Podcast Script Timing & Spoken Pace Calculator
Paste your script to see its word count and estimated spoken duration at your chosen speaking pace, plus a comparison across slow, conversational.
Estimated spoken duration
1m 27s
218 words at 150 words/minute
Speaking pace varies a lot by person, language, and delivery style — these words-per-minute figures are commonly cited general reference points for English speech, not a measurement of your own voice. Pauses, ad reads, sound effects, and cross-talk in an actual recording will add time beyond this word-count estimate.
About this tool
How to use it
- Paste your script or voiceover text into the box.
- Set your speaking pace in words per minute, or tap one of the three preset chips.
- Press Calculate Duration, or just keep typing — the estimate updates live.
- Read the hero figure for your estimated duration at the chosen pace.
- Check the comparison table to see how much shorter or longer the same script would run at a slower or faster pace.
Why it matters
A script's word count doesn't map to a fixed running time — the same 1,000 words can be a tight 5-minute segment or a relaxed 9-minute one depending entirely on how fast the person reads it aloud. Estimating duration from an actual speaking pace, rather than guessing, makes it easier to trim or pad a script to hit a target episode length before recording.
When to use it
Useful when writing to a target episode or segment length, checking whether a draft script will run too long or too short before recording, or estimating how long a voiceover will take to read for a video.
Good to know
Speaking pace varies enormously by person, language, energy level, and how much a script is read verbatim versus spoken more naturally with asides — the words-per-minute figures here are commonly cited general reference points for English speech, not a measurement of any specific voice. An actual recording will typically run longer than this word-count estimate once pauses, ad reads, sound effects, retakes, and cross-talk between hosts are included.
Common questions
What speaking pace should I use for a podcast?
Conversational podcast delivery is commonly estimated around 150 words per minute, but this varies a lot by host and format — a fast-talking energetic show can run closer to 190, while a slower, more deliberate one might sit closer to 110. If you know your own average pace from past recordings, use that number instead of a generic preset.
Why does my actual recording always run longer than this estimate?
This tool only counts scripted words divided by a speaking rate — it doesn't account for pauses, ad reads, banter, retakes, sound effects, or intro/outro music, all of which add real time to a finished episode. Treat the estimate as the spoken-word floor, not the total runtime.
How is the word count calculated?
It counts sequences of letters and numbers (including simple contractions like "don't") in the pasted text, the same approach used by most word-count tools — punctuation and whitespace aren't counted as words themselves.
Can I use this for a video voiceover instead of a podcast?
Yes — the calculation is the same regardless of format, since it's just word count divided by speaking pace. Voiceover reads for video are often on the slower, more deliberate end of the pace range, so the 'Slow' preset may be a better starting point than 'Conversational'.