Words to minutes how long your script runs out loud.
Most people speak about 150 words per minute at a comfortable pace. Sermons tend to run slower, around 130, and podcast conversations faster, around 160. Paste your script or type a word count to see how long it takes to say and to read, or how many words fit in the time you have.
Free, no sign-up- Speaking time
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- Silent reading
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- Words
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- Characters
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How many words fit in my time?
| Length | Words |
|---|---|
| 1 min | |
| 5 min | |
| 10 min | |
| 30 min |
How to work out how long a script runs
- 01
Paste your text
A video script, sermon notes or voice-over copy all work. Or just type the word count.
- 02
Pick a pace
Choose slow, average or fast, a content type (sermon, podcast, voice-over, short video) or type your own words per minute.
- 03
Read the result
You get speaking time, silent reading time and a table of how many words fit in 1, 5, 10 and 30 minutes.
How many words per minute do people speak?
The usual reference is 150 words per minute for clear, unhurried speech. Reading a script aloud calmly lands closer to 120. An energetic host on a short video, or two friends talking, easily goes past 170.
Treat these as references, not rules. The same pastor slows down for the Scripture reading and speeds up for the story. A podcast with two guests has pauses, laughs and interruptions. That is why the tool lets you change the pace and see the result right away.
| Pace | Words per minute | 1,500-word script |
|---|---|---|
| Slow | 120 | 12 min 30 s |
| Sermon | 130 | 11 min 32 s |
| Voice-over | 145 | 10 min 21 s |
| Average | 150 | 10 min |
| Podcast | 160 | 9 min 23 s |
| Short video | 170 | 8 min 49 s |
| Fast | 180 | 8 min 20 s |
How many words is a 1, 5 or 10 minute script?
Multiply minutes by pace. At 150 words per minute, a 1 minute script is about 150 words, a 5 minute script about 750 and a 10 minute speech about 1,500. If your speaker is slower, cut copy; if they are quick, you have room to spare.
A practical habit: write the script, paste it here and compare it with the slot you have. Cutting a paragraph on the page is much easier than cutting a sentence that is already recorded and on the timeline.
| Length | At 130 wpm | At 150 wpm | At 170 wpm |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 minute | 130 | 150 | 170 |
| 5 minutes | 650 | 750 | 850 |
| 10 minutes | 1,300 | 1,500 | 1,700 |
| 30 minutes | 3,900 | 4,500 | 5,100 |
How long is a 30 minute sermon in words?
At a typical preaching pace of about 130 words per minute, 30 minutes comes to roughly 3,900 words. Written notes are usually much shorter, because a live sermon has pauses, repetition, Scripture readings and back and forth with the congregation.
If you want to know what was actually said, go the other way and transcribe the service. With a word-by-word transcript, every line carries its timestamp, and finding the 60 seconds that become a sermon clip gets easy.
How many words fit in a 60 second Reel?
At an average pace, about 150 words fit in 60 seconds. Short-form delivery tends to be faster, near 170, but on-screen text and captions still need time to be read. For a 30 second Reel, plan on 75 to 85 words.
- 15 seconds: 35 to 45 words.
- 30 seconds: 75 to 85 words.
- 60 seconds: 150 to 170 words.
- 90 seconds: 225 to 255 words.
More than a word counter. The real timing of every line in your video.
See also
Frequently asked questions
How many words per minute do people speak?
On average about 150 words per minute in clear speech. A calm read-aloud sits near 120 and a lively conversation goes past 170. These are references: everyone has their own pace, and the same speaker changes speed during a talk.
How many words is a 1 minute script?
About 150 words at an average pace. For 5 minutes plan on 750 words and for 10 minutes about 1,500. If your presenter speaks slowly, trim the script. The table in the tool updates as soon as you change the pace.
How long is a 10 minute speech in words?
A 10 minute speech is around 1,500 words at 150 words per minute, 1,300 at a slower 130 and 1,700 at a quick 170. Paste your draft into the tool to see where it lands, and leave room for pauses and applause.
How long does it take to read a text silently?
We use a reference of 220 words per minute for silent reading, so a 1,500-word text takes about 7 minutes to read and 10 minutes to say out loud at an average pace.
How many words fit in a 60 second Reel?
About 150 words at an average pace and up to 170 at a short-video pace. If the video has captions or on-screen text, stay a little under that so viewers can keep up.
Transcribe your video and see the timing of every line. Word by word.
Upload a video or paste a YouTube link. We transcribe it with a timestamp on every word, split it into chapters and suggest clips at the length you want.
See the result on your own recording before adding a card.