For general presentations, 300-350 characters per minute is typical. TED-style talks use ~250 chars/min (slower), while news anchors read at 380-420 chars/min. The most comfortable speed for audiences is 300-330 chars/min.
| Duration | Slow (250c/m) | Normal (330c/m) | Fast (400c/m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 min | 250 c | 330 c | 400 c |
| 3 min | 750 c | 990 c | 1,200 c |
| 5 min | 1,250 c | 1,650 c | 2,000 c |
| 10 min | 2,500 c | 3,300 c | 4,000 c |
| 20 min | 5,000 c | 6,600 c | 8,000 c |
① Prepare your script at 90% of the target length (leave buffer time). ② Rehearse at least twice — nerves can speed you up or cause pauses. ③ Put key points first so the most important message gets delivered even if time runs short.
A full A4 page in 10pt font contains about 1,500-1,800 characters (without spaces). At normal speed (330 chars/min), this equals roughly 5 minutes of speaking.