Free tool
Script timer
Paste a script and see how long it takes to read aloud: words to minutes at your own pace, with pauses, a start time for every step and a word budget for a target length.
Your script stays in this browser: it's saved here for next time and never uploaded. Clear removes it.
Speaking time
0:29
0:26 talking + 0:03 pauses
- Words
- 64
- Steps
- 5
- Characters
- 365
Careful explainer ≈ 130 · conversation ≈ 150 · upbeat promo ≈ 170
Set a target to see how many words fit.
Step by step
| # | Starts | Length | Words | Step |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0:00 | 0:03 | 7 | Let's create a new project in Taskly. |
| 2 | 0:03 | 0:04 | 11 | Click New project in the top-right corner of the dashboard. |
| 3 | 0:08 | 0:05 | 10 | Give the project a name. We'll call it Q3 Launch. [pause] |
| 4 | 0:14 | 0:09 | 23 | Pick the Marketing template. It adds a launch checklist, an asset tracker and a timeline, so you don't start from a blank page. |
| 5 | 0:23 | 0:05 | 13 | Click Create project. Your new project opens right away, ready for your team. |
How to time a script
- 1
Paste your script
Put each step in its own paragraph. The timer counts the words and splits the script into steps as you type.
- 2
Set your pace
Pick the words per minute you speak at. 150 is a natural conversational pace; tutorials often sound best a little slower.
- 3
Add the pauses
Set a beat between steps, and type [pause] or [pause 2s] wherever the screen needs time, like a page loading or a menu opening.
- 4
Check the target
Enter the length you're aiming for to see how many words to add or cut, then copy the timings for your recording plan.
Words per minute
How many words fit in your video
Word budgets for common lengths at five speaking paces, before pauses. Most people talk at about 150 words a minute; narration people follow on screen usually sits a little slower.
| Pace | 30 sec | 1 min | 2 min | 5 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 120 wpmSlow and deliberate | 60 | 120 | 240 | 600 |
| 130 wpmCareful explainer | 65 | 130 | 260 | 650 |
| 150 wpmConversational | 75 | 150 | 300 | 750 |
| 170 wpmUpbeat promo | 85 | 170 | 340 | 850 |
| 190 wpmFast | 95 | 190 | 380 | 950 |
Tips for scripts that time well
A script that reads well on paper can still run long out loud. These habits keep the estimate honest.
Write for the ear
Short sentences, everyday words, one idea at a time. If a sentence makes you take a breath halfway, split it.
One step per paragraph
In a tutorial, each paragraph should match one thing that happens on screen. It keeps the narration and the picture in step.
Spell out what you'll say
Write numbers, dates and abbreviations the way you'll say them (“twenty twenty-six”), so the count matches the read.
Leave room for the screen
Viewers need a moment to see a click land or a page load. Mark those waits with [pause] instead of talking over them.
Read it aloud once
Time yourself reading one paragraph and set your real pace here. Everyone's natural speed is a little different.
Keep tutorials short
One task per video, usually one to three minutes. See how to make a software tutorial video, or copy the two-minute script in the product demo video guide.
From script to video
Or let SayScreen write and voice it for you
SayScreen makes the whole narrated tutorial from one sentence. The AI drives a real browser through your app and writes a line of narration for every step, a natural AI voice speaks each line, and the recording is paced to the voice: idle time is trimmed and slow page loads are fast-forwarded.
You can still edit the script afterwards: rewrite a line and it's re-voiced and re-timed, without recording again.
Frequently asked questions
Words divided by your pace in words per minute, plus pauses. The pause between steps goes between paragraphs (or between lines when the script has no blank lines), and each [pause] marker adds a second, or as long as you set, like [pause 2s]. Words are counted the way a word processor counts them: “don't” and “3.5” are one word each, and punctuation isn't a word.
About 150 in everyday conversation. Narration that people follow on screen usually works a little slower, around 130 to 150, and energetic promos run faster, around 160 to 180. To find your own pace, read a paragraph aloud against a timer once, then set it here.
About 150 words at a conversational pace, or 130 for a careful explainer. At the same paces, 30 seconds is about 65 to 75 words, two minutes about 260 to 300, and five minutes about 650 to 750.
It marks a beat where you stop talking (while a page loads, or to let a point land). [pause] adds one second; [pause 2] or [pause 2.5s] adds that many seconds. Markers aren't counted as words.
Numbers, dates, acronyms and web addresses take longer to say than they look (“2026” counts as one word but takes three to say), and on-screen actions such as a page loading need silence the script doesn't show. Add [pause] markers where the screen needs time, or set a longer pause between steps.
It's saved in this browser only, so it's still here when you come back, and the teleprompter on this site opens the same script. It's never uploaded. Clear removes it.
Yes. Paste a speech, a talk or a podcast intro and set your pace. The step table shows where each part starts and how long it runs, which makes it easy to see what to trim.
Copy timings gives you each step's start time and text, one per line, like “0:12 Click New project…”. Use it as a starting point for chapters, a shot list or a recording checklist, then adjust the times to the finished video.
Something missing or not working? hey@sayscreen.com
Skip the script. Describe the lesson instead.
Point SayScreen at your app, say what to teach, and get a narrated, edited video back.
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