Script timer
Paste your script and find out how long it really takes to say.
Why word count beats page count
A page of text can be anything from 250 to 600 words depending on font and spacing, which is why "two pages" tells you almost nothing about how long you'll be talking. Words per minute is the only measure that survives a change of formatting, and it's the one broadcast and conference producers have used for decades.
What speaking pace should you use?
Most people land between 130 and 150 words per minute in conversation. Formal presentations run slower, around 110 to 130, because pauses do real work in a room. Short-form video and advertising reads push past 160. If you're unsure, record yourself reading for one minute and count — your own number beats any average.
Build in time you're not speaking
The calculator measures speech, not silence. A wedding toast has to leave room for laughter; a keynote needs beats after each point; a demo has to wait for something to load. As a rule of thumb, add fifteen to twenty percent on top of the spoken figure for anything delivered to a live audience.
From estimate to actual take
The estimate gets you close, but the only real test is reading it out loud at the pace you'll use. Open the script in the teleprompter, set the suggested scroll speed and do one full pass. If you finish early or run long, adjust and note the speed that worked — it'll be roughly right for everything you write from now on.