Meet the World's Fastest Talker: Holding a Guinness World Record

Ever tried counting how many words you can say in a minute?

Well, there's a man in the United States whose word count per minute changes constantly, and in 1989, he set a record by speaking around 586 words in...one minute (!). What does that mean exactly? Try saying an average of 10 words per second! Second! Can you believe it? Even John finds it hard to grasp that his hobby of talking fast earned him a Guinness World Record and the title of 'the world's fastest talker'. 

So, how did it all begin? At the age of 12, John attended a charity event where organizers announced they would pay anyone who could speak quickly. "I was interested, and that's how it started," he recalls. "I have five sisters, so it wasn't a problem. It was easy for me. Being from New York, I think people automatically talk much faster. You can speak as fast as you want in New York, and no one will even blink. Having five sisters was definitely an advantage because to get a word in, I had to speed up," he smiles. 

"I'm Italian, and anyone who speaks Italian is very animated, talks quickly, and often shouts, so all these elements created me—a fast talker."

Believe it or not, this talent even helps him make a pretty good living in TV commercials, radio shows, and more. "As long as you truly love what you're doing, the money isn't what matters. What matters is that you're happy. When you go day to day, just being nicer and better people."