1 minute speech topics - 150 exceptionally good speech ideas☺ (2024)

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150 just a minute topics, plus sample speech outlines and speeches

By:Susan Dugdale

One minute speeches. That's sixty seconds to inform, to persuade, or to entertain using between 130 to 150 or so words.

How succinct can you be? Can you get the point quickly and effectively?

Giving impromptu*1 minute speeches teaches us about talking smarter, not faster!

*Impromptu - without preparation time or rehearsal

I'd like to call on Joe to say a few words

Our lives present many occasions calling for someone, perhaps us, to say 'a few words'. Whether in our work place, family, social or community setting, the ability to do that confidently and competently is highly valued.

Practicing preparing and delivering one minute speeches is an ideal way to gain the skills needed.

What's on this page

150 one minute speech topics

But wait, there's more! You will also find ...

Sample just a minute speech outlines & speeches with audio

In addition to the 1-minute speech topics there arethree example speech outlines that have been worked into speeches: one from each group of 50 topics.

I've included them because a1-minutespeech is just like any other. To be effective it needs structure.

The danger of opting to go 'free form' is that you're quite likely to serve up a meandering splurge of information leaving the people listening to it wondering what the exact point was you wanted to make.

One of the most effective structural formats or templates to commit to memory and use for impromptu, short speeches is Point, Reason, Example, Point or PREP*.

I've used it in my three sample outlines and speeches.The pattern, PREP, repeats three times in each of them.

You'll find text and audio of each 1-minute speech below each topic group.

(*Find out more about 6 other useful impromptu speaking templates.)

At the bottom of the page there's a compelling explanation as to why learning to give good impromptu one-minute speeches is a brilliant action to take.

Download a printable speech outline template

And very lastly, after information about the fabulous impromptu One Minute Speech game, there's a blank printable Point-Reason-Example-Point (PREP) one minute speech outline template to download for your own use. ☺

50 one minute speech topics for kids

1. We should beable to choose our own bed times.
2. Animals haverights too.
3. We should neverbe beaten as a punishment.
4. My favoritefoods
5. What is thebest time of day for you?
6. What do youthink you will you do when you grow up?
7. My favoriteanimal
8. The best timeI’ve ever had
9. My mostfavorite subject at school
10. The funniestthing that has happened to me
11. The mostexciting event in my life
12. The person Iwould most like to meet
13. Something Iwant to learn
14. The best thingabout my neighborhood
15. What we do forfun in my family
16. My favoritefilm
17. The music Ilike to listen to
18. What I thinkabout social media
19. My favoritesport
20. The silliestthing I ever saw
21. My three wishesare
22. If you had thepower what would you change?
23. The most boringthing in the world
24. Countries Iwould like to visit
25. My favoritemeal when I go out to eat
26. A family tradition
27. The best prank ever
28. Why apologizing when you’re wrong is a good thing to do
29. Words we use that we have to explain to adults
30. Fun games to play with friends
31. My favorite item of clothing
32. What means the most to me
33. What adults do not understand
34. The best season of the year
35. The dumbest thing I did when I was very little
36. The top three things I like most about my best friends
37. The best character in a book I’ve read or a movie I’ve seen
38. What is the weirdest thing you’ve ever seen?
39. Three things I think the US President should do
40. The happiest time I’ve ever had
41. The hardest thing I’ve ever done
42. My favorite place to be in the whole world
43. The scariest thing that has ever happened to me
44. Why friends are important to me
45. Why peer pressure can be damaging.
46. Why being different is OK
47. Why bullying is never OK
48. Who is a hero to you, and why?
49. What is your favorite holiday, and why?
50. The worst tasting food I’ve ever been given to eat.

Something I want to learn (Topic 13 on the list for kids)

1.Main Idea or Point

Something I want to learnis to read people's minds.

- Reason

Ithink it would give me power overmy family.

- Example

Forexample I’dknow what my mother was planning for my birthday. If I didn't likeit, I could begin a campaign to steer her in the direction ofsomething Iwanted.

2. Main Idea or Point

Iwouldalso know if people were telling the whole truth, partial truths ortotal lies.

- Reason

That'shandy for sorting out squabbles with brothers and sisters.

- Example

Jimmy dideat the last bit of cake. And despite what she says, Janelle borrowedmy top and splodgedtomatoketchup on it.

3. Main Idea or Point

Lastly my father would know I was on to his excuses for habituallycominghome late.

Close - Summary

TodayI begin training. I've enrolled in internet guru Madame Gloria's 10lesson mind reading course. My family will be amazed.You could try it too!

Total words: 145

1 minute speech 'Something I want to learn' text

SomethingI want to learnis to read people's minds.
Ithinkthis would give me power overmy family.

Forexample I’dknow what my mother was planning for my birthday. If I didn't likeit, I could begin a campaign to steer her in the direction ofsomething Iwanted.

Iwouldalso know if people were telling the whole truth, partial truths ortotal lies. That'shandy for sorting out squabbles with brothers and sisters.

Jimmy dideat the last bit of cake. And despite what she says, Janelle didborrow my top and splodge tomatoketchup on it.

