How to do a Pecha Kucha presentation: the 20x20 format, a five-act plan, a 45-word script per slide and auto-advance that works

Disclosure: NOXI publishes this guide and is one of the tools it mentions; the method works in any presentation software.

The definition is the easy part. The hard part is deciding what goes on 20 slides, writing a script that fits 20 seconds a slide, and getting PowerPoint, Google Slides or Canva to move on without you. This guide covers all three, with the arithmetic, a template with start times, 20 topics and a worked example. One rule sums it up: plan 20 slides in five acts, write about 45 words a slide, and let the slides advance on their own. If you need to click, it is not a Pecha Kucha.

Key numbers

What is a Pecha Kucha presentation?

A Pecha Kucha presentation is a talk of 20 images, each shown for 20 seconds and advanced automatically, so every speaker gets the same 400 seconds. PechaKucha describes it as non-stop: once the first slide starts, the speaker keeps pace with the pictures, not the other way round [1].

The format is used at city events, in classrooms, at conferences and in staff training [1][2]. "Pecha kucha", "pecha-kucha" and "20x20 presentation" all mean the same rule; this guide writes "Pecha Kucha" for the format and PechaKucha for the organisation. The fixed clock helps whoever runs the session: a class of 15 students fits 15 × 6:40 = 100 minutes of talking.

How do you pronounce Pecha Kucha?

Say it as the Japanese word it comes from, pe-cha-ku-cha, with the "u" so light that most English speakers hear "pe-chak-cha". PechaKucha gives the meaning, "chit chat", rather than a pronunciation guide [1].

Pecha Kucha rules and format: the 20x20 presentation

The Pecha Kucha rules fit in one line: 20 images, 20 seconds each, advancing automatically, 400 seconds in total. Everything else, including how much text a slide may carry, is set by the event or the teacher, so read the assignment brief before you design anything.

Can a Pecha Kucha have words on the slides?

Yes, but keep them short: the format is 20 images with visuals guiding the way, and the audience has 20 seconds to look and listen at once. A working limit is six words or one number per slide. Three slide types work well:

• A full-bleed photograph with no text at all, for story slides.
• One large number on an image (for example "34 children, one room"), for evidence slides.
• One short line of up to six words, for the hook and the close.

Avoid bullet lists, charts with axes to read and screenshots of documents; if a chart is essential, keep the one bar that proves your point.

How long is a Pecha Kucha?

A Pecha Kucha lasts 6 minutes and 40 seconds: 20 slides × 20 seconds = 400 seconds, and 400 ÷ 60 = 6 minutes with 40 seconds left over. Because the slides advance on their own, the length is the same for every speaker.

For a session, add changeovers: with one minute per speaker, ten speakers need 10 × 7:40 = 76 minutes and 40 seconds. Questions come on top of the 400 seconds; the talk itself does not stretch.

Pecha Kucha vs Ignite vs lightning talk

Pecha Kucha and Ignite both use 20 auto-advancing slides. PechaKucha uses 20 seconds a slide for 6:40, Ignite uses 15 seconds a slide for exactly 5 minutes, and a lightning talk is any very short talk whose length and slide rules are set by the event.

What is an Ignite presentation?

An Ignite presentation is a 5-minute talk of 20 slides that auto-advance every 15 seconds; Ignite Talks says every talk lasts 5 minutes, "no more, no less" [3].

Everything in this guide works for Ignite with one change: 15-second slides hold about 35 spoken words, so the script is about 20 × 35 = 700 words. Keep the same five acts and slide numbers.

What is a lightning talk?

A lightning talk is a very short talk whose rules belong to the event, not to a format owner. At PyCon US 2026, lightning talks had a maximum of 5 minutes, a 1-minute talk was allowed, and slides were "encouraged but not required" [11].

Asked for a lightning talk? Check the maximum length, whether slides are required and whether you will click through yourself.

How to do a Pecha Kucha, step by step

To do a Pecha Kucha, choose one message, map 20 slides into five acts, find one image per slide, write about 45 words for each slide, set the slides to advance every 20 seconds, and rehearse with the timer running until you finish with the last slide. The script and the rehearsals take longest.

1. Write the message in one sentence. If you cannot, 400 seconds will not save it.
2. Map the five acts (next section).
3. Find 20 images. One idea per image; your own photos, or images you have the right to use.
4. Write the script, slide by slide. About 45 words for each slide, read aloud as you write.
5. Build the deck with images first and almost no text.
6. Set auto-advance to 20 seconds on every slide.
7. Rehearse with the timer, cut words where you fall behind, and do the final runs exactly as you will present.

