Words to Minutes Calculator
A five minute video is about 714 words, a ten minute video about 1,429 — at a normal narration pace. Work in either direction: enter a target length to get the word count to write to, or paste the script you already have to see exactly how long it will run.
Recording this script
Once you know the runtime, the next decision is who narrates it. These three cover the range most faceless channels choose between — premium, mid-priced and free.
- ElevenLabsPartner
From $5/mo · ~$0.22 per 1k characters
Videos over fifteen minutes, where flat pacing starts to fatigue listeners
Free tier 10k characters/month, non-commercial
Visit ElevenLabs → - PlayHT
From $9/mo · ~$0.10 per 1k characters
Mid-length videos where you want better than basic without premium pricing
Free tier Limited trial credits
Visit PlayHT → - Google Cloud TTS
~$0.016 per 1k characters (Neural2)
Non-English narration and multilingual channels
Free tier 1M characters/month on standard voices
Visit Google Cloud TTS →
Links marked Partner earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not affect what is listed here — see the disclosure.
How many words for each video length
At a normal 150 words-per-minute narration pace, with 5% allowed for pauses.
| Video length | Words | At 120 wpm (slow) | At 180 wpm (fast) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 minute | 143 | 114 | 171 |
| 2 minutes | 286 | 229 | 343 |
| 3 minutes | 429 | 343 | 514 |
| 4 minutes | 571 | 457 | 686 |
| 5 minutes | 714 | 571 | 857 |
| 6 minutes | 857 | 686 | 1,029 |
| 7 minutes | 1,000 | 800 | 1,200 |
| 8 minutes | 1,143 | 914 | 1,371 |
| 10 minutes | 1,429 | 1,143 | 1,714 |
| 12 minutes | 1,714 | 1,371 | 2,057 |
| 15 minutes | 2,143 | 1,714 | 2,571 |
| 20 minutes | 2,857 | 2,286 | 3,429 |
| 30 minutes | 4,286 | 3,429 | 5,143 |
Why the answer is a range, not a number
Most pages answering this question give you one figure. That figure is only as good as the speaking rate behind it, and nobody records at exactly 150 words per minute.
A documentary-paced voice sits near 120. Most default text-to-speech voices land close to 150. Energetic commentary runs at 180, and Shorts narration often passes 200. That spread means a “five minute script” is anywhere from 571 to 857 words depending on who reads it.
So pick the rate that matches your own narration before you trust the number. If you use the same TTS voice on every video, time one finished video against its word count once and you have your real rate for good.
Where the extra time comes from
The calculator estimates narration. A finished video is always longer, and the gap is consistent enough to plan around:
- Intro and outro — fifteen to thirty seconds combined on most faceless channels.
- B-roll beats — a second of silence where the visual carries the point, several times a video.
- Pauses between sections — covered by the pause percentage, but worth raising to 10% if you edit with long breaths.
If you are writing to a hard target — eight minutes, for mid-roll ads — subtract your intro and outro from the target first, then write to what is left.
Why script length matters more than it looks
Video length decides three things at once: whether mid-roll ads are available, how much narration you will pay for, and how long the edit takes. Getting it right at the script stage is far cheaper than discovering after recording that the video runs six minutes when you needed nine.
Because narration is billed per character by every major provider, word count is also the single number that determines your voice cost. A script trimmed by two hundred words is cheaper to narrate every single time you re-render it.
Common speaking rates
| Style | Words per minute |
|---|---|
| Slow — documentary, tutorial | 120 |
| Normal — most AI voices | 150 |
| Fast — energetic commentary | 180 |
| Very fast — Shorts | 200+ |
Common questions
How many words is a 5 minute video?
About 714 words at a normal 150 words-per-minute pace with 5% allowed for pauses. At a slower documentary pace it is closer to 571, and at a fast commentary pace closer to 857.
How many words is a 10 minute video?
About 1,429 words at a normal pace. This is the length most faceless channels aim at, because it clears the eight minute mark where mid-roll ads become available with room to spare.
How many words per minute do people speak?
Conversational speech runs around 130 to 150 words per minute. Narration written to be read aloud is usually a little slower than conversation, and most default AI voices are tuned near 150. Audiobook narration is deliberately slower, around 120 to 140.
Why is my finished video longer than the estimate?
Intros, outros, b-roll beats and edits all add time. This estimate covers narration only, so add your intro and outro on top of it.
How long should a faceless video be?
Eight to twelve minutes is the usual target, because that is where mid-roll ads become available. At a normal speaking rate that works out at roughly 1,200 to 1,800 words.
What speaking rate do AI voices use?
Most text-to-speech voices land near 150 words per minute at their default speed. Slower documentary pacing runs closer to 120, and energetic Shorts narration often passes 200.
Does my script leave my device?
No. The entire calculation runs in your browser. Nothing is sent to a server, logged or stored.