How long should a best man speech be?
Updated 28 October 2026
Aim for 3 to 5 minutes. That's about 450 to 750 words at a normal speaking pace: enough time for a proper story and a toast, and short enough that the room stays with you the whole way.
The short answer
Wedding planners usually suggest somewhere between 2 and 5 minutes for a best man speech. Under a minute can feel rushed, like you didn't put the effort in. Much past 5 minutes and you start eating into the rest of the night, especially when there are other speeches after yours.
The sweet spot for most people is 3 to 5 minutes. If you're nervous about speaking, aim for 3. If you've got great stories and you're comfortable on a mic, 5 is plenty.
How many words is that?
Most people speak at about 130 to 150 words per minute when they give a speech. Nerves usually push you faster, so the lower end is safer to plan with.
| Speech length | Slower pace (130 wpm) | Typical pace (150 wpm) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 minutes | 260 words | 300 words |
| 3 minutes | 390 words | 450 words |
| 4 minutes | 520 words | 600 words |
| 5 minutes | 650 words | 750 words |
Laughs add time too. A joke that lands can take 3 to 5 seconds before the room settles, so a funny speech runs longer than its word count suggests.
A structure that fits in 4 minutes
- Who you are (20 to 30 seconds). Your name and how you know the groom. Keep it quick; most people in the room already know.
- One or two stories (about 2 minutes). This is the heart of it. One great story beats four average ones.
- The couple (about 1 minute). Turn to the partner and say something genuine about them together.
- The toast (15 seconds). Ask everyone to stand, raise a glass, and say their names.
We timed a sample speech
To see how this works in practice, we wrote a sample best man speech that follows the structure above and ran it through the Speech Timer. It has 357 spoken words, plus five short pauses where we'd expect laughs.
| Speaking pace | Runtime |
|---|---|
| Slower (130 wpm) | 3:07 |
| Typical (150 wpm) | 2:44 |
| Fast (170 wpm) | 2:26 |
At a typical pace, the sections broke down like this:
- Who you are: 21 seconds
- The story: 1 minute 22 seconds
- The couple: 43 seconds
- The toast: 17 seconds
Three things stood out:
- The laughs added 13 seconds. Without the pauses, the same speech ran 2:31. If your speech is funny, plan for the room.
- The story takes half the time. That's how it should be. If your intro or thank-yous start taking as long as the story, cut them first.
- About 360 words lands near 3 minutes. To stretch to 4 or 5 minutes, add a second story of 150 to 250 words rather than padding the one you have.
The delivery check also flagged the word "always" being repeated in the toast. In this case the repetition is on purpose, because it gives the toast a rhythm, so we kept it. In the middle of a story, the same flag would usually be worth fixing.
Read the sample speech
Who you are. Good evening everyone. For those who don't know me, I'm Chris, and I've been Sam's best mate since we were 12, when we both got detention for the same paper plane. He threw it. I took the blame. That's been the deal ever since.
The story. When Sam told me he'd met someone, I didn't think much of it. Sam falls in love roughly once a fortnight, usually with a car. But this time was different. He cleaned his flat. He bought a second towel. He learned how to cook exactly one dish, a lasagne, and he made it for Jordan on their third date.
It was not a good lasagne. The middle was still frozen and the top was on fire, which takes real skill. Jordan ate the whole plate anyway. She smiled, said it was lovely, and asked if he'd make it again. That's when I knew she was either very kind or completely mad. Four years later, I can tell you she's both, and that's exactly why it works.
Since then I've watched Sam change in ways I didn't think were possible. He turns up on time. He remembers birthdays, mostly. He has opinions about cushions. Last month he told me, with a straight face, that he was looking forward to a quiet night in. The Sam I grew up with did not have quiet nights in.
The couple. Jordan, thank you. You've made my best mate calmer, kinder and a lot better at lasagne. You've also made him happier than I've ever seen him, and that's all any of us could ever want for him. Sam, you've found someone who laughs at your jokes, puts up with your driving and still thinks you're the best person in the room. Look after her. She's the best thing that's ever happened to you, and we all know it, even if it took you a few frozen lasagnes to work it out.
The toast. So please, everyone, stand up and raise your glasses. To Sam and Jordan. May your home always be warm, your arguments always be short, and your lasagne always be cooked all the way through. To Sam and Jordan.
What to cut if you're running long
- Inside jokes that only three people in the room will get.
- The second and third story, if the first one already does the job.
- Long thank-you lists. The couple or their parents usually cover those.
- Anything about exes. Nobody has ever regretted cutting it.
How to check your timing before the day
Paste your speech into the Speech Timer and it shows how long it takes to say out loud, counting numbers and dates the way you'll actually say them. Add [pause 3s] after the lines you expect to get a laugh. Then set a 5-minute target and do a practice run with the timer: it turns green, yellow and red as you get close, so you'll know exactly where you're running over.
Questions people ask
Is a 10-minute best man speech too long?
For most weddings, yes. Guests are usually standing or waiting for dinner, and there are often other speeches. Cutting to 5 minutes almost always makes it better.
Can a best man speech be 2 minutes?
Yes, if it's warm and lands one good story and a toast. Short and heartfelt beats long and rambling.
The timings and checks in this guide come from running the examples through our own tools. Sources are listed below.