PechaKucha's guide for students compresses this into three steps: an outline and a script, 20 images, then present or record [2].

Plan a Pecha Kucha in five acts

A Pecha Kucha holds together when its 20 slides are grouped into five acts: a hook on slides 1–2, the story on 3–8, the evidence on 9–15, the turn on 16–19 and the close on slide 20. Fixing the act boundaries before you write stops the common failure, a strong start followed by 15 slides of loosely connected points.

The evidence act is the longest (140 of 400 seconds, 35%) because that is where the audience decides whether to believe you, and it comes after six story slides, when they already care. For ways to open and close that also work in 20 seconds, see our guides on how to start a presentation and how to end a presentation.

How to write a Pecha Kucha script: about 45 words per slide

A Pecha Kucha script should give each slide about 45 spoken words, about 900 words in total, because a 20-second slide holds 43 words at 130 words a minute and 50 words at 150 words a minute. The National Center for Voice and Speech puts the average American English speaking rate at about 150 words a minute [12].

Why 45 and not 50: at 150 words a minute, 45 words take 18 seconds, leaving 2 seconds for the slide change and a breath. For how the same rates map to longer talks, see how many slides per minute.

Measure your own rate once: read a 150-word passage aloud at presenting pace and time it. If it takes 64 seconds, your rate is 150 ÷ 64 × 60 = 140.6 words a minute, and a 20-second slide holds 20 × 140.6 ÷ 60 = 46.9 words.

Five rules for a script that keeps pace

• Write to the image. If the words would work on any slide, they are filler.
• Start each slide with its point. The first five words land while the picture changes; do not waste them on "So, next…".
• End on a bridge. The last few words lead into the next image ("…and that was the day I met Mr Okafor."), so the slide change feels intended.
• Say numbers once, show them once. One large figure on the slide, one short sentence aloud.
• Keep a two-second cushion. If a slide's text reads aloud in more than 18 seconds, cut it.

Learn the first and last sentence of every slide word for word and the middle as key phrases; reading word for word sounds flat, and losing your place costs you the whole slide. Keep a printed sheet, one numbered line per slide, as a safety net. On nerves, see our public speaking statistics.

Pecha Kucha template: the 20-slide plan with start times

A Pecha Kucha template is a 20-row plan that gives every slide its start time, its act, its image and its job, so you can check the whole talk on one page before you build any slides.

Slide n starts at (n − 1) × 20 seconds, so slide 11 starts at 10 × 20 = 200 seconds, or 3:20. Print the start times next to your script to see in rehearsal whether you are ahead or behind. Design rules: one image filling each slide, up to six words or one number on top, text always in the same font and position, and no slide numbers, logos or footers.

How to do a Pecha Kucha on PowerPoint: auto-advance every 20 seconds

To make PowerPoint slides advance automatically, select a slide, open the Transitions tab, and in the Timing group under Advance Slide tick After and enter 00:20.00; then click Apply to All. Microsoft's help page gives these steps for PowerPoint for Microsoft 365, 2024 and 2021 on Windows and Mac, and for PowerPoint 2019 and 2016 [6].

1. Open your 20-slide deck and select slide 1 in the thumbnail pane.
2. On the Transitions tab, in the Timing group, under Advance Slide, select the After check box and enter 00:20.00 [6].
3. Clear On Mouse Click so a stray click does not move the slide on. If both boxes are ticked, the slide still advances after 20 seconds, but a click moves it on sooner [6].
4. Click Apply to All so every slide gets the same 20 seconds [6].
5. Leave Duration short or choose no transition: Duration sets the speed of the transition effect, not how long the slide stays on screen [6].
6. Check the result in View → Slide Sorter, where each slide's timing appears at its bottom-right corner [7], then press F5 and watch one full run.

For Ignite, enter 00:15.00 instead. If your class asks for a recorded Pecha Kucha rather than a live one, PechaKucha's own platform takes 20 uploaded images plus a recorded voice-over [2].

PowerPoint auto-advance not working: five causes and fixes

When PowerPoint slides do not advance on their own, the cause is usually one of five settings: manual advance, timing on one slide only, animations delaying the timer, saved rehearsal timings, or a click skipping ahead.

How to do a Pecha Kucha on Google Slides

In Google Slides, click Slideshow, then Options → Auto advance options, and choose how quickly the slides advance. Google's help page does not list the intervals, so confirm that 20 seconds is offered before you rehearse [8].

