In short: Most speakers talk faster than they think, because nerves speed up the voice and the speed feels right from the inside. Record a live talk, count the words, and divide by the minutes to get your own pace. If you are over your target, slow down by pausing at the end of each point, not by stretching every word.
Most speakers are faster than they think. Nerves push the voice forward, and the speed feels comfortable from the inside, so you do not notice it until you hear a recording. The fix is to measure your pace, set a target, and add pauses where your listeners need them.
Why you feel right and still sound fast
When you are nervous, the breath gets shallow and the words start to queue. From where you stand, each sentence feels like the right length. Listeners hear a run of words with nowhere to land. Present Yourself's advice on pace is blunt: if it feels right, you are probably still too fast. Use a recording to check, not your sense of the moment.
Measure your own pace
- Record a live talk, or at least a practice run to a person or a camera, of at least three minutes.
- Count the words you actually said. A transcript helps, or count the words on your script and mark any you skipped.
- Divide the words by the minutes. For example, 300 words spoken over 2 minutes 30 seconds is 120 words a minute.
- Write that figure on your script. Use it as the baseline for every future run.
Measure from a live talk, not a read-aloud at your desk. The pace you use at a table is slower than the pace you use in front of a room, and it is the room pace that counts on the day.
Slow down without sounding strange
- Pause at the end of each point. A short silence after a point gives the listener time to take it in, and it slows you down without changing your voice.
- Breathe out fully at the end of each sentence. A full exhale gives a natural pause and a calmer voice. Write "exhale" in the margin of your notes if it helps.
- Slow the words that matter. Give the main word in each sentence a little more time, and let the rest move on.
- Mark the script. Put a slash at each pause point so your eye knows where to stop.
Common mistakes
- Dragging every word. A slow pace with no pauses sounds like someone reading aloud, and it can be harder to follow than a fast one.
- Measuring at home. A home read-aloud tells you very little about the day, when adrenaline lifts your pace again.
- Fixing the pace and forgetting the pauses. Slowing down without pauses leaves the listener with no places to rest.
- Trying to change everything at once. Pick one target and check it in the next recording.
If you want to hear your own pace played back and try the changes in a room, the media training studio page explains how a day at the barn rehearses interviews in a working studio. For the next step, read the power of the pause and vocal variety.
Related guides
- The power of the pause in speaking and presenting
- Vocal variety: the rollercoaster
- Projecting 10% more without shouting
- Cutting fillers: um, ah, like
- Smiling voice
- All guides and tools
The picture at the top of this page is an illustration, not a photograph of a client or a real job.
Questions we get asked
Why do I speak too fast when I am nervous?
Nerves push the breath and the voice forward, so the words come quicker. Present Yourself's advice is that if the pace feels right while you are speaking, you are probably still too fast.
How do I work out my words per minute?
Record a live talk, count the words you actually spoke and divide by the minutes it took. A read-aloud at your desk will not give you the same figure as a talk to a room.
How do I slow down without sounding robotic?
Pause at the end of points and sentences, and breathe out fully before you start the next one. Do not drag every word.
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