Word counter

What it counts, and how

Words are runs of characters separated by spaces or line breaks, which is how nearly every word processor counts and how a teleprompter matches your speech. Characters are counted with and without spaces, because platforms differ: a script-length limit usually includes spaces, a character limit on a social post sometimes does not. Sentences are runs ending in a full stop, question mark, exclamation mark, or ellipsis; paragraphs are blocks separated by a blank line, which is also how a well-formatted teleprompter script is laid out.

Silent reading vs. reading aloud

The two reading times differ by nearly double, and mixing them up is the most common timing mistake. Adults read silently at around 250 words per minute because the eyes skip ahead; speech is limited by articulation, so a read-aloud pace of 140 words per minute is normal and 180 is brisk. The silent figure is what a reader spends on an email or a page; the spoken figure is what your video or speech will actually run to. Drag the pace slider to your own number, or measure it with the WPM reading test.

Word counts that matter for spoken content

At a conversational 140 words per minute:

• 60-second Short or Reel: 120–150 words
• Sponsor read: 140–210 words (60–90 seconds)
• 2-minute explainer: about 280 words
• 5-minute YouTube video: about 700 words
• 10-minute lesson or presentation: about 1,400 words
• 20-minute talk: about 2,800 words

Tips for trimming a script to length

Cutting is easier with a target. Set the counter's pace to yours, watch the read-aloud time, and cut in this order: the introduction (start on the point), any sentence that restates the previous one, adjectives that do not change the meaning, and the second example wherever you gave two. Read the result aloud once; if you stumble on a line, that line is next.