1. Open the presentation and click Slideshow in the top right [8].
2. At the bottom, click Options → Auto advance options, and choose the interval [8].
3. Re-set the auto advance options each time you present, as Google's own tip advises [8].

If 20 seconds is not in the list, the reliable route is to download the deck as a PowerPoint file (the present toolbar offers PDF or PPTX download [8]) and set 00:20.00 in PowerPoint with the steps above. A published presentation (File → Publish to the web → "Auto-advance slides") also lets you choose the time between slides, but anyone with the link can then see the deck, so use it only for talks you are happy to share [8].

How to do a Pecha Kucha on Canva

In Canva, set every page to 20 seconds in the Timing panel with Apply to all pages turned on, then present with Present → Autoplay. Canva's help pages describe the duration as how long the page stays visible during playback, preview or presentation, and Autoplay as playing the presentation without having to navigate [9][10].

1. Select a page or its thumbnail, click the clock icon (Edit timing) in the floating toolbar, and type 20 seconds [9].
2. Turn on Apply to all pages. Canva warns that it replaces any custom durations already set on individual pages [9].
3. Click Present and choose Autoplay rather than Present full screen, which uses the arrow keys [10].

Element animations have their own timing, separate from the page duration [9], so keep them short or remove them.

Pecha Kucha about yourself: a 20-slide plan

A Pecha Kucha about yourself works best as one story about who you are becoming, not a list of facts, told in the same five acts.

Pick specific objects and moments over adjectives (a photo of the bookshelf you built says more than "I am creative"), show one setback honestly, and decide how much personal detail you want to share. In a job setting, point the 20 slides at the role; our job interview presentation guide covers what panels look for when they ask you to present yourself.

Pecha Kucha topics: 20 ideas for students and work

A good Pecha Kucha topic is one you can show in 20 pictures and sum up in one sentence: a personal story, a place, a process, a change or a question. Topics that need tables, definitions or long quotes are hard to fit into 20-second slides.

At work, PechaKucha lists onboarding and training sessions among its business uses [2]; our training presentation guide shows how to fit short talks into a timed session plan.

Pecha Kucha examples: what the good ones do

Good Pecha Kucha examples share five habits: one message, images that fill the slide, a story arc rather than a list, words that change with the picture, and a close that echoes the opening. On 20 October 2026, PechaKucha's page for schools listed student examples including "ThrustSSC", "Bennie's Bamboo Bonanza" and "Christmas Truce", plus a starting guide called "What makes a great PechaKucha Presentation" [2]. Watch two or three with a stopwatch and you will see the patterns below.

Worked example: Sara's "Why I Teach" Pecha Kucha, timed to 6:40

1. Message and acts. Her one sentence: "Teaching is the job of leaving the room better than you found it." Hook on slides 1–2: the first classroom she stood in, at 7:40 in the morning, before anyone arrived. Story on 3–8: her grandmother, who taught 34 children in one room for 31 years. Evidence on 9–15: seven moments from her placement. Turn on 16–19: what changed when she stopped lecturing and started asking questions. Close on slide 20.

2. Her speaking rate. She reads a 150-word passage at presenting pace in 64 seconds: 150 ÷ 64 = 2.344 words a second, or 140.6 words a minute. A 20-second slide therefore holds 20 × 2.344 = 46.9 words. She sets a target of 45 words a slide, which she says in 45 ÷ 2.344 = 19.2 seconds, leaving 0.8 seconds for the slide change. The script target is 20 × 45 = 900 words.

3. The first draft is 160 words too long. Her draft runs to 1,060 words, which at her rate would take 1,060 ÷ 2.344 = 452 seconds, 52 seconds more than the 400 she has.

The evidence act had the most to lose: 383 − 316 = 67 words. Her biggest single cut was slide 11, a 61-word draft about class reading scores. She moved the statistic onto the slide as one large number over the photograph and cut the sentence that explained it, bringing the slide to 44 words: 61 − 44 = 17 words saved on one slide.

4. Three rehearsals. She uses PowerPoint's Rehearse Timings to record how long she takes on each slide while clicking at the end of each slide's script, and clicks No at the end so the recorded times do not replace the 20-second setting.

• Run 1: 6:52, or 412 seconds. Slides 9, 12, 14 and 15 took 23 seconds each and the other 16 took 20: 16 × 20 + 4 × 23 = 320 + 92 = 412, so 4 × 3 = 12 seconds over. At 2.344 words a second, 3 seconds is about 7 words, so she cuts about 7 words from each of the four slides.
• Run 2: 6:44, or 404 seconds. Slides 12 and 14 still took 22 seconds: 18 × 20 + 2 × 22 = 360 + 44 = 404, so 4 seconds over. She replaces a long sentence on each with a shorter one.
• Run 3: 6:40, 400 seconds, every slide finished within its 20 seconds.

