How Long Should Your Video Script Be? Word Count by Format

"How many words do I need for a 5-minute video?" It's a simple question with a precise answer—once you know your speaking pace. This guide gives you word-count tables for every common video format and a free calculator to check your own scripts.

The Formula

Word count = Duration (minutes) × Speaking pace (WPM)

Most people speak at 130–170 words per minute on camera. The exact number depends on your style, your audience, and the type of content:

• Calm / educational: 130 WPM
• Natural / conversational: 150 WPM
• Bright / energetic: 170 WPM
• Fast / high-energy: 190–200 WPM

Word Count Table by Duration

Recommended Lengths by Platform

TikTok & Instagram Reels

Short-form videos thrive at 15–90 seconds. At an energetic 170 WPM, that's 43–255 words. Every word matters—write a tight hook in the first 2 seconds and cut anything that doesn't serve the message. See our TikTok teleprompter guide for templates and batch-recording tips.

YouTube

Standard YouTube videos perform best at 8–15 minutes for most niches. That's 1,200–2,250 words at 150 WPM. YouTube Shorts follow the same rules as TikTok: under 60 seconds, 100–150 words. For detailed length guidance, see our YouTube video length guide.

Online Courses

Course lectures work best at 5–15 minutes per lesson. Students lose focus beyond 15 minutes, so break longer topics into multiple lessons. At a calm 130 WPM (educators tend to speak more slowly), that's 650–1,950 words per lesson.

Corporate / Internal Video

Company updates, training, and product demos should be 2–5 minutes. Busy professionals won't watch longer unless it's truly essential. At 150 WPM: 300–750 words.

Podcasts

Scripted podcast segments—intros, ad reads, monologues—are typically 30 seconds to 3 minutes. At 140 WPM: 70–420 words. The rest of a podcast episode is usually unscripted conversation.

What to Do When Your Script Is Too Long

1. Cut the intro. Most scripts have a too-long preamble. Get to the point faster.
2. Remove redundancy. If you say the same thing two different ways, pick the better version and delete the other.
3. Split into parts. If a topic genuinely needs 20 minutes but your format calls for 10, make it a two-part series.

What to Do When Your Script Is Too Short

1. Add an example. Concrete examples are the most valuable thing you can add—they help viewers understand and remember.
2. Address a follow-up question. What would a viewer ask after hearing your main point? Answer it.
3. Don't pad. If your script naturally ends at 6 minutes, publish a 6-minute video. Padding kills retention.

Before every recording session, paste your script into the read-time estimator and check the word count. Five seconds of prep saves 30 minutes of re-recording.