How it works out the time
Speaking time is words divided by pace. A 300 word script at 150 words a minute takes two minutes. The calculator counts the words in what you paste (numbers count as words, punctuation doesn’t) and shows the time at your pace and at a range of others, so you can see how much room you have.
The 150 default is the figure Voices.com gives for conversational speech in the US, citing the National Center for Voice and Speech. Your own pace matters more than any average, which is why there’s a stopwatch: read your script aloud once and the calculator sets itself to your speed.
Words for common video lengths
| Video length | At 120 wpm | At 150 wpm | At 180 wpm |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 seconds | 60 | 75 | 90 |
| 1 minute | 120 | 150 | 180 |
| 2 minutes | 240 | 300 | 360 |
| 5 minutes | 600 | 750 | 900 |
| 10 minutes | 1,200 | 1,500 | 1,800 |
| 20 minutes | 2,400 | 3,000 | 3,600 |
Things that change the real length
- Demos and screen time. In a screen recording you stop talking while something loads or while you click through. Add that time on top: the script only covers the talking.
- Pauses. A pause between sections adds a second or two each. Tightening pauses in the edit takes most of it back out.
- Hard words. Product names, numbers and code slow everyone down. “£1,250” is one word in the count but takes as long to say as four.
- Retakes. The raw recording runs longer than the script. A transcript-based editor makes it quick to cut back down to the take you wanted.
Read it, then record it
Once the length is right, paste the script into the free online teleprompter and set it to the pace you measured here.
FAQ
How many words is a 1 minute video?
About 150 words at a conversational pace. Slow, careful delivery is closer to 120 words and fast delivery is closer to 180.
How long is a 1,000 word script?
About 6 minutes 40 seconds at 150 words a minute, 8 minutes 20 seconds at 120 and 5 minutes 33 seconds at 180.
How many words is a 5 minute speech?
Around 750 words at 150 words a minute. If you speak slowly or plan pauses for slides, aim for 600 to 650.
How do I find my own speaking rate?
Paste a script, press Start reading, read it aloud as you would on camera and press Stop. The calculator divides the words by the time and sets the pace to your result.