Words to Minutes Calculator
Respect the listener's time.
To turn words into minutes, divide the word count by your speaking rate in words per minute, then add about 10% for breathing and pauses. At a normal podcast pace of 150 words per minute, 500 words runs roughly 3 minutes 40 seconds and 1,000 words about 7 minutes 20 seconds. Switch to a slower or faster pace and the estimate updates, so you know the length before you record.
How it's calculated
Two steps, no guessing:
- Raw time = word count / words per minute
- Speaking time = raw time x 1.10 (breathing buffer)
Worked examples
| Word count | Speaking time (150 WPM) |
|---|---|
| 150 | 1 min 6 sec |
| 500 | 3 min 40 sec |
| 1,000 | 7 min 20 sec |
| 5,000 | 36 min 40 sec |
How it works
Paste your script into the text area.
Select your speaking pace (Slow, Normal, Fast).
See the estimated time instantly.
Why it matters
A 2,000-word blog post is a 15-minute podcast. Know exactly how long your script will take to read before you hit record.
The Math
Time = (Word Count / WPM) × 1.10 (Breathing Buffer)