Paste the script
The text is counted locally in your browser. You immediately see words, characters, and sentence count.
Start with the pace that matches the delivery
There is no single speaking speed that is correct for every project. Conversational narration, an instructional read, a dramatic passage, an energetic promo, and a careful presentation can require very different pacing.
That is why the tool does not give only one duration. It shows several pace examples and lets you enter a custom words-per-minute value. The custom setting is particularly useful if you already know the approximate pace of a specific narrator or have timed an earlier recording.
Working with a strict runtime?
Use the Target Time section in reverse: enter the available minutes and seconds and the calculator will show the average WPM required for the current script.
Why a script may need editing instead of faster reading
If a script requires an unusually fast pace to fit its target, speeding up the performance is not the only option. Removing repetition, simplifying a sentence, shortening an introduction, or moving nonessential information elsewhere may produce a more natural result.
This is especially relevant when the voice needs to communicate rather than merely fit words into a slot. For projects involving performance confidence and delivery, the discussion of recording confidence looks at the human side of working in front of a microphone.
Estimate finished audio, not the entire production process
The number displayed by the calculator represents an approximate spoken runtime. It does not predict how long recording, editing, selecting takes, revisions, cleanup, mixing, or delivery will require.
Someone preparing for a professional session can start with the First Time Recording Studio Guide. If the project involves broader production work, see audio recording, mixing and mastering services and the page about working with an audio engineer.
Voiceover timing for multilingual material
Translated copy should be timed as the text that will actually be spoken. Different wording and sentence structure can change the duration even when two versions communicate similar information. Paste each finished language version separately instead of assuming that matching written length means matching spoken length.
For projects specifically involving Russian-language material for U.S. audiences, Ronter Sound also has information about Russian voice over for American companies and media projects.