Tools/Scripts & ideas

Video Script Timer

Paste a full script and get the runtime at your chosen words-per-minute, next to the same script timed at slow, normal and fast pace, plus the word count.

Input
wpm

150 words a minute is a natural speaking pace for narration.

Runtime
Runtime at 150 wpm
0:27

67 words.

Slow (110 wpm)
0:37
Normal (150 wpm)
0:27
Fast (190 wpm)
0:21
The script itself
Words
67
Characters
333
Estimated sentences
5

Reading pace varies with delivery: pauses, emphasis and cuts for B-roll all add time. Treat this as a planning estimate, not a stopwatch guarantee.

  • Free · no signup
  • Runs in your browser
  • Shows the working

What this does

Paste a script and we count the words, then return the runtime at your chosen pace, next to the same script timed at slow, normal and fast delivery for comparison.

Underneath, a breakdown shows the word count, character count, and an estimated sentence count. Reading pace varies with delivery, so treat this as a planning estimate, not a stopwatch guarantee.

Slow is 110 words a minute, normal 150, fast 190. A 1,500-word script runs about ten minutes at a normal pace, before pauses and cutaways.

Use cases

  1. 01Check a finished script fits your target video length before you film.
  2. 02Compare your natural pace against a faster or slower delivery.
  3. 03Time a script without reading it aloud with a stopwatch.
  4. 04Cut a long script down to a Shorts or ad length.
FAQ

Questions, answered.

How many words is a 1 minute script?

About 150 words at a normal speaking pace. A slow, deliberate read fits about 110, a fast one about 190.

How many words is a 10 minute YouTube video?

About 1,500 words at 150 words a minute. Pauses, demonstrations and B-roll stretch the finished video, so a 10 minute upload often has a shorter script.

Is this the same as Words to Minutes?

Same maths, different input. This one reads a pasted script and counts the words itself. Words to Minutes takes a word count you already know.

Do I need an account?

No.

Will my actual read match this exactly?

Not exactly. Pauses, emphasis, and cuts for B-roll all add real time on top of a straight read-through estimate.

From the notebook

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