Definition of speaking rate, analysis of average speaking rates, and a discussion of factors which influence how fast you speak.

A long-time reader asks: 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.

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 … Read complete article: What is the Average Speaking Rate?

Featured image credit: Speedometer in MPH by FreeImages.com/Bartek Ambrozik (license)

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