Andlastly my father would know I was on to his excuses for habituallycominghome late.

1 minute speech 'Something I want to learn' audio

You've read it. Now you can listen to it. Click the link to hear me, Susan. (You're hearing a New Zealand accent. ☺)

Something I want to learn - 1 minute speech example

50 work/career themed 1 minute speech topics

1. Thedifference between features and benefits of a product.
2. The value ofrecognizable branding.
3. The wisdom ofthe maxim to follow your dream
4. The advantageof a college education
5. The traps ofadvertising
6. The differencebetween fact and opinion
7. Difference inpay scales due to gender
8. The glassceiling
9. The differencebetween having a job and a career
10. Is the term‘ethical business’ an oxymoron?
11. What 3 skillsdo you think are most valuable to an employer?
12. Why is workingsmarter, better than working harder?
13. Plain Englishis preferable to jargon.
14. Who do youadmire most, and why?
15. What qualitiesdo you want to see in a leader?
16. What skill doyou think will help you get to where you want to go faster than anyother?
17. Is it thepeople you know, or the abilities you have that gives you theopportunities you want in life?
18. Where doespoverty begin?
19. Should alleducation at all levels be free?
20. What changeswould you make to the current levels of state or governmental care?
21. What one socialchange do you think would alter the way we live for the better?
22. What oneimportant idea has changed the way you think and act in your life?
23. If you could bethe best version of yourself you could be, what area would you beworking in now?
24. What does thephrase ‘living for the weekend’ mean to you?
25. What specialqualities does a person need to have in order to be successfullyself-employed?
26. What subjectareas should schools teach more of?
27. How couldpracticing impromptu speaking improve your critical thinking skills?
28. What qualitiesdo you notice particularly in good communicators?
29. What advicewould you give a young person about choosing a career?
30. How does whatyou do now for a living, vary from the way your parents worked?
31. What qualitiesdo you admire most in the people who work alongside you – yourco-workers?
32. What habits doyou find the most difficult to deal with in a shared work space?
33. Is a 4 day weekor ‘working to live’ an unrealistic dream?
34. What is yourfavorite day of the week, and why?
35. What does itmean to listen well?
36. What book hashad the most influence on your life?
37. Three ways tostand up for yourself
38. How to disagreewith someone respectfully
39. Is it ever OKto lie?
40. What is themost important lesson you’ve learned so far?
41. If you couldhave dinner with whoever you chose, who would you choose?
42. What thing didyou ever have to do that turned out to be extremely good for you?
43. What my workclothes say about me
44. Is it OK tohave private conversations or to handle personal matters while atwork?
45. Three skills myemployers do not know I have
46. How do you knowwhen you’ve been in a job too long?
47. The notion ofjob security is no longer safe to hang on to. What should we bedoing instead?
48. What advicewould you give someone who is appears to be in the job purely forthe money?
49. How does toneof voice influence how you respond to someone?
50. What makes youthink a person is trustworthy?

What my work clothes say about me
-Topic 43 from the work/career list - PREP format

1.Main Idea or Point

Clothes make the man.

- Reason

Yes, we judge each other on what we wear. And have done forever.

- Example

For better, or for worse, in the western working world, nothing says dependable and professional as eloquently as atailored grey business suit, a crisp white shirt and a pair of good shoes.

2. Main Idea or Point

If we're sensible we understand clothing speaks louder than words ever can.

- Reason

And that our choices can undermine whatever we're involved in.

- Example

For example, a funeral director wearing a silver micro mini skirt teamed with skimpy red t-shirt meeting a client for the first time could set alarm bells clanging loudly.

3. Main Idea or Point

I'm immensely grateful to have been spared the minefield of choice by a business dress code.

- Reason

Both the risk and anxiety of getting it wrong is enormous.

- Example & close

So what my carefully selected work clothes say about me is that I'm conscientious, detail focused, ambitious and, per courtesy of my classic Cartier watch, that I understand quality.

Total words: 151

Just a minute speech: 'What my work clothes say about me'

Clothes make the man.Yes, we judge each other on what we wear. And have done forever.

For better, or for worse, in the western working world, nothing says dependable and professional as eloquently as atailored grey business suit, a crisp white shirt and a pair of good shoes.

If we're sensible we understand clothing speaks louder than words ever can.And that our choices can aid or undermine whatever we're involved in.

For example a female funeral director sporting a silver micro mini skirt teamed with a skimpy red t-shirt meeting a client for the first time could set alarm bells clanging.

I'm immensely grateful to have been spared the minefield of choice by a business dress code.The risk, and anxiety, of getting it wrong is enormous.

So what my carefully selected work clothes say about me is that I'm conscientious, detail focused, ambitious and, per courtesy of my classic Cartier watch, that I understand quality.

1 minute speech - 'What my work clothes say about me' - audio

Click the link to listen: What my work clothes say about me

50 1-minute speech topics for fun, for a giggle, a laugh!

