Work out speech rate instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.
Speech rate counts words over total time including pauses, while articulation rate excludes them. 620 words in 4.5 minutes with 45 seconds of pausing gives 137.8 words a minute gross but 165.3 while actually speaking, with 16.7% of the time in pauses. Presentations work best at 120-150 words a minute; audiobooks are read at around 150.
Speech rate
rate = words / total minutes
Articulation rate
rate = words / (total minutes - pause time)
About 120-150 words a minute. Faster loses non-native listeners; slower risks sounding laboured.
Because pausing is a rhetorical choice. Two speakers can articulate identically yet differ greatly in overall pace through pause length.