Podcast Script Timer
Time a podcast or video script word for word, and check the episode length against the slots that actually get cut. A 30 minute episode is about 4,500 words, not the 9,000 most people write before they start trimming.
A 30 minute podcast episode needs about 4,500 words at a conversational 150 WPM. A word-for-word scripted read runs closer to 160, so the same episode needs about 4,800. The gap between a script you write and the words that survive delivery is the single most common reason first episodes run long.
Your script
Stage-direction tags — [pause 3s], [applause], [laugh],
[beat], [slide] — add real seconds and are never counted as spoken words.
Result
Type a word count or paste a script.
Episode length to script word count
Total words at a conversational 150 WPM, with the share that belongs in the cold open. The hook column is the part people actually hear before they decide to keep listening.
| Episode length | Total words | Cold open | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 seconds | 70 | 8 to 12 | Short, Reel, TikTok |
| 1 minute | 150 | 15 to 25 | Short, intro teaser |
| 2 minutes | 300 | 30 to 45 | Product demo, mini episode |
| 5 minutes | 750 | 75 to 110 | Solo explainer, YouTube mid form |
| 10 minutes | 1,500 | 150 to 220 | Interview highlight, deep dive |
| 20 minutes | 3,000 | 250 to 350 | Full interview episode |
| 30 minutes | 4,500 | 350 to 500 | Standard podcast episode |
| 60 minutes | 9,000 | 600 to 800 | Long form, live recording |
How scripted is the episode?
The same episode length needs a different word count depending on how much of it is written in advance. This is the choice that moves the total more than anything else.
Read at the brisk end because a written sentence is denser than a spoken one and you have no pauses to find.
Voiceover, ad reads, narration, scripted video essays
You know the next point but not the next sentence. Add about ten per cent to a word for word script of the same length.
Solo podcast, explainer video, news commentary
Filler, thinking time and natural repetition all sit inside the rate, so the count is the honest ceiling rather than a target.
Interview, panel, unscripted conversation
Where the words go
A scripted episode is not a continuous block. Split the budget by section so you can cut one part without re-recording the rest.
| Section | Share of words | What belongs here |
|---|---|---|
| Cold open | 10 to 15% | The best line from the episode, moved to the front. No greeting. |
| Intro and bumper | 5 to