1. The time thejoke fell flat
2. What’s funnydepends on the individual
3. The biggestlaugh I’ve ever had
4. The mostsuccessful prank I was part of
5. Why peoplelaugh
6. My mostembarrassing moment
7. Two sure-fireways to get rid of your boss
8. How to talkyour way out of having to do the dishes
9. How to appearvery intelligent
10. The deepestsecrets of your pet cat
11. Why your dog isyour best friend
12. If I ruled theworld
13. Three words Iwould ban if I could
14. Why I shouldhave an instant pay rise
15. The significance of World Paper Clip Day
16. Lessonslearned the hard way
17. How to makeyour favorite meal last longer
18. How tosuccessfully annoy your brother, sister, mother, father
19. The top threereasons for not handing in homework
20. Why beingpredictable is boring
21. Three ways tofail successfully
22. How to blameother people and get away with it
23. How to mindread
24. The best sellerI am writing
25. The top ways toget people to like you
26. How to lieextremely well
27. The worst chatup line ever
28. Three creative things todo with a brick
29. How to tell ifsomeone loves you
30. What to do whenyou forget the birthday of someone close to you
31. The worstChristmas present I ever received
32. The mostextraordinary thing that ever happened to me
33. How to getother people to pay for you at a bar or restaurant
34. Strategies foravoiding people you don’t want to talk to
35. Idiot things Ihave done unintentionally
36. Instructionsfor riding a bicycle
37. How to teachyour great grandmother to use a mobile
38. How to avoidbeing picked out of a group to present a report
39. Designercamouflage for under cover parents at student parties
40. Three excellentreasons to give when you want to call in sick
41. How to getother people to willingly do your work for you
42. Why gossip isalways so interesting to hear
43. Why readinganother person’s emails is OK
44. How I explainedFather Christmas to my children
45. Why myson/daughter thinks I am super man/woman
46. Why being me isso much better than being anyone else
47. Why dogsresemble their owners
48. How tointerpret the shape of your hand and fingers
49. The art ofblaming your horoscope for whatever goes wrong in your life
50. How to talkconvincingly on subjects you know very little about

The significance of World Paper Clip Day
-Topic 15 from the for fun list - PREP format

- Reason

Weunderstand the importance of keeping it together, ofclipping ideas.It makes for an orderly existence.

- Example

Thinkof the horror of muddled thoughts. Strewn willy-nilly, with nothingto hold them. Pitiable, isn't it?

2. Main Idea or Point

Weneed clips. Just as we need the paper they hold.

- Reason

Bothare crucial in this digital age - where ideas can vaporize with a keystroke, or a system malfunction. Entire files, weeks worth of work,can be lost, never to be restored, in a second.

- Example

Clippedpapers are reassuringly tangible. They can be seen, touched and ifyou're into it, smelled.

3. Main Idea or Point

Lastlywe need to cherish the clip for its universality.

- Reason

Whereverit is in the world, what it stands for is understood.Thepaper clip unites - not just ideas, but people.

- Example & close

Lookaround! Vivela clip!

Total words: 149

1 minute speech -The significance of World Paper Clip Day

Naturally, the significance of World Paper Clip Day is of interest to all intelligent people.

We understand the importance of keeping it together, of clipping ideas. It makes for an orderly existence.

Think of the horror of muddled thoughts. Strewn willy-nilly, with nothing to hold them. Pitiable, isn't it?

We need clips. Just as we need the paper they hold.Both are crucial in this digital age - where ideas can vaporize with a key stroke, or a system malfunction. Entire files, weeks worth of work, can be lost, never to be restored, in a second.

Clipped papers are reassuringly tangible. They can be seen, touched and if you're into it, smelled.

Lastly we need to cherish the clip for its universality.

Wherever it is in the world, what it stands for is understood.The paper clip unites - not just ideas, but people.

1 minute speech - 'The significance of world paper clip day' - audio

Now listen to the audio: 'The significance of world paper clip day'.

Why learning to give 1 minute speeches is brilliant

The brilliance of becoming comfortable and competent with making impromptu 1 minute speeches is that you'll learn to:

• distill your material - reduce it to its core essentials - selecting only what is necessary and best to meet your speech purpose and the needs of your audience.
• structure your information efficiently and effectively thus mastering two important facets of good speech making: speaking to time rather than going over and, providing an easily followed sequence of ideas. Your audiences will love you for both!

Consequences, side effects and benefits

You will be a hero! I do not jest. (OK, maybe just a smidgen. ☺) However the person who can calmly, confidently, competently stand and talk in public settings is always admired, and in demand. Speak well, saying what needs to be said, and you're fulfilling a vital social service, along with super-charging your self esteem!

The next time a toast, a summary to close a meeting, or a 'few words' to welcome a visitor are called for, perhaps it will be you leaping to your feet.

(For more onthe benefits of public speaking)

The one minute speech game

Do you teach public speaking, or lead a speaking group?

Download the printable speech outline template

Related pages

• How to banish impromptu speaking blues
• 150 impromptu public speaking topics
• 11 themed topic lists for impromptu speaking
• Impromptu speaking topic cards to purchase, download and print- a useful evergreen resource.
• Example impromptu speech outlines of 7 different structural formats each with a blank printable outline for your own use.