Paste your text or enter a word count to see how long it takes to say out loud and to read silently. Or enter a time, such as 5 minutes, to see how many words fit.
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DetailsEstimated speaking time
Speaking time
0 sec
at 130 wpm
Silent reading time
0 sec
at 238 wpm
Time by speed
Slow and clear (100 wpm)
0 sec
Conversational (130 wpm)
0 sec
Fast-paced (160 wpm)
0 sec
Silent reading (238 wpm)
0 sec
Words
0Characters
0No spaces
0Paragraphs
0TIP
Paste your text or enter a word count to see the time.
Speed
Adds the chosen percentage to the calculated time.
How long will your script take to read aloud?
The time depends on how fast you talk. At a conversational 130 words per minute, 650 words take 5 minutes, and 1,300 words take 10. Reading the same words silently is faster: at 238 words per minute, 1,000 words take about 4 minutes.
This calculator shows both times for the same text, so you do not have to mix up speaking time with reading time. It has three ways to start: Paste text counts the words for you, Words to time takes a word count you already have, and Time to words works backward from a target such as 30 seconds or 10 minutes.
The formula is words divided by words per minute. Pick a preset or drag the slider from 50 to 400 wpm to match your own pace, and add 10% or 20% for pauses.
When you need to turn words into minutes
Speeches and toasts
A wedding toast or class speech usually has a time limit. Paste your draft and cut or add words until the speaking time fits.
Presentations with slides
Divide your total time across slides by word count. Add a 10% to 20% buffer for slide changes, questions, and a demo.
Video scripts and voiceovers
For a 60-second video, "Time to words" tells you how many words the narration can hold, so the script matches the footage.
Blog posts and newsletters
The silent reading time is the number to show in a "5 min read" label, since readers take in text much faster than a speaker says it.
Podcasts and audiobooks
Estimate the length of an episode or chapter from its word count before you record, and plan how to split a long script.
How to convert words to minutes
- Pick an input: Paste text to count the words for you, Words to time to enter a count, or Time to words to enter a target length.
- Choose a speed. Conversational (130 wpm) suits most speeches, Fast-paced (160) suits video, and Silent reading (238) estimates reading time. Use the slider for your own pace.
- Add time for pauses with +10% or +20% if you will stop for breaths, slides, or questions.
- Read the result in the blue card. The cards below it show speaking time and silent reading time side by side.
Note: There is no calculate button. The results update every time you change the text, the speed, or the buffer.
What the estimate does and doesn't include
- What counts as a word: text is split at spaces and line breaks, and each piece with at least one letter or number is one word. Well-known is one word, and a lone dash is not counted.
- Numbers and abbreviations: $1,200,000 counts as one word but takes several words to say out loud. Spell out long numbers and acronyms in your script if you need an exact time.
- Everything you paste is counted: headings, speaker notes, and cues like [pause] are words to the tool. Remove them first if you will not say them.
- Silent reading varies by person: most adults read English non-fiction between 175 and 300 wpm. The 238 wpm preset is the average from one meta-analysis, so dense or technical text takes longer.
- English word counts only: languages written without spaces between words cannot be counted this way, and the preset speeds are for English.
Word count to speaking time chart
Times for common word counts at 130 wpm (speaking) and 238 wpm (silent reading). Other word counts are one click away in the tool.
| Words | Speaking (130 wpm) | Silent reading (238 wpm) | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 46 sec | 25 sec | Short intro or caption |
| 250 | 1 min 55 sec | 1 min 3 sec | Product blurb, short ad read |
| 500 | 3 min 51 sec | 2 min 6 sec | Toast or short talk |
| 750 | 5 min 46 sec | 3 min 9 sec | Short presentation |
| 1,000 | 7 min 42 sec | 4 min 12 sec | Blog post, explainer video |
| 1,500 | 11 min 32 sec | 6 min 18 sec | Longer talk or video |
| 2,000 | 15 min 23 sec | 8 min 24 sec | Long blog post |
| 3,000 | 23 min 5 sec | 12 min 36 sec | Long-form article |
| 5,000 | 38 min 28 sec | 21 min 1 sec | Keynote or long essay |
| 10,000 | 1 hr 17 min | 42 min 1 sec | Long report or chapter set |
Words for a target time at 130 wpm
30 sec: 65 words · 1 min: 130 · 2 min: 260 · 3 min: 390 · 5 min: 650 · 10 min: 1,300 · 15 min: 1,950 · 20 min: 2,600 · 30 min: 3,900
- Slow and clear (100 wpm): formal talks and material that is new to the audience.
- Conversational (130 wpm): speeches, pitches, and most presentations.
- Fast-paced (160 wpm): video narration and energetic voiceover.
- Silent reading (238 wpm): reading to yourself, for "min read" labels.
These are estimates. Your delivery, the material, and the number of pauses change the real time.
Speaking rate, silent reading speed, and pauses
Where the words-per-minute numbers come from and how to adjust them for your own delivery.
What is a normal speaking rate in words per minute?
