Script Word Count Calculator
Work out how many words a video of a given length needs, or how long your script takes to say. Use your own speaking pace. Free, no signup.
Use my own pace
Overrides the presets above.
Or measure it
Read a paragraph aloud and time it.
About 1,500 words
10 minutes at 150 words a minute is about 1,500 spoken words.
This is speaking time only. To split a length into sections with a word budget for each, use the Script Generator.
Good to know
- These figures are for the time you spend speaking. A video is usually longer than its speech, because of pauses, demos, music and b-roll.
- Speaking pace varies a lot between people and between videos. The three presets are starting points. Time yourself reading a paragraph aloud to get your own number.
- Count words from the script you will actually say. Notes in brackets, such as [B-ROLL], are counted as words, so remove them first if you do not say them.
- To plan the timing of each part of a video, the Script Generator splits a length into sections with a word budget for each.
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About the Script Word Count Calculator
?What the word count calculator does
It answers two questions. How many words do I need to fill a video of a given length? And how long will it take me to say a script I have already written?
Both come from one piece of arithmetic: words equal minutes times your speaking pace. You choose a pace, or you measure your own.
Everything runs in your browser. Your script is not sent to our server.
→How to work out a script length in 3 steps
Choose what to work out
Pick “How many words for a length” if you know how long the video should be, or “How long is my script” if you have a script to paste.
Set your speaking pace
Use Slow, Normal or Fast as a starting point. For a better number, open “Use my own pace” and time yourself reading a paragraph.
Read the result
You get the number of words, or the time it takes to say them. Copy the sentence if you want to keep it.
✓What is in the tool
Length to words
How many spoken words fill a video of a given length.
Script to length
Paste a script and see how long it takes to say.
Your own pace
Type a pace, or measure it from a paragraph you read aloud.
Real word counting
Counts the words in the text you paste, not an estimate.
Copyable result
One sentence you can paste into your notes.
Private
The script stays in your browser.
★Examples
Planning a script
A 10-minute video at the Normal pace.
Example:
10 minutes at 150 words a minute is about 1,500 spoken words.
Checking a finished script
A pasted script of 1,200 words at a pace of 150.
Example:
1,200 words at 150 words a minute takes about 8 minutes to say.
Using your own pace
You read 80 words in 30 seconds.
Example:
That is 160 words a minute, so a 10-minute video is about 1,600 words.
♥Limits to know about
Speech time only
Pauses, demos and b-roll add to the length of a video.
Pace varies
The presets are starting points, and your own pace is better.
Not an SEO tool
It counts words in a script, not keywords in a description.