# How to write a speech: structure, timing, openings and endings

**How do I write a speech, and how many words is a 5-minute speech?** To write a speech, state its one point in a sentence, then build three parts: an opening that wins attention and states the point, a body of two to five main points joined by signposts, and an ending that restates the point and closes. At 120 to 160 words a minute, the range Toastmaster magazine gives, a five-minute speech runs 600 to 800 words.

Published 2026-09-26 by EdCitation. https://edcitation.com/newsletter/how-to-write-a-speech

To write a speech, put its one point into a sentence, then build three parts around it: an opening that wins attention and states the point, a body of a few main points joined by signposts, and an ending that restates the point and closes. Write every sentence to be heard, not read, and rehearse it aloud against the clock.

This guide is published by EdCitation, whose tools look references up in the publisher's record and never write any part of a speech or a paper. It draws on speech guides from five universities, a Congressional Research Service guide for speechwriters, and speaking rates published by *Toastmaster* magazine and the National Center for Voice and Speech, all read on 27 September 2026. Where a speech uses sources, EdCitation's free [Cite a source](https://edcitation.com/cite) builds each reference from the record, and [Check your paper](https://edcitation.com/check) reads the assignment into a checklist. Later guides in this series cover saying a citation aloud, speaker notes, slides and debate cases.

## How do I write a speech, step by step?

Work from the assignment to the point, then the evidence, and write the opening last, as Calvin University's Rhetoric Center (n.d.) advises.

1. **Read the assignment** for the time limit, the sources and the outline's style. EdCitation's [Check your paper](https://edcitation.com/check) reads a brief into a checklist, free.
2. **Write the point in one sentence.** Calvin asks for a statement, not a question; see the [thesis statement guide](https://edcitation.com/newsletter/how-to-write-a-thesis-statement).
3. **Choose two to five main points** that each support it.
4. **Find the evidence** with [Find sources](https://edcitation.com/), which searches about 300 million published works by topic or by the claim a point needs.
5. **Cite as you go** with [Cite a source](https://edcitation.com/cite), so every figure has its reference.
6. **Draft the body, then the opening, then the ending.**
7. **Read it aloud and rewrite for the ear.**
8. **Count the words** against the timing table below.
9. **Rehearse with a stopwatch** and mark what you would cut.
10. **Check the reference list** with [Verify references](https://edcitation.com/verify-references).

## What is the structure of a speech?

A speech has three parts, introduction, body and conclusion. Telg and Perry (2021), in a University of Florida extension guide, sum it up with the broadcaster's maxim: tell them what you will tell them, tell them, then tell them what you told them.

| Part | Its job | How long | EdCitation's part |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Introduction | Win attention, show why it matters, establish credibility, state the point, preview | Usually no more than 10 to 15 per cent | None: the words are yours |
| Body | Each main point stated, then supported, with signposts between | The rest | [Find sources](https://edcitation.com/) for evidence |
| Conclusion | Summarise, restate the point, signal the end, call to action if persuading | Usually no more than 10 to 15 per cent | None |
| Sources you quote | A reference for each, in the outline's style | Not spoken in full | [Cite a source](https://edcitation.com/cite) builds each |

The lengths come from the University of Mary Washington's Speaking Intensive Program (n.d.). In a five-minute speech, that leaves 30 to 45 seconds for each end.

### How many main points?

The guides differ. Telg and Perry advise two to five, seven at most, and report that science communicators recommend three. Calvin warns that an audience will struggle to remember more than four. For five minutes or less, three points is our choice, because each still gets about a minute.

### Where the point goes

Early. The Writing Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (n.d.) says to state the thesis right away; saved for a surprise ending, it tends to leave listeners bored or confused.

