Type your word count to get the video length, or type the length you want to get the word count. Move the slider to match how fast your narrator speaks.
1,500 words is about 10 minutes at 150 words a minute.
How the numbers work
Video length is word count divided by speaking speed. Most YouTube narration runs at about 150 words a minute, so 1,500 words is about 10 minutes.
Speed varies with the voice and the format. To find yours, read one page of your script out loud with a timer, count the words, and divide by the minutes. Set the slider to that number.
If you use an AI voice, generate one minute of audio and count the words in it. Different voices and settings run at different speeds.
Script length by video length
| Video length | Slow (130 a minute) | Average (150) | Fast (170) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 minutes | 390 | 450 | 510 |
| 5 minutes | 650 | 750 | 850 |
| 8 minutes | 1,040 | 1,200 | 1,360 |
| 10 minutes | 1,300 | 1,500 | 1,700 |
| 12 minutes | 1,560 | 1,800 | 2,040 |
| 15 minutes | 1,950 | 2,250 | 2,550 |
| 20 minutes | 2,600 | 3,000 | 3,400 |
| 30 minutes | 3,900 | 4,500 | 5,100 |
The spoken length is only part of the runtime
The calculator gives you narration time. The finished video is usually a little longer.
- Pauses, music stings and title cards add seconds.
- Clips and quotes from other people add time your word count doesn't include.
- A held shot with no narration adds a beat every time you use one.
If you need a video to pass a certain length, write to the word count first, then check the edit.
Don't write to a length
Padding a script to reach a runtime is the fastest way to lose viewers in the middle. Work out how many points the video makes, give each one a section, and stop when the last one lands.
For the structure, use the 5-part script template. For the full process, read how to write a YouTube script in 8 steps. For story-led videos, see the documentary script example.
And if you'd like the AI you already use to write scripts that hold for the whole length, FacelessOS is 22 skill files built from 10,000+ scripts.
Common questions
How many words is a 10 minute YouTube video?
About 1,500 words at 150 words a minute. A slow, deliberate narrator needs about 1,300 and a fast one about 1,700.
How many words for a 15 minute video?
About 2,250 words at 150 words a minute. The range is roughly 1,950 for a slow narrator to 2,550 for a fast one.
How many words is a 20 minute YouTube video?
About 3,000 words at 150 words a minute, with a range of roughly 2,600 to 3,400 depending on speaking speed.
How long should a YouTube script be?
As long as the idea needs and no longer. Decide how many points the video makes, give each one two to four minutes, and cut any line that does not move the story forward. A shorter video people finish beats a longer one they leave.
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