Script length calculator
Paste a script to see how long it runs when read aloud, or pick a length to see how many words fill it. Paces come from published sources.
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- Paces from published sources
How many words for each video length
Spoken words that fill each finished length at a slow, a conversational and a brisk pace. A 30-second spot holds about 75 words, a 1-minute Reel or ad about 150 and a 10-minute YouTube video about 1,500.
| Length | Slow, 130 wpm | Conversational, 150 wpm | Brisk, 170 wpm | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 sec | 33 | 38 | 43 | Short ad or bumper |
| 30 sec | 65 | 75 | 85 | TV or radio spot |
| 1 min | 130 | 150 | 170 | Reel, Short or ad |
| 1 min 30 sec | 195 | 225 | 255 | — |
| 2 min | 260 | 300 | 340 | Explainer |
| 3 min | 390 | 450 | 510 | — |
| 5 min | 650 | 750 | 850 | — |
| 8 min | 1,040 | 1,200 | 1,360 | YouTube video |
| 10 min | 1,300 | 1,500 | 1,700 | YouTube video |
| 15 min | 1,950 | 2,250 | 2,550 | — |
| 20 min | 2,600 | 3,000 | 3,400 | Podcast segment |
| 30 min | 3,900 | 4,500 | 5,100 | — |
| 1 hr | 7,800 | 9,000 | 10,200 | Podcast episode |
Where the paces come from
Each pace is quoted from its source's own page, read on October 8, 2026. They are averages: your own pace can sit well above or below them.
| Pace | Words a minute | Published as | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slow, dramatic read | 130 | ~65 words in a 30-second script “at a slower, dramatic pace” | Voice123 |
| Conversational | 150 | “The average rate of speech for English speakers in the United States is about 150 words per minute” | National Center for Voice and Speech |
| Audiobook narration | 155 | “about 9,300 words equals one hour of finished audio” | ACX |
| Brisk, energetic ad read | 170 | ~85 words in a 30-second script “at a brisk or energetic pace” | Voice123 |
| News presenter | 175 | “News is normally presented at about 175WPM” | BBC Research & Development |
How to calculate script length
Running time (minutes) = words ÷ words a minute. A 1,000-word script at 150 words a minute runs 1,000 ÷ 150 = 6.67 minutes, or 6 minutes 40 seconds. To go the other way, words = minutes × words a minute: a 30-second spot at 150 words a minute is 0.5 × 150 = 75 words.
Numbers, prices, dates and web addresses take longer to say than to write, and pauses, music beats and demos add time with no words at all. Read the script aloud once, time it, and set a custom pace to match. For captions, Netflix's English style guide allows up to 20 characters a second for adult programs, and the BBC recommends 160–180 words a minute.
Planning a video around the script? Our guide to scripting and hooks covers the first 30 seconds, and the video editing time calculator shows how long the edit takes.
Sources: National Center for Voice and Speech · ACX · Voice123 · BBC Research & Development · BBC subtitle guidelines · Netflix English (USA) Timed Text Style Guide · VOWordCounter.
Questions, answered.
Anything else? Message Mark and you'll get a written reply within one business day.
How many words is a 1-minute script?
About 150 at a conversational pace. The National Center for Voice and Speech puts the average rate of speech for English speakers in the US at about 150 words per minute. A slow, dramatic read fits about 130 words and a brisk ad read about 170.
How many words fit in a 30-second ad?
About 75. Voice123’s guide to commercial scripts gives ~75 words at a normal speaking pace, ~85 at a brisk or energetic pace and ~65 at a slower, dramatic pace. Music, sound effects and an end card take time too, so leave room for them.
How many words is a 10-minute YouTube video script?
About 1,500 at 150 words a minute, or 1,300–1,700 between a slow read and a brisk one. Pauses, B-roll beats and on-screen demos add time without words, so time one read-through before you film.
How long is a 1,000-word script?
About 6 minutes 40 seconds at 150 words a minute, 7 minutes 42 seconds at a slow 130 and 5 minutes 53 seconds at a brisk 170.
How fast do audiobook narrators read?
ACX, Audible’s audiobook marketplace, estimates that about 9,300 words equals one hour of finished audio. That is 155 words a minute.
How fast can captions go?
Netflix’s English (USA) timed text style guide sets reading speed limits of up to 20 characters per second for adult programs and 17 for children’s programs. The BBC’s subtitle guidelines recommend 160–180 words per minute. At a conversational 150 words a minute, captions that follow the speech word for word stay under both.
Why does my read run longer than the calculator says?
Numbers, prices, dates and web addresses take longer to say than to write: once they appear, “written word count diverges from spoken word count,” as VOWordCounter puts it. Pauses, music beats and demos add time with no words at all. Time one read-through and set a custom pace to match it.
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