are all words for an amount of money that is charged or paid for something. rate a fixed amount of money that is asked or paid for something: a low hourly rate interest rates; charge an amount of money that is asked for goods or services: an admission charge a rental charge
Speech Rate Calculator
The Speech Rate Calculator is a valuable tool for anyone involved in public speaking, presentations, or podcast recordings. By understanding your speech rate, you can adjust your delivery to engage your audience effectively. By following the instructions outlined in this article and utilizing the calculator, you can enhance your communication ...
Speech Rate Varies With Sentence Length in Typically Developing
The primary purpose of this study was to examine the effect of sentence length on speech rate and its characteristics, articulation rate and pauses, in typically developing children between the ages of 10 and 14 years. Based on our findings, sentence length significantly impacts speech rate. Speech rate significantly increased with increases in ...
Rate Definition & Meaning
The meaning of RATE is a quantity, amount, or degree of something measured per unit of something else. How to use rate in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Rate.
Unpacking the truth of antisemitism on college campuses : NPR
Early this morning, police arrested more than 100 pro-Palestinian protesters outside Emerson College in Boston. And some students and alumni are worried about antisemitism. Former Columbia student ...
Fed holds interest rates at 23-year high
What would that mean for the Federal Reserve? Not a whole lot, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday. As of last month's jobs report, the unemployment rate is at 3.8%. It would take a material ...
Fed Meeting Today: Interest Rates Decision Due; Watch Powell's Speech
The Federal Open Market Committee will conclude its two-day April policy meeting today, before publishing a policy decision at 2 p.m. Eastern. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell will deliver remarks at a ...
AstraZeneca admits its Covid vaccine can cause rare side effect in
But in the legal document submitted to the High Court in February, AstraZeneca said: "It is admitted that the AZ vaccine can, in very rare cases, cause TTS. The causal mechanism is not known ...
Local elections live: 'Devastated' Tory candidate Andy Street refuses
The results mean the Liberal Democrats have won more council seats than the Conservatives; ... "This is the most important thing I will ever do," Mr Parker said in his acceptance speech.

Module 8: Delivering Your Speech

Articulation

To watch: Rébecca Kleinberger, “Why you don’t like the sound of your own voice”

What to watch for:

Rate of Speech

Factors Influencing Rate of Speech:

Ideal Rate of Speech:

Benefits of a Controlled Rate of Speech:

Tips for Controlling Rate of Speech:

You might also like

Useful Links

Average Speaking Rate and Words per Minute

How to calculate your speaking rate

What is the average speaking rate?

Extremes of speaking rate – world record pace

A comparison of words per minute for popular TED Talks

What influences your overall speaking rate?

Example audio clips of different speech rates

Example 2 – We Shall Fight on the Beaches (Winston Churchill)

Is speaking rate important?

Try to vary your speaking rate

When to change your speed

Remember: The rate we speak at is highly individual

Cultural differences

How to practice: Getting the right speaking pace

Use a metronome

Use practice exercises

5 exercises to develop an adaptive speaking rate

1. Reading children’s stories

2. Read factual reports

3. Experiment with one of your own speeches

4. Listen to good speakers

5. Play with material you are familiar with

Quick & easy tips for speaking rate

What you'll find on this page:

You need these tips if you speak too quickly

And you need them if you speak too slowly

The answer is variety - developing a flexible speaking rate

Let's imagine your speech as a journey

Making choices on how you deliver your speech

Choosing to deliver your speech too fast

Choosing to speak too slowly

Becoming a responsive speaker

Interpreting speech rate

6 exercises to develop flexible speaking rate

2. Read factual reports

3. Experiment with one of your own speeches

4. Practice with a partner

5. Listen to good speakers

6. Play with material you are familiar with

Exercise patience

Related pages:

The magic of silence

PS. More on speaking rate!

Speech rate and words per minute

speaking out loud

Top 10 popular pages

From fear to fun in 28 ways

Useful pages

10.3 Vocal Delivery

Speaking for Engagement

Vocal Variety

Speaking for Clarity

Articulation

Pronunciation

“Getting Plugged In”

Key Takeaways

Tools for Clear Speech

Speaking Rate

Approximately 143 Words Per Minute :

What factors affect speaking rate?

How can I figure out my average speaking rate?

How can I practice modifying my speaking rate?

More examples of speech that is spoken at other, also intelligible rates:

Approximately 165 Words Per Minute :

What do you do now?

Let’s communicate.

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Mastering Rate Of Speech In Communication: A Comprehensive Guide

Rate Of Speech In Communication