Prepared speeches and presentations are commonly put at 125 to 150 words per minute. Careful delivery to an unfamiliar audience can be nearer 100, and fast narration reaches 160 or more. Voiceover and audiobook narration is often quoted at 150 to 160.
The tool's presets of 100, 130, and 160 wpm cover that range, and the slider lets you set any value from 50 to 400.
Why silent reading is nearly twice as fast as speaking
Speaking is limited by how fast you can form and breathe out words. Silent reading is not. Marc Brysbaert's 2019 meta-analysis of 190 studies put average silent reading for adults at 238 wpm for non-fiction and 260 wpm for fiction.
That is why the same 1,000 words take about 4 minutes to read and nearly 8 to say. Use the reading time for "min read" labels and the speaking time for anything you will say out loud.
Finding your own pace for a more exact time
A preset is an average, and you may talk faster or slower. Read about 200 words of your script aloud at your normal delivery and time it. Divide the word count by the minutes taken, for example 200 words in 1 minute 30 seconds is about 133 wpm.
Move the Custom speed slider to that number and every result in the tool uses your pace.
Timing mistakes that put you over your limit
Using the reading time to plan a spoken talk
You paste a 1,000-word speech and see 4 minutes, so you think it fits a 5-minute slot. Out loud it takes closer to 8, because that figure was for someone reading silently.
💡 See the solution▼
Forgetting pauses, slides, and audience reactions
The word-count math assumes steady talking. Real talks include breaths, slide changes, a laugh after a joke, and questions, so a script that fits on paper runs long.
💡 See the solution▼
Trusting a preset without checking your own pace
If you speak faster or slower than 130 wpm, every estimate is off by that same percentage, and a long speech can miss its limit by minutes.
💡 See the solution▼
Counting words you will not say
Pasting a script with titles, speaker notes, and cues such as [pause] or [slide 3] adds those to the word count, so the time comes out too long.
💡 See the solution▼
Speaking time and word count FAQ
Q.How many words is a 5-minute speech?
A. At a conversational 130 words per minute, a 5-minute speech is about 650 words. A slow, deliberate 100 wpm gives 500 words, and a fast 160 wpm gives 800. Choose "Time to words", enter 5 minutes, and the tool shows the count for each speed.
Q.How many words per minute do people speak?
A. A pace of about 125 to 150 words per minute is commonly cited for prepared speeches and presentations, and this tool uses 130 as its conversational preset. Slow, careful delivery is closer to 100, and fast, energetic narration reaches 160 or more. Your own pace may differ, so you can set a custom speed from 50 to 400 wpm.
Q.How long does it take to read 1,000 words?
A. Reading silently at 238 wpm, 1,000 words take about 4 minutes 12 seconds. Reading them out loud at 130 wpm takes about 7 minutes 42 seconds. The tool shows both times side by side, so you can pick the one that matches how your text will be used.
Q.What is the difference between speaking time and reading time?
A. Speaking time is how long it takes to say the words out loud, including the pace of your voice. Reading time is how long a person takes to read them silently, which is much faster. A 2019 review of 190 studies by Marc Brysbaert put average silent reading of adult English non-fiction at 238 wpm, close to twice a typical speaking pace.
Q.How many words do I need for a 30-second or 1-minute voiceover?
A. At 130 wpm, 30 seconds is about 65 words and 1 minute is 130 words. At a faster 160 wpm, 30 seconds fits about 80 words and 1 minute fits 160. Use "Time to words" with the 30 sec or 1 min button to see the count at your chosen speed.
Q.How do I account for pauses, breaths, and slide changes?
A. Use "Add time for pauses" and choose +10% or +20%. In the words-to-time modes it adds that percentage to the result, so 1,300 words at 130 wpm go from 10 minutes to 11 minutes at +10% and 12 minutes at +20%. In "Time to words" it reduces the word count instead: 5 minutes at 130 wpm gives 650 words, or 591 words at +10% and 542 at +20%.
Q.How do you count the words in my text?
A. The tool splits your text at spaces and line breaks and counts each piece that contains at least one letter or number. A hyphenated word such as well-known counts as one word, and a standalone dash or symbol is not counted. Anything you paste is counted, including headings, speaker notes, and bracketed cues such as [pause], so delete what you will not say.
Q.Does it work for languages other than English?
A. The word count relies on spaces between words, so it is not meaningful for languages written without them, such as Chinese or Japanese. For other languages that use spaces, the calculation works, but the preset speeds are for English. Time yourself reading a short passage and enter that pace as a custom speed.
Q.How accurate is the estimate?
A. It divides your word count by the words-per-minute speed you choose, so it is only as accurate as that speed. Speaking pace varies with the speaker, the material, and the room. For anything with a strict limit, read the script aloud once, time it, and enter your own pace as a custom speed.
Q.Is my text sent to a server?
A. No. The word count and time are calculated with JavaScript in your browser, and nothing is uploaded. Your text stays in the page while it is open, and closing or reloading the page clears it.
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