[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":602},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-en-how-to-structure-a-speech":3},{"id":4,"title":5,"alt":6,"author":7,"body":8,"category":565,"description":566,"extension":567,"faq":568,"image":587,"meta":588,"navigation":589,"path":590,"publishedAt":591,"seo":592,"stem":593,"tags":594,"updatedAt":600,"__hash__":601},"blog\u002Fen\u002Fhow-to-structure-a-speech.md","How to Structure a Speech (Hook, Point, Example, Close)","A speech script laid flat and divided into four proportional horizontal bands — a short opening strip, a long main strip, a medium strip, and a short closing strip — in slate and green tones","Vibe Apps Pro Team",{"type":9,"value":10,"toc":555},"minimark",[11,20,23,28,31,122,129,177,180,184,187,192,203,206,209,213,216,221,224,228,236,497,500,508,518,522,530,545,549,552],[12,13,14,15,19],"p",{},"Split your word budget four ways: ",[16,17,18],"strong",{},"Hook (≈8%), Core Point (≈65%), Example (≈18%), Close (≈9%)",". That ratio holds whether you're speaking for 90 seconds or 20 minutes — only the total word count changes. A 5-minute, 650-word speech breaks down to roughly 50 words of hook, 425 words of core argument, 115 words of example, and 60 words to close.",[12,21,22],{},"Most speech-length guides stop at \"here's your word count for N minutes\" and leave you to figure out where those words actually go. That's a calculator problem, not a writing problem — this is the writing problem.",[24,25,27],"h2",{"id":26},"the-four-part-speech-structure","The Four-Part Speech Structure",[12,29,30],{},"Every timed speech, from an elevator pitch to a keynote, breaks into the same four jobs. What changes with length is how much room each one gets, not whether it exists.",[32,33,34,54],"table",{},[35,36,37],"thead",{},[38,39,40,45,48,51],"tr",{},[41,42,44],"th",{"align":43},"left","Section",[41,46,47],{"align":43},"Job",[41,49,50],{"align":43},"Share of Word Budget",[41,52,53],{"align":43},"In a 650-Word (5-Min) Speech",[55,56,57,74,90,106],"tbody",{},[38,58,59,65,68,71],{},[60,61,62],"td",{"align":43},[16,63,64],{},"Hook",[60,66,67],{"align":43},"Earn attention in the first few seconds",[60,69,70],{"align":43},"~8%",[60,72,73],{"align":43},"~50 words",[38,75,76,81,84,87],{},[60,77,78],{"align":43},[16,79,80],{},"Core Point",[60,82,83],{"align":43},"Make and support your one main argument",[60,85,86],{"align":43},"~65%",[60,88,89],{"align":43},"~425 words",[38,91,92,97,100,103],{},[60,93,94],{"align":43},[16,95,96],{},"Example",[60,98,99],{"align":43},"Ground the argument in something concrete",[60,101,102],{"align":43},"~18%",[60,104,105],{"align":43},"~115 words",[38,107,108,113,116,119],{},[60,109,110],{"align":43},[16,111,112],{},"Close",[60,114,115],{"align":43},"Tell the audience what to do or remember",[60,117,118],{"align":43},"~9%",[60,120,121],{"align":43},"~60 words",[12,123,124,125,128],{},"The Core Point dominates the word count on purpose — it's the reason you're speaking. The hook and close stay deliberately short because of a well-documented pattern in memory research called the ",[16,126,127],{},"serial position effect",": people recall the beginning and end of anything they hear far better than the middle.",[32,130,131,144],{},[35,132,133],{},[38,134,135,138,141],{},[41,136,137],{"align":43},"Position in Your Speech",[41,139,140],{"align":43},"Audience Retention",[41,142,143],{"align":43},"Word Budget",[55,145,146,156,167],{},[38,147,148,151,154],{},[60,149,150],{"align":43},"Opening (Hook)",[60,152,153],{"align":43},"High — sets first impression and attention",[60,155,70],{"align":43},[38,157,158,161,164],{},[60,159,160],{"align":43},"Middle (Core Point + Example)",[60,162,163],{"align":43},"Lowest — the \"forgettable middle\"",[60,165,166],{"align":43},"~83%",[38,168,169,172,175],{},[60,170,171],{"align":43},"Ending (Close)",[60,173,174],{"align":43},"High — last words heard stick best",[60,176,118],{"align":43},[12,178,179],{},"That's the practical trade-off: the middle carries 83% of your words but the least memory weight per word, while the hook and close carry only 17% combined but do the most work to shape