Slowdown
Monitor your speech pace in real-time. Perfect for presentations, demos, and meetings.
Download for macOSVersion 1.2 · January 21, 2026 · macOS 13+
Real-time WPM
See your words-per-minute calculated live as you speak. Stay in the optimal 120-160 WPM range.
Visual Alerts
Color-coded feedback: green when good, yellow when borderline, red when too fast.
Multiple Sources
Monitor your microphone directly or capture system audio from any meeting app.
Privacy First
All speech recognition happens on-device. No audio ever leaves your Mac.
Floating Overlay
Compact, always-on-top window stays visible during presentations without getting in the way.
Customizable
Set your own WPM threshold and averaging window to match your speaking style.
Session History
Track all your sessions with detailed WPM charts. Filter by audio source and analyze your speaking patterns over time.
WPM Graph View
Toggle between numeric display and real-time graph visualization to see your pace trends instantly.
Session History
How It Works
Launch Slowdown
The app lives in your menu bar with a floating overlay showing your current WPM.
Select Audio Source
Choose between your microphone or system audio to capture speech from any app.
Start Monitoring
Click play and start speaking. Watch your pace in real-time and adjust as needed.
Review Your Sessions
Access Session History from the menu bar to analyze your performance with detailed WPM charts and statistics.
Improve Over Time
With practice and data insights, you'll naturally learn to maintain an optimal speaking pace.
System Requirements
macOS 13 (Ventura) or later · Apple Silicon or Intel Mac
Installation
Download & Open DMG
Download Slowdown.dmg and double-click to open it.
Drag to Applications
Drag Slowdown.app to your Applications folder.
First Launch
Important: Right-click (or Control-click) on Slowdown and select "Open". This is required because the app is not signed with an Apple Developer certificate. You only need to do this once.
Grant Permissions
Allow microphone access and speech recognition when prompted. All processing happens on-device.