How to use the calculator
- Have a script? Paste it into the first tab. You get the word count and the estimated video length.
- Have a target length? Switch tabs and type the hours and minutes. You get the number of words to write.
- Set the pace to match your voice or AI voice, from 100 to 200 words per minute.
- Set how long each image stays on screen to see how many images or scenes the video needs.
Write visual directions in [square brackets] and they won't be counted, because nobody reads them out.
What words per minute (WPM) means
WPM is how many words the narrator says in one minute. Video length is simply words ÷ WPM. A common rule of thumb for narration is about 130 to 160 WPM; it varies with the voice, the language, the topic and how many pauses you leave. It is a planning figure, not an official standard.
Measure your own pace: record or generate one minute of narration, count the words, and use that number. If a 45-second clip has 120 words, your pace is 120 ÷ 0.75 = 160 WPM. Always check the real length after you generate the voiceover.
Script length reference table
Words needed for common video lengths, calculated as minutes × WPM.
| Video length | 130 WPM | 150 WPM | 170 WPM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 minutes | 1,300 words | 1,500 words | 1,700 words |
| 20 minutes | 2,600 words | 3,000 words | 3,400 words |
| 30 minutes | 3,900 words | 4,500 words | 5,100 words |
| 1 hour | 7,800 words | 9,000 words | 10,200 words |
| 2 hours | 15,600 words | 18,000 words | 20,400 words |
Video length and mid-roll ads
According to YouTube Help, you can turn on mid-roll ads on monetized videos that are 8 minutes or longer. At 150 WPM that is about 1,200 words of narration. Length alone doesn't earn anything; the video still has to keep viewers watching.
Planning a long-form video
Past 30 minutes, the hard parts are keeping the script coherent, keeping the voice consistent and producing enough visuals. A 60-minute video at 6 seconds per image needs 600 images. See the long-form AI video guide, the script generator and the voice generator.
FAQ
How many words is a 10-minute YouTube script?
About 1,500 words at 150 words per minute. At 130 to 170 WPM it is 1,300 to 1,700 words.
How many words do I need for a 1-hour video?
About 9,000 words at 150 WPM, or 7,800 to 10,200 words at 130 to 170 WPM. For a 2-hour video, double it.
What WPM should I use for YouTube narration?
There is no single correct number. Around 130 to 160 words per minute is a common rule of thumb for narration; it is not an official figure. The most accurate option is to time your own voice or AI voice: count the words in a sample and divide by its length in minutes.
Does the calculator count text in brackets?
No. Anything inside [square brackets] is treated as a visual cue or direction, such as [B-roll of the harbour], and is left out of the word count, character count and duration.
How long does a video need to be for mid-roll ads?
YouTube Help says you can turn on mid-roll ads on monetized videos that are 8 minutes or longer. The calculator tells you whether your estimated narration time reaches 8 minutes.
How many images do I need for my video?
Divide the video length by how long each image stays on screen. A 10-minute video at 6 seconds per image needs 100 images; at 4 seconds it needs 150.
Is my script uploaded anywhere?
No. The calculator runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you paste is sent to TubeChef or anyone else, and there is no sign-up.
Does it work for languages other than English?
It counts words separated by spaces, so it works for most languages written with spaces. Speaking speed differs between languages, so set the WPM for your language and voice. It is not meaningful for languages written without spaces, such as Chinese, Japanese or Thai.