what the audience takes away. Rehearse those two sections until they're automatic — the Core Point can survive an awkward pause; the hook and close can't.",[24,181,183],{"id":182},"turn-your-time-limit-into-a-word-budget-first","Turn Your Time Limit Into a Word Budget First",[12,185,186],{},"Before you can split words across sections, you need a total. Multiply your speaking pace (words per minute) by your time limit — 130 WPM is the standard conversational planning figure.",[12,188,189],{},[16,190,191],{},"Total Words = WPM × Minutes",[12,193,194,195,202],{},"Rather than doing that math by hand, drop your duration into our ",[16,196,197],{},[198,199,201],"a",{"href":200},"\u002Fwords-to-minutes","Words to Minutes Calculator"," — runs 100% in your browser, zero data sent to any server — and it hands you the total instantly at 110, 130, or 160 WPM, or a custom pace you time yourself:",[204,205],"words-to-minutes",{},[12,207,208],{},"Once you have a total, come back to the percentages above (or the table further down) to split it across the four sections.",[24,210,212],{"id":211},"see-the-split-in-action","See the Split in Action",[12,214,215],{},"Here's the 650-word, 5-minute example from the table above as an interactive breakdown — select a segment to see its word count, timing, and pace:",[217,218],"speech-timeline",{":segments":219,":total":220},"[{\"label\":\"Hook \u002F opening\",\"words\":50,\"seconds\":23},{\"label\":\"Core Point\",\"words\":425,\"seconds\":196},{\"label\":\"Example\",\"words\":115,\"seconds\":53},{\"label\":\"Close \u002F ask\",\"words\":60,\"seconds\":28}]","300",[12,222,223],{},"Notice the Hook and Close blocks are the shortest bars but carry the most rehearsal weight — a stumble in the first 20 seconds costs you the room; a flat close costs you the outcome you were speaking for in the first place.",[24,225,227],{"id":226},"the-full-speech-plan-1-to-20-minutes","The Full Speech Plan: 1 to 20 Minutes",[12,229,230,231,235],{},"The same 8\u002F65\u002F18\u002F9 split scales linearly with your total word count at 130 WPM. Here's the complete section-by-section plan for every whole minute from 1 to 10, plus the 15- and 20-minute marks for longer keynotes — words ",[232,233,234],"em",{},"and"," speaking time (m:ss for anything over a minute) for each part, so you can rehearse against a clock, not just a word count:",[32,237,238,256],{},[35,239,240],{},[38,241,242,245,248,250,252,254],{},[41,243,244],{"align":43},"Duration",[41,246,247],{"align":43},"Total Words",[41,249,64],{"align":43},[41,251,80],{"align":43},[41,253,96],{"align":43},[41,255,112],{"align":43},[55,257,258,278,298,318,338,358,377,397,417,437,457,477],{},[38,259,260,263,266,269,272,275],{},[60,261,262],{"align":43},"1 minute",[60,264,265],{"align":43},"130",[60,267,268],{"align":43},"10w · 5s",[60,270,271],{"align":43},"85w · 39s",[60,273,274],{"align":43},"23w · 11s",[60,276,277],{"align":43},"12w · 5s",[38,279,280,283,286,289,292,295],{},[60,281,282],{"align":43},"2 minutes",[60,284,285],{"align":43},"260",[60,287,288],{"align":43},"20w · 9s",[60,290,291],{"align":43},"170w · 1:19",[60,293,294],{"align":43},"46w · 21s",[60,296,297],{"align":43},"24w · 11s",[38,299,300,303,306,309,312,315],{},[60,301,302],{"align":43},"3 minutes",[60,304,305],{"align":43},"390",[60,307,308],{"align":43},"30w · 14s",[60,310,311],{"align":43},"255w · 1:58",[60,313,314],{"align":43},"69w · 32s",[60,316,317],{"align":43},"36w · 16s",[38,319,320,323,326,329,332,335],{},[60,321,322],{"align":43},"4 minutes",[60,324,325],{"align":43},"520",[60,327,328],{"align":43},"40w · 19s",[60,330,331],{"align":43},"340w · 2:37",[60,333,334],{"align":43},"92w · 42s",[60,336,337],{"align":43},"48w · 22s",[38,339,340,343,346,349,352,355],{},[60,341,342],{"align":43},"5 minutes",[60,344,345],{"align":43},"650",[60,347,348],{"align":43},"50w · 23s",[60,350,351],{"align":43},"425w · 3:16",[60,353,354],{"align":43},"115w · 53s",[60,356,357],{"align":43},"60w · 28s",[38,359,360,363,366,368,371,374],{},[60,361,362],{"align":43},"6 minutes",[60,364,365],{"align":43},"780",[60,367,357],{"align":43},[60,369,370],{"align":43},"510w · 3:55",[60,372,373],{"align":43},"138w · 1:04",[60,375,376],{"align":43},"72w · 33s",[38,378,379,382,385,388,391,394],{},[60,380,381],{"align":43},"7 minutes",[60,383,384],{"align":43},"910",[60,386,387],{"align":43},"70w · 32s",[60,389,390],{"align":43},"595w · 4:35",[60,392,393],{"align":43},"161w · 1:14",[60,395,396],{"align":43},"84w · 39s",[38,398,399,402,405,408,411,414],{},[60,400,401],{"align":43},"8 minutes",[60,403,404],{"align":43},"1,040",[60,406,407],{"align":43},"80w · 37s",[60,409,410],{"align":43},"680w · 5:14",[60,412,413],{"align":43},"184w · 1:25",[60,415,416],{"align":43},"96w · 44s",[38,418,419,422,425,428,431,434],{},[60,420,421],{"align":43},"9 minutes",[60,423,424],{"align":43},"1,170",[60,426,427],{"align":43},"90w · 42s",[60,429,430],{"align":43},"765w · 5:53",[60,432,433],{"align":43},"207w · 1:35",[60,435,436],{"align":43},"108w · 50s",[38,438,439,442,445,448,451,454],{},[60,440,441],{"align":43},"10 minutes",[60,443,444],{"align":43},"1,300",[60,446,447],{"align":43},"100w · 46s",[60,449,450],{"align":43},"850w · 6:32",[60,452,453],{"align":43},"230w · 1:46",[60,455,456],{"align":43},"120w · 56s",[38,458,459,462,465,468,471,474],{},[60,460,461],{"align":43},"15 minutes",[60,463,464],{"align":43},"1,950",[60,466,467],{"align":43},"150w · 1:09",[60,469,470],{"align":43},"1,275w · 9:49",[60,472,473],{"align":43},"345w · 2:39",[60,475,476],{"align":43},"180w · 1:23",[38,478,479,482,485,488,491,494],{},[60,480,481],{"align":43},"20 minutes",[60,483,484],{"align":43},"2,600",[60,486,487],{"align":43},"200w · 1:32",[60,489,490],{"align":43},"1,700w · 13:05",[60,492,493],{"align":43},"460w · 3:32",[60,495,496],{"align":43},"240w · 1:51",[12,498,499],{},"(Word counts within each row sum to the row's total; second counts do too — the same math the interactive breakdown above uses.)",[12,501,502,503,507],{},"Past 10 minutes the ratio still holds, but the Core Point block gets long enough that most speakers split it into two or three sub-points rather than one continuous argument — a 1,275-word Core Point at 15 minutes plays better as three ~425-word points than one unbroken block. For any duration not in this table, run it through the ",[16,504,505],{},[198,506,201],{"href":200}," above to get your exact total first, then apply the same 8\u002F65\u002F18\u002F9 split by hand.",[12,509,510,511,517],{},"Two things break this table's math in practice, and it's worth planning for both. First, nerves push your real speaking pace faster than a rehearsal alone — budget a small buffer into the Core Point rather than the Hook, since that's the section with room to absorb it. Second, if you're speaking from a full script rather than notes, check its actual word count against the target — paste your draft into the ",[16,512,513],{},[198,514,516],{"href":515},"\u002F","Word Counter"," to confirm before you start cutting or padding.",[24,519,521],{"id":520},"when-a-section-runs-over-budget","When a Section Runs Over Budget",[12,523,524,525,529],{},"The Core Point is where scripts bloat, because it's where you're tempted to add a second supporting point \"just in case.\" If your draft runs long, trim there first — the ",[198,526,528],{"href":527},"\u002Fblog\u002Fhow-to-reduce-word-count","word-reduction techniques for cutting a script down to size"," apply directly to a bloated Core Point without touching your Hook or Close.",[12,531,532,533,539,540,544],{},"Before you rehearse a trimmed script out loud, it's also worth a quick pass through the ",[16,534,535],{},[198,536,538],{"href":537},"\u002Freadability-score","Readability Score Checker"," — a Core Point full of dense, subordinate-clause-heavy sentences reads fine on paper but trips you up mid-delivery, which is a different failure mode than the ",[198,541,543],{"href":542},"\u002Fblog\u002Freadability-score-explained","readability formulas explained here"," usually get applied to.",[24,546,548],{"id":547},"why-this-beats-winging-it","Why This Beats Winging It",[12,550,551],{},"A four-part structure with a word budget per section does two things a blank outline doesn't. It stops the Core Point from silently eating your Close — the single most common reason speakers run over time