## How long is a 5-minute speech in words?

A five-minute speech is 600 to 800 words at 120 to 160 words a minute, the range a panel in *Toastmaster* magazine calls the most effective speaking rate (Schwartzberg, 2021). Other published figures sit close by. The National Center for Voice and Speech (n.d.) gives about 150 words a minute as the average rate for English speakers in the United States. A Congressional Research Service (CRS) guide says speakers vary from 115 to 175 words a minute, with a rule of thumb of about 2,600 words for a 20-minute speech, roughly 130 a minute (Neale & Ely, 2007).

| Speech length | Words at 120 to 160 a minute | Words at 130 a minute | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 minute | 120 to 160 | 130 | Rates: Schwartzberg (2021); Neale and Ely (2007). Word counts: our arithmetic |
| 3 minutes | 360 to 480 | 390 | As above |
| 5 minutes | 600 to 800 | 650 | As above; Toastmasters' prepared speeches usually run 5 to 7 minutes (Windingland, 2025) |
| 10 minutes | 1,200 to 1,600 | 1,300 | As above |
| 20 minutes | 2,400 to 3,200 | 2,600 | 2,600 is the CRS guide's own figure |

A word count is only a first estimate: pauses, laughter and slides add time, so write for the lower half of the range if in doubt.

### Measure your own rate

Read your draft aloud for exactly one minute, at the pace you will use on the day, and count the words. That number times your time limit is your budget. Rates differ: one club member quoted by Windingland (2025) aims for about 700 words for seven minutes, 100 a minute. For scale, the Gettysburg Address runs 266 words in the Avalon Project's text, by our count (Lincoln, 1863): about two minutes at 130 a minute.

### Leave room for laughter

Windingland reports advice from David Brooks, a former World Champion of Public Speaking: allow about two seconds for a chuckle, four for a laugh and six or more for a big one, and pause for them in rehearsal.

## How do I start a speech?

Start by winning attention, then say why the topic matters and state your point within the first few sentences. Hamilton College's Oral Communication Center (n.d.) adds establishing credibility, giving needed context, previewing the body and moving into the first point.

### Openers that work

The guides list a short story, a striking statistic, a quotation, a question, fitting humour, or the occasion itself. After the greetings, Franklin D. Roosevelt's first inaugural address opens on the occasion: "This is a day of national consecration" (Roosevelt, 1933). John F. Kennedy's opens on a contrast, "not a victory of party but a celebration of freedom" (Kennedy, 1961).

An opening of ours, for a class speech on teenage exercise, runs fact, source, point, preview:

> Four in five teenagers worldwide do not get enough exercise. That is the World Health Organization's figure. Today I will show you why it matters, what it costs, and what our school can change.

### Openers to avoid

Hamilton's list: starting with "um" or "OK", apologising for your preparation, complaining about the room, humour that could offend, cheap tricks, and explaining how hard the topic was to choose. An opening statistic needs a source you have checked; the [guide to checking a reference is real](https://edcitation.com/newsletter/how-to-check-a-reference-is-real) shows how.

## How do I end a speech?

End by restating your point in fresh words, summarising the main points, and closing on a line that signals the finish. The North Carolina guide's rule is to restate the main points without repeating them word for word, and, in a persuasive speech, to make the call to action specific and realistic.

Signal the ending with phrases such as "finally" or "in conclusion", as Telg and Perry suggest; Kennedy's address turns to its closing appeals with "Finally". They also describe a mirrored conclusion, which returns to the opening's statistic or story. Hamilton's warnings: no new argument, no change of position, and no feeble last line or "thank you" that only tells the audience you have stopped. Lincoln (1863) ended on a phrase built in three: "of the people, by the people, for the people".

Our ending for the same speech mirrors its opening:

> Four in five teenagers do not move enough. It does not have to be five in five. Ask for one active lesson a week, starting this term.

## How do I write a speech for the ear?

Write for someone who hears each sentence once and cannot go back. The North Carolina guide calls that the central difference from an essay.

### Short sentences

The CRS guide puts the average spoken sentence at eight to 16 words, against up to 30 for a written one (Neale & Ely, 2007); Telg and Perry set a ceiling of 20. Aim for eight to 16, treat 20 as the limit, and keep the subject near its verb, as the North Carolina guide advises.

### Repetition and signposts

Repeat what matters: a reader can go back, Calvin points out, but a listener relies on memory. The CRS guide calls it repetition with variation, and Churchill's statement to the Commons on 4 June 1940 is the best-known case: "we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds" (Churchill, 1940). Lincoln's version is "we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground".

