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Words to minutes calculator for YouTube scripts

How long will the script run once it is spoken? Paste it, pick a pace, get the length. The paces marked “measured” come from timing real AI voiceover voices, not from the usual 130-words-a-minute guess.

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Words

0

Spoken length at 150 wpm

0:00

Reverse: words for

min ≈1,500words
Video lengthWords at 150 wpm
1:00150
3:00450
5:00750
8:001,200
10:001,500
15:002,250
20:003,000

Measured paces of AI voiceover voices

One fixed narration passage, each voice at default speed, timed with ffprobe on 2026-09-22. The spread is the point: the voice you pick changes the length of a 10-minute video by a minute or more.

Jon — warm, grounded storyteller (Elevate voice)167 wpm240 words in 86.4 s
Wyatt — wise, rustic cowboy (Elevate voice)133 wpm240 words in 108.5 s

How to use the number

Write to a length

Decide the video length first, then use the reverse box to get the word budget. A script that runs long gets cut in the edit, where it hurts most.

Match pace to format

Sleep stories and history run slow; list videos and reaction-style scripts run fast. Picking the wrong pace is the most common reason the estimate is off.

Time your own voice once

Count the words in one minute of your last video and use the custom pace. Your real number beats every table, including ours.

Frequently asked questions

How many words is a 10-minute YouTube video?

About 1,500 words at a conversational 150 words per minute, 1,200 at a slow documentary pace, and up to 1,750 if the delivery is fast. Pick the pace above and the table gives you every common length.

How many words per minute does an AI voice speak?

It depends on the voice, not just the model. We timed one fixed passage through our own voices and got 133 to 167 words per minute at default speed. Those paces are in the dropdown, labelled measured, with the date.

Why is the length different from the calculator I used before?

Most calculators assume 130 words per minute, a public-speaking figure. YouTube narration is faster and AI voices are consistent, so a 130 assumption overestimates a 1,500-word script by a minute or more. Use a measured pace, or your own: time one minute of your last video and count the words.

Does the count include pauses, music and b-roll?

No. This is spoken length only. Add your intro, pauses between sections and any silent b-roll on top. For most faceless videos that is another 5 to 10 percent.

Do numbers, names and abbreviations change the timing?

Yes, a little. "2,350" is one word on paper and five spoken. Scripts heavy in numbers, brand names or acronyms run a few percent longer than the estimate.

Is my script sent anywhere?

No. The word count is done in your browser. Nothing is uploaded and we keep nothing.

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Built by Elevate — a community for people building faceless YouTube channels, with the AI voices these paces were measured on.