is a Core Point that grew unchecked while the ending got no attention until the night before. And it gives you a rehearsal order: time each section separately against its target instead of only timing the whole run-through, so you know exactly which 60 seconds went missing when you're over.",[12,553,554],{},"Sketch your four sections against the word counts above before you write full sentences. The structure holds regardless of topic — it's the same shape whether you're giving a wedding toast, a conference talk, or a five-minute update to your team.",{"title":556,"searchDepth":557,"depth":557,"links":558},"",2,[559,560,561,562,563,564],{"id":26,"depth":557,"text":27},{"id":182,"depth":557,"text":183},{"id":211,"depth":557,"text":212},{"id":226,"depth":557,"text":227},{"id":520,"depth":557,"text":521},{"id":547,"depth":557,"text":548},"Writing Tips","Learn the four-part speech structure and the exact word budget for each section at any time limit. Free calculator included — plan your speech now.","md",[569,572,575,578,581,584],{"question":570,"answer":571},"What is the best structure for a speech?","A four-part structure works for almost any length: a short Hook to earn attention, a Core Point that carries most of your word budget, one concrete Example to make the point stick, and a brief Close that tells the audience what to do or remember. The proportions stay roughly the same regardless of duration — calculate your own section targets with the [Words to Minutes Calculator](\u002Fwords-to-minutes).",{"question":573,"answer":574},"How many words should the hook be?","Keep your hook to about 8% of your total word budget — around 50 words in a 5-minute, 650-word speech, or as few as 10 words in a 1-minute speech. A hook that runs long steals time from the point you're actually there to make, and audiences decide whether to keep listening in the first few seconds regardless of how much you've prepared.",{"question":576,"answer":577},"Should a speech have more than one example?","For anything under about 5 minutes, one well-chosen example beats two rushed ones — you don't have the word budget to develop a second one properly. Past 10 minutes, you have room to split the Core Point into two sub-points, each with its own short example, without the structure feeling padded.",{"question":579,"answer":580},"What if my speech has multiple main points?","Split the Core Point's word share across your points instead of adding new sections. A 3-minute speech built for one point (390 words) can hold two points at roughly 170 words each, but a third point at that length usually forces you to rush all three. If you're trimming a script that's grown past its Core Point budget, see the editing techniques in [how to reduce word count](\u002Fblog\u002Fhow-to-reduce-word-count).",{"question":582,"answer":583},"Does the close need to be as short as the hook?","Roughly, yes — plan for about 9% of your word budget, close to what you spend on the hook. The close is where you slow your pace for emphasis even though the word count is small, so it takes up more speaking time per word than the Core Point does. That's a pacing choice, not a word-count one — the calculator below assumes a flat pace across the whole speech, so budget a few extra seconds mentally for the close.",{"question":585,"answer":586},"Is my script uploaded when I use the calculator on this page?","No. It counts words with `Intl.Segmenter`, the same language-aware, client-side JavaScript API the rest of this site uses — nothing you paste is sent to a server, logged, or stored. Close the tab and it's gone, which matters if you're rehearsing a talk that hasn't been announced yet. The [Word Counter](\u002F) uses the same in-browser approach if you'd rather check a full script than a single section.","\u002Farticles\u002Fhow-to-structure-a-speech\u002Fhero.webp",{},true,"\u002Fen\u002Fhow-to-structure-a-speech","2026-07-17",{"title":5,"description":566},"en\u002Fhow-to-structure-a-speech",[595,596,597,598,599],"how to structure a speech","speech structure","public speaking","speech outline","word count",null,"XahHMK3gKuPTMGqWcQs6Ge67WAubtZ41BQIiUQeZq1c",1786303797842]