Video Script Timer

Paste a script and see how long it takes to say out loud, at a slow, medium or fast speaking pace, plus whether it fits inside a TikTok, Reel or Short. It runs entirely in your browser — nothing is uploaded and no account is needed.

Nothing is uploaded — this runs entirely in your browser. Free, no account needed.

Speaking pace
Natural narration
Speaking time
Words
Characters

Why script length matters more than word count

A script is only the right length once you know how long it takes to say.

Word count is a poor proxy for duration: numerals, long technical terms and punctuation all change how long a line takes to speak, and the same words read differently at different paces. This timer estimates from characters rather than words, which is the same basis the video pipeline uses when it fits narration to a target duration — so a script that times correctly here is one that will fit the video you generate from it.

Writing to a duration

Three habits that make a script land on time.

  • Write long, then cut — trimming a script that runs over almost always reads better than padding one that runs short.
  • Pace is a real lever: the same script can run noticeably shorter at a fast delivery, which is why the pace control changes the estimate here.
  • Leave headroom. A script timed to exactly 60 seconds leaves no room for a pause, a beat before the punchline, or a breath.
  • Count only what is spoken. Stage directions, shot notes and speaker labels inflate the estimate if you leave them in.

From script to finished video

The timer answers the length question; the pipeline handles the rest.

In a real production the narration is generated from the script, timed per word, and the scenes are cut to match it — so the spoken length effectively sets the length of the video. Getting the script to the right duration first is the cheapest place to make that decision, because changing it later means regenerating the clips that were built around it.

FAQ

Free Tool questions

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It uses the same characters-per-second basis the video pipeline uses to fit narration, so it is a good planning figure. Real delivery varies with the voice, the language and how much pausing the performance carries.