Estimate speaking time from a script
Speaking time is the word count divided by delivery speed, plus pauses. Paste the script, choose a realistic words-per-minute pace, and use paragraph breaks where the speaker will genuinely stop or change ideas.
Why rehearsal still matters
A word-count estimate is a planning baseline. Slides, laughter, applause, audience interaction, demonstrations, and emphasis all change the live result. Rehearse once with the calculated timer, then replace the estimate with the measured duration.
Plan the ending, not only the middle
Reserve time for the final idea and call to action instead of treating them as whatever fits. For an event slot, keep introductions, questions, and speaker changeovers as separate run-of-show segments.