5. Auto-advance and two final runs. She sets Transitions → After 00:20.00 → Apply to All, clears On Mouse Click, removes the only animation (a fade on slide 11 that would have delayed the timer) and does two full runs in slide show mode with the slides moving on their own. On the day, she checks the timing on the classroom computer.

Sara's 10-slide planning deck was built in NOXI from her act map, script plan and rehearsal log; the slides below are the real output.

Here are two slides from this article's worked example, as NOXI built them, unedited.

For teachers: a five-row Pecha Kucha rubric

A Pecha Kucha rubric works best with five criteria scored 0 to 4: timing, images, story, one idea per slide and the close, for a total of 20 points. Share it with the assignment.

Score 1 or 3 for work between the columns. A pass mark of 12 of 20 (60%) suits a first Pecha Kucha. A class of 25 needs 25 × 6:40 = 166 minutes and 40 seconds of talks, which leaves about 13 minutes of a 3-hour block for changeovers, so plan two sessions or ask for recorded talks. For tools students can use, see our comparison of AI presentation tools for teachers.

PechaKucha Nights and Ignite events

PechaKucha Nights are city events where local speakers each give a 20x20 talk. PechaKucha invites visitors to events in "1,200+ cities" and, on 20 October 2026, showed a current PechaKucha Night community count of 1,332 [1][4].

The events calendar that day listed nights in Cape Town, Salzburg and Mersin in the week of 22 October 2026, and a PechaKucha Night Tokyo × DESIGNART TOKYO 2026 special on 31 October 2026 [4]. City nights are run by local organisers who apply to PechaKucha [4]. Organisations that want to host their own event under the name can buy a "Powered by PechaKucha" event licence, which PechaKucha says provides the use of its trademarks; it is listed at $500, and each event needs its own licence [5]. Without a licence, a neutral name such as a "20x20 session" keeps clear of the trademark.

Ignite grew the same way, from a single 2006 event in Seattle to the 350 cities on its site, with talks of 20 slides at 15 seconds [3].

Pass/fail checklist before you present

Before a Pecha Kucha, run eight pass/fail checks on the slide count, timing, animations, text, script length, acts, rehearsal and the presenting computer.

3 AI prompts for a Pecha Kucha presentation

AI can draft a 20-slide, image-led Pecha Kucha deck in minutes if the prompt fixes the slide count, the act map and the text limit. These prompts work in NOXI and in most AI presentation tools.

How to build a Pecha Kucha in NOXI

NOXI builds the 20-slide, image-led deck from your prompt; you then set the 20-second timing in PowerPoint after you download it. NOXI is free, with no card and no watermark, and a full deck uses about 25 of the 1,000 monthly credits each account gets.

For a wider view of AI tools that students use for decks like this, see our ranking of the best AI presentation makers for students.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Pecha Kucha presentation?

A Pecha Kucha presentation is a talk of 20 images, each shown for 20 seconds and advanced automatically, for a total of 400 seconds, or 6 minutes 40 seconds. Architects Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham created the format in Japan in 2003, and the name is Japanese for "chit chat". The official spelling is PechaKucha.

How long is a Pecha Kucha?

A Pecha Kucha lasts exactly 6 minutes and 40 seconds. It has 20 slides of 20 seconds each, and 20 × 20 = 400 seconds. Because the slides advance automatically, every speaker gets the same time, and any questions or changeover time come on top of the 400 seconds rather than inside them.

How many slides are in a Pecha Kucha?

A Pecha Kucha has exactly 20 slides, usually images, and each one stays on screen for 20 seconds before advancing on its own. A title slide normally counts as one of the 20, so plan the talk as 20 content slides with the first one doing the job of the hook, unless your brief says otherwise.

How many words should I say per slide in a Pecha Kucha?

Plan about 45 spoken words per 20-second slide, or about 900 words for the whole talk. At 130 words a minute a slide holds 43 words; at 150 words a minute it holds 50. Aiming for 45 leaves a short pause for each slide change. For Ignite's 15-second slides, aim for about 35 words.

How do you make slides advance automatically in PowerPoint?

Select a slide, open the Transitions tab, and in the Timing group under Advance Slide tick After and enter 00:20.00. Click Apply to All so every slide gets 20 seconds. If slides still do not advance, check that Set Up Slide Show uses timings and that no animation is delaying the timer.

