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A 10-minute video needs about 1,500 spoken words at 150 words per minute. Plan by video length, or paste a draft to estimate its runtime at your speaking pace.
The timing check is free. A card is required for the Starter trial.
Script word counts by speaking pace. Use 150 words per minute as a starting estimate, then time a read-through.
| Video length | Relaxed (130 wpm) | Average (150 wpm) | Fast (170 wpm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60-second Short | 130 words | 150 words | 170 words |
| 1 minute | 130 words | 150 words | 170 words |
| 2 minutes | 260 words | 300 words | 340 words |
| 3 minutes | 390 words | 450 words | 510 words |
| 4 minutes | 520 words | 600 words | 680 words |
| 5 minutes | 650 words | 750 words | 850 words |
| 6 minutes | 780 words | 900 words | 1,020 words |
| 7 minutes | 910 words | 1,050 words | 1,190 words |
| 8 minutes | 1,040 words | 1,200 words | 1,360 words |
| 9 minutes | 1,170 words | 1,350 words | 1,530 words |
| 10 minutes | 1,300 words | 1,500 words | 1,700 words |
| 12 minutes | 1,560 words | 1,800 words | 2,040 words |
| 15 minutes | 1,950 words | 2,250 words | 2,550 words |
| 20 minutes | 2,600 words | 3,000 words | 3,400 words |
| 25 minutes | 3,250 words | 3,750 words | 4,250 words |
| 30 minutes | 3,900 words | 4,500 words | 5,100 words |
Counts cover spoken narration only. Allow less narration for silent demonstrations and pauses. B-roll can play beneath narration and does not always reduce the word count. For the full guide, read How Long Should a YouTube Script Be?
Select Time a script, paste your draft, and set your speaking pace. The estimate counts spoken words, omits common production directions, and adds explicit pauses. Record a read-through to check it against your actual delivery.
A 10-minute YouTube video script needs approximately 1,500 words at a speaking pace of 150 words per minute. At a relaxed pace (130 wpm) you need about 1,300 words; at an energetic pace (170 wpm) about 1,700 words. Reduce the count if your video has significant B-roll or non-narrated segments.
A 5-minute video script needs roughly 750 words at 150 words per minute, give or take: about 650 words at a relaxed pace, 850 at a fast one.
A 15-minute video script needs roughly 2,250 words at 150 words per minute, give or take: about 1,950 words at a relaxed pace, 2,550 at a fast one.
A 60-second script (YouTube Short, Reel, or TikTok) needs 130 to 170 words, depending on pace. Most Shorts land around 150 words: a one-line hook, one key point, and a short call to action.
At 150 words per minute, allow about 1,500 words. One possible split is a 75-word hook (30 seconds), a 105-word intro, 1,170 words for the main sections, and a 150-word outro. Adjust the split for your format and time a read-through.
This calculator uses three example paces. Try 130 wpm for tutorials and educational content where viewers follow along, 150 wpm for standard conversational delivery, and 170 wpm for energetic entertainment formats and list videos.
SUMERA's five-stage workflow uses your target duration as context for an editable draft, then adds clarifying questions and footage notes. Try Starter free for 7 days.
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