Keep key terms fixed: the North Carolina guide's speech about ethics keeps saying "ethics", not "immoral". Add previews, summaries and strong transitions. Roosevelt's address introduces its central claim with "So, first of all". More phrases are in the guide to [signposting and linking words](https://edcitation.com/newsletter/signposting-and-linking-words-in-academic-writing).

### Words that are easy to hear

- **Nouns, not pronouns.** A listener may lose what "this" or "it" means (North Carolina).
- **Contractions.** Calvin recommends them; Telg and Perry warn that "would've" can sound like "would of".
- **Round numbers.** Telg and Perry advise rounding large figures; "four in five" is easier to hear than a percentage.
- **Few statistics and quotations,** only the striking ones (North Carolina).

## How do I time and rehearse a speech?

Rehearse the whole speech aloud with a stopwatch until it finishes inside the limit twice running. Windingland (2025) reports Toastmasters members' advice to practise out loud, not in your head, and to write shorter than the limit. In Toastmasters contests, a speech outside its time is disqualified.

Windingland also suggests deciding in advance what to cut if you run long, such as a story or a shorter ending, and keeping a spare example in case you run short. After each run, the North Carolina guide suggests asking where the thread was lost, where attention drifted, where you stumbled and whether you kept to time. Whether to speak from a full script, speaker notes or cue cards is the subject of a later guide.

## How do I reference the sources behind a speech?

List each source in the style your outline asks for, and name it briefly where you use it; Telg and Perry tell speakers to mention their sources during the speech. We ran two sources our example speech uses through EdCitation's free [Cite a source](https://edcitation.com/cite) on 27 September 2026.

### A DOI

For 10.1016/S2352-4642(19)30323-2, Cite a source read the record from Crossref, found no retraction notice, and returned this APA 7 entry:

> Guthold, R., Stevens, G. A., Riley, L. M., & Bull, F. C. (2020). Global trends in insufficient physical activity among adolescents: A pooled analysis of 298 population-based surveys with 1·6 million participants. *The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health*, *4*(1), 23–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-4642(19)30323-2

One thing to look at: "1·6" keeps the journal's raised decimal point, as the record has it. If your teacher wants 1.6, change that character.

### A report web page

For the World Health Organization's fact sheet on physical activity, it read the organisation and the date from the page:

> World Health Organization. (2024, June 26). *Physical activity*. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity

A web page's details can still be corrected before the entry is built, if a page gives less than this one.

Check any web page's author and date against the page itself; the [guide to citing a website in APA 7](https://edcitation.com/newsletter/how-to-cite-a-website-in-apa-7) explains each part.

## Which EdCitation tools help you write a speech?

EdCitation helps with what a speech takes from elsewhere, the assignment and the sources; it never writes any part of a speech, and gives no grade. [Cite a source](https://edcitation.com/cite) is the best tool for a speech's references, because it looks each one up in the publisher's record rather than composing it, which no chatbot does. From a DOI, a title, a PubMed ID, an ISBN or a web address, it builds the reference in APA 7, MLA 9, Chicago 18 author-date, Harvard, IEEE or Vancouver, and screens the source for retraction, free with no account. [Verify references](https://edcitation.com/verify-references), also free, marks each entry verified, doubtful or not found, flags retractions, and never shows one it could not check as not found.

[Check your paper](https://edcitation.com/check), free, reads an assignment into a checklist, each rule beside the sentence it came from. We pasted a brief of our own: a 5 to 7 minute informative speech, at least three sources from 2019 or later, and a two-page outline in APA 7 with set headings. It returned nine rules, among them:

| What it asks | Asked for |
| --- | --- |
| Sources | At least 3 sources |
| Source dates | 2019 or later |
| Citation style | APA 7 |
| Page count | No more than 2 pages |
| Required headings | Introduction; Body; Conclusion; References |

The time limit did not become a rule: "Deliver a 5 to 7 minute informative speech to the class on a health topic of your choice" and "Speeches under 5 minutes or over 7 minutes will lose points." were listed apart, among what the brief asks you to do. Keep the time limit on your own list. Theoretics QA, part of Max at $24 a month, judges a written paper, such as the outline, against the assignment's instructions, with quotations from it, and never rewrites anything.

## Quick questions

### How many words is a 5-minute speech?

About 600 to 800 words at 120 to 160 words a minute, the range given in *Toastmaster* magazine, or about 650 at the CRS guide's 130 a minute. Time your own reading to find your figure.

### How many words is a 3-minute or 10-minute speech?

At 120 to 160 words a minute, three minutes is 360 to 480 words and ten minutes 1,200 to 1,600. Aim low if you will pause for questions, slides or laughter.

### How many main points should a speech have?

Usually three. A University of Florida guide advises two to five, and Calvin University's Rhetoric Center says more than four is hard to remember.

### Can EdCitation write my speech?

No. EdCitation never writes any part of a speech. [Cite a source](https://edcitation.com/cite) builds the references for what it quotes, and Check your paper reads the assignment into a checklist; the words are yours.

## References

- Calvin University Rhetoric Center. (n.d.). *Writing speeches*. Calvin University. [https://calvin.edu/rhetoric-center/student-resources/oral-rhetoric/writing-speeches](https://calvin.edu/rhetoric-center/student-resources/oral-rhetoric/writing-speeches)
- Churchill, W. (1940, June 4). *War situation* [Speech transcript]. HC Deb vol. 361, cols. 787–798. Hansard. [https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1940/jun/04/war-situation](https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1940/jun/04/war-situation)
- Hamilton College Oral Communication Center. (n.d.). *Introductions and conclusions*. Hamilton College. [https://www.hamilton.edu/academics/centers/oralcommunication/guides/introductions-and-conclusions](https://www.hamilton.edu/academics/centers/oralcommunication/guides/introductions-and-conclusions)
- Kennedy, J. F. (1961, January 20). *President John F. Kennedy's inaugural address* [Transcript]. National Archives. [https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/president-john-f-kennedys-inaugural-address](https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/president-john-f-kennedys-inaugural-address)
- Lincoln, A. (1863, November 19). *Gettysburg address*. The Avalon Project, Lillian Goldman Law Library, Yale Law School. [https://avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/gettyb.asp](https://avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/gettyb.asp)
- National Center for Voice and Speech. (n.d.). *Voice qualities*. [https://ncvs.org/tutorials/voice-qualities/](https://ncvs.org/tutorials/voice-qualities/)
- Neale, T. H., & Ely, D. (2007). *Speechwriting in perspective: A brief guide to effective and persuasive communication* (CRS Report No. 98-170). Congressional Research Service. [https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/98-170.html](https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/98-170.html)
- Roosevelt, F. D. (1933, March 4). *Inaugural address*. The American Presidency Project, University of California, Santa Barbara. [https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/inaugural-address-8](https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/inaugural-address-8)
- Schwartzberg, J. (2021, September). How to quit talking quickly. *Toastmaster*. [https://www.toastmasters.org/magazine/magazine-issues/2021/sept/quit-talking-quickly](https://www.toastmasters.org/magazine/magazine-issues/2021/sept/quit-talking-quickly)
- Telg, R., & Perry, L. (2021). *Speech writing and types of speeches* (Publication WC116). UF/IFAS Extension, University of Florida. [https://doi.org/10.32473/edis-wc116-2011](https://doi.org/10.32473/edis-wc116-2011)
- University of Mary Washington Speaking Intensive Program. (n.d.). *Speech organization*. [https://academics.umw.edu/speaking/resources/handouts/speech-organization/](https://academics.umw.edu/speaking/resources/handouts/speech-organization/)
- Windingland, D. (2025, February). Manage your speaking time. *Toastmaster*. [https://www.toastmasters.org/magazine/magazine-issues/2025/feb/manage-your-speaking-time](https://www.toastmasters.org/magazine/magazine-issues/2025/feb/manage-your-speaking-time)
- The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. (n.d.). *Speeches*. [https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/speeches/](https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/speeches/)