What is the difference between Pecha Kucha and Ignite?

Both use 20 slides that advance automatically, but Pecha Kucha gives each slide 20 seconds for a 6-minute 40-second talk, while Ignite gives each slide 15 seconds for exactly 5 minutes. PechaKucha started in Japan in 2003; Ignite started in Seattle in 2006. An Ignite script needs about 35 words per slide.

What is a good Pecha Kucha topic about yourself?

Choose one story about who you are becoming rather than a list of facts: an object that stands for you, where you come from, seven things you do or care about, what changed you, and what comes next. Specific objects and moments shown as images say more about you in 20 seconds than adjectives.

Can AI make a Pecha Kucha presentation?

Yes. AI presentation tools can draft a 20-slide, image-led deck and a script plan if your prompt fixes the slide count, the five acts and a limit of about six words per slide. You still choose the images that tell your story, cut the script to about 45 words a slide and set 20-second auto-advance yourself.

Sources & methodology

How this guide was made: format, history and event facts come from PechaKucha's and Ignite Talks' own pages, the auto-advance steps from Microsoft, Google and Canva help pages, and the speaking rate from the National Center for Voice and Speech. The five-act map, the template, the 45-word target, the topics, the rubric and the checklist are editorial recommendations, not published standards. Sara Lindqvist and her figures are fictional; every calculation was checked twice. All sources were checked on 20 October 2026.

• [1] PechaKucha 20x20 as 20 images, each auto-advancing after 20 seconds; 400 seconds; created in Japan in 2003 by architects Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham; "PechaKucha" is Japanese for "chit chat"; PechaKucha Night events in 1,200+ cities — PechaKucha, About PechaKucha.
• [2] Students have exactly 400 seconds (6:40); 20 slides at exactly 20 seconds each; create an outline, a script and 20 images, then upload and record a voice-over; student example presentations; business uses including onboarding and training sessions; 1000+ communities across 130+ countries — PechaKucha, PechaKucha for Schools and Professors.
• [3] Every Ignite talk lasts 5 minutes; 20 slides auto-advancing every 15 seconds; began as a single event in Seattle in 2006, hosted by co-founders Brady Forrest and Bre Pettis; 350 cities and 6 continents — Ignite Talks, About.
• [4] Current PechaKucha Night community count of 1,332; upcoming PechaKucha Nights in the week of 22 October 2026 and PechaKucha Night Tokyo × DESIGNART TOKYO 2026 on 31 October 2026 — PechaKucha, PechaKucha Events Nearby.
• [5] The event licence provides the use of PechaKucha trademarks, how-to guides and an event page; $500; each event requires its own licence — PechaKucha, Host your own PechaKucha Event.
• [6] Transitions → Timing → Advance Slide → After; On Mouse Click and After together; Apply to All; the timer starts when the final animation or other effect finishes; Duration sets transition speed; applies to PowerPoint for Microsoft 365, 2024, 2021, 2019 and 2016 — Microsoft Support, Set the timing and speed of a transition.
• [7] Slide Show → Rehearse Timings; Yes saves the slide timings, No discards them; timings shown in Slide Sorter; Set Up Slide Show → Advance slides → Manually or Use Timings, if present — Microsoft Support, Rehearse and time the delivery of a presentation.
• [8] Slideshow → Options → Auto advance options; re-set the options each time you present; File → Publish to the web → Auto-advance slides; published presentations are visible to anyone with the link; PDF or PPTX download from the present toolbar — Google Docs Editors Help, Present slides.
• [9] Edit timing (clock icon) in the floating toolbar; duration in seconds; Apply to all pages replaces custom durations; duration is how long a page stays visible during playback, preview or presentation; element timing is separate — Canva Help Centre, Set slide duration in your designs.
• [10] Present → Autoplay plays the presentation without having to navigate; Present full screen uses the arrow keys — Canva Help Centre, Presentation modes.
• [11] Lightning talks have a maximum duration of 5 minutes; a 1-minute talk is allowed; slides encouraged but not required; sessions on 15 to 17 May 2026 — PyCon US 2026, Lightning Talks.
• [12] Average rate of speech for English speakers in the United States of about 150 words per minute — National Center for Voice and Speech, Voice quality tutorial.

Build your Pecha Kucha in NOXI, free: describe your talk and its five acts, review the 20-slide outline in Plan mode, make every slide image-led, then download an editable PowerPoint and set 20-second auto-advance.