Word counter and speaking-time estimator
Paste any text and instantly get words, characters, sentences and paragraphs, plus estimated silent-reading time and speaking time at three paces (slow, normal, fast). Useful for podcast scripts, talks, videos and posts.
How to use it
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Paste your text into the box
Copy and paste your script, post or any text you want to measure. The counter updates as you type.
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Check the pace you need
You get the time at a slow (130 wpm), normal (150 wpm) and fast (180 wpm) pace, depending on how you will read the text aloud.
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Read words, characters and times
Get instant word, character, sentence and paragraph counts, plus silent-reading and speaking time estimates.
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Trim the text to the real slot
If you run over or under, edit the text and the times recalculate on the fly. Useful for 5-min, 1-min or 30-second slots.
What this counter is for
If you write podcast scripts, talks, YouTube videos, social posts or emails you will read aloud, what you really care about is not just how many words you have, but how long it will take to say them. Silent reading averages 250 words per minute; natural speaking in presentations sits around 150 wpm (English/Spanish), slightly slower for paced talks and slightly faster for radio or commercial podcasts. This counter gives you all four times at once so you fit the script to the real slot (a 5-minute slot = ~750 words at normal pace). Everything runs in your browser as you type: the text is not sent to any server.
Price comparison (for 1 hour of audio)
If your next step is getting the text from an audio or video (not counting one you already have), here are market prices:
| Service | Price per hour |
|---|---|
| VOCAP (30-hour pack) | €1.00 |
| VOCAP (1-hour pack) | €2.99 |
| Otter.ai Pro (1200 min/mo) | ~€0.85* |
| Descript Creator (10h/mo) | ~€2.40* |
| Rev.com AI | €15.00 |
| Human transcription (budget) | €15.00 |
| Human transcription (pro) | €90.00 |
* Effective price if you use the entire monthly quota. If not, it goes up. VOCAP is pay-per-use with no monthly fee.
Frequently asked questions
How many words per minute do people speak in a presentation?
Between 130 and 180 wpm depending on pace. 130 wpm is paced speaking (TED talks, academic lectures). 150 wpm is the natural average in English and Spanish (company presentations, explainer videos). 180 wpm is fast speaking (commercial podcasts, radio). For a first estimate, use 150.
How many words do I need for a 5-minute talk?
At 150 wpm, about 750 words. At 130 wpm, about 650. At 180 wpm, about 900. Quick rule: multiply the minutes you have by 150 to get the approximate word count at normal pace.
How does it count sentences and paragraphs?
Sentences: blocks ending in a period (.), exclamation mark (!), question mark (?) or ellipsis; it also counts the Spanish opening marks (¿ ¡). Paragraphs: blocks separated by a blank line. If your text has no clear punctuation, the sentence count may come out low.
Does it work for other languages?
Yes for word, character and paragraph counts (any language that uses spaces between words). The speaking-time estimate is meant for English and Spanish (around 150 wpm); German tends to be a little slower, and French, Italian or Portuguese are similar to Spanish.
Difference between silent reading and speaking?
Silent reading runs at roughly twice the speed of speaking: ~250 wpm vs ~150 wpm. That is why a 1,000-word article takes 4 minutes to read silently but almost 7 to read aloud. It matters if you record audiobooks or narrate a video.
Does it upload my text to a server?
No. All the counting happens in your browser with JavaScript. The text is not sent anywhere or stored, and you do not need to sign up.
What if I need the text from an audio file?
That is automatic transcription. VOCAP turns audio and video into text and lets you copy it or download it as Word or .txt. Then you can paste it here to measure it. 15 minutes free on signup.
Got the audio but not the text?
VOCAP transcribes your audio or video with AI in a few minutes. Then you can count it, time it or reuse it anywhere. 15 minutes free on signup.
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