Words to Minutes Converter
Paste a script or enter a word count and see exactly how long it takes to speak — at slow, conversational, and fast narration pace.
Got your timing right? Broller turns the script into a finished video with stock footage and an AI voiceover.
Make It a VideoScripting to time is one of the quiet skills of video production. Record a "60-second" script that actually runs 80 seconds and you either rush the delivery or cut in the edit — both show in the final video. The fix is knowing your true speaking time before you record.
The conversion is simple: most narrators speak at about 150 words per minute (2.5 words per second). Deliberate, dramatic reads drop to around 110 wpm, while energetic shorts-style delivery pushes 180. This calculator shows all three at once, so you can script for the voice you will actually use.
Writers also use this in reverse — start from your target runtime, get the word budget, and write to it. A 3-minute YouTube video gives you roughly 450 words; a 30-second Short gives you 75. Constraints like that make scripts tighter, not weaker.
How it works
Paste your script
Or just enter a word count if you are still planning the video.
Choose your pace
Slow (110 wpm), conversational (150 wpm), or fast (180 wpm) delivery.
Check platform fit
Instantly see whether it fits a Short, a hook window, or a full video.
Word count reference table for common video lengths
These are the word budgets creators ask for most often, at the three standard narration paces. Bookmark the ones that match your formats — most channels settle into two or three recurring durations:
- 30 seconds — 55 words slow · 75 conversational · 90 fast (the standard ad and teaser length).
- 60 seconds — 110 · 150 · 180 (the Shorts/TikTok/Reels ceiling).
- 2 minutes — 220 · 300 · 360 (product explainers and news-style breakdowns).
- 3 minutes — 330 · 450 · 540 (the sweet spot for tutorial intros and listicles).
- 5 minutes — 550 · 750 · 900 (standard mid-form YouTube).
- 10 minutes — 1,100 · 1,500 · 1,800 (long-form essays and deep dives).
Why scripts always run longer than the math says
Raw words-per-minute is a floor, not a forecast. Real recordings pick up time from three places the math does not see: breath pauses at sentence boundaries (roughly a quarter-second each), emphasis holds on key words, and edit beats — the half-second of visual breathing room editors leave between sections. Across a 5-minute script, these typically add 20–40 seconds.
The practical rule: script to about 90% of your target runtime. If the video must land at 5:00, write for 4:30 at your chosen pace. It is far easier to let a recording breathe than to trim a voiceover that is already tight — especially with AI voices, where a re-render to fix pacing means re-syncing every scene after it.
Frequently asked questions
How many words per minute do people speak?
Conversational English averages 140–160 words per minute; professional voiceover work centers on 150 wpm. Audiobook narrators read slightly slower (~155 wpm max recommended), while energetic short-form creators often hit 180+.
How many words is a 5-minute video script?
About 750 words at conversational pace (150 wpm). At a slow 110 wpm it is roughly 550 words; at a fast 180 wpm, around 900.
How accurate is the words-to-minutes conversion?
Within a few seconds for typical narration. The calculator uses measured speaking rates — 110 wpm (slow/dramatic), 150 wpm (conversational, the standard for voiceover), and 180 wpm (fast/energetic). Paste your actual script for the most accurate count.
Does punctuation or formatting affect speaking time?
Indirectly — periods and paragraph breaks create pauses that slow delivery. If your script is pause-heavy (dramatic or motivational styles), use the 110 wpm slow pace for a more realistic estimate.
Can I time my script for an AI voiceover?
Yes — AI voices like ElevenLabs default to roughly conversational pace, so the 150 wpm reading is the right estimate. Broller uses the same rate when it converts scripts into voiceover videos.
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