Script length calculator a script timer for video and speeches
Paste a script to see how long it runs as a voiceover or speech, or pick a video length to see how many words fit.
Updated November 4, 2026
0:00estimated length
Words0
Fits a…
3:20
150 words
A 1-minute script is about 150 words read at a natural voiceover pace of 150 words per minute. That's roughly 75 words for 30 seconds, 225 for 90 seconds and 300 for 2 minutes. Slower, warmer reads run about 130 words a minute, brisk promo reads about 160. The one large measured study we found, of 862 online videos, averaged 156 words per minute.
How many words fit each video length?
Video length
Relaxed (130 wpm)
Natural (150 wpm)
Brisk (160 wpm)
15 seconds
33 words
38 words
40 words
30 seconds
65 words
75 words
80 words
45 seconds
98 words
113 words
120 words
1 minute
130 words
150 words
160 words
90 seconds
195 words
225 words
240 words
2 minutes
260 words
300 words
320 words
3 minutes
390 words
450 words
480 words
5 minutes
650 words
750 words
800 words
What speaking rate should you plan for?
Measured: across 862 online course videos, speaking rates ranged from 48 to 254 words per minute with a mean of 156; faster speakers held attention better (Guo, Kim and Rubin, 2014).
Narration: Audible's ACX says most narrators read about 9,300 words an hour, about 155 a minute (ACX).
Studio practice: explainer studios write 130 to 150 words per minute (VideoScribe) or 140 to 150 words for a 60-second video (Breadnbeyond); Descript suggests 150 to 160 for commercial voiceovers (Descript).
How does the script timer work?
It counts the words you paste and divides by the pace you pick: 130, 150 or 160 words per minute (see average words per minute for where those rates come from, or test your own). That makes it a speaking time calculator for speeches and presentations too. Only have a number, not a script? The words to minutes converter handles any word count or time slot, with tables up to 5,000 words.
How do you fit a script to a launch video?
Leave room for pictures. Visuals carry part of the message; a 60-second launch video often needs only 110 to 130 spoken words.
Budget the ends. The first two seconds and the end card usually have no voiceover.
Read it out loud with a timer. The calculator gets you close; your own read is the final check.
Need the whole video, not just the script length? How to make a launch video, or let nod write and voice it from your product page.
Script length FAQ
How many words is a 1-minute script?+
About 130 to 160 words read at a natural pace. Studios write to 125 to 160 words per minute (VideoScribe, Breadnbeyond), and a measured study of 862 online videos found speakers averaged 156 words per minute (Guo et al., 2014).
How long is a 500-word script?+
About 3 minutes 20 seconds at 150 words per minute, or 3 minutes 8 seconds at 160 and 3 minutes 51 seconds at 130. Use the calculator above for any word count.
How many words is a 30-second video script?+
About 65 to 80 words, or roughly 75 at a natural 150 words per minute. Leave a few seconds for the opening and the end card, so aim lower if the video has a logo or title moment.
What is a normal speaking rate for a voiceover?+
Around 150 words per minute. Descript recommends 150 to 160 for commercial and explainer voiceovers (Descript), and Audible's ACX says most narrators read about 9,300 words an hour, which is about 155 a minute (ACX).
What is a script timer?+
A script timer, or speaking time calculator, estimates how long a script takes to read aloud by dividing its word count by a speaking rate. Paste your script above and pick a pace; to convert a bare word count or a time slot, use the words to minutes converter.
How many words is a 2-minute speech?+
About 260 to 320 words at 130 to 160 words per minute; 300 at a natural 150.
Skip the script entirely
Paste your product link. nod writes the script, voices it and builds the video.