Reading a script silently always feels quicker than saying it aloud, so a piece that seems the right length can overrun when you actually speak it.
Speaking Time Calculator applies a speaking pace to your words and shows the spoken minutes live, so you can trim a script until it fits the time you have to talk.
How to use Speaking Time Calculator
- Paste your script to time it at three speaking paces.
- Compare the duration at slow, conversational and fast paces.
- Pick the pace that fits and trim to time.
Use cases
- Timing narration for a video voiceover.
- Fitting a script to a fixed segment length.
- Trimming remarks to a set speaking slot.
Good to know
Spoken time is the word count divided by your chosen pace, with about 150 words per minute as a conversational default. Real delivery is slower with pauses and emphasis, so this is a baseline; add a buffer for a live talk.
Frequently asked questions
How is speaking time estimated?
It divides the word count by the speaking pace you choose, and the minutes update as you edit.
What pace should I set?
A conversational pace is around 150 words per minute; presenting is often a little slower, so pick the pace that matches your delivery.
Why is the estimate shorter than my real talk?
Pauses, emphasis and audience interaction add time, so the estimate is a baseline and a real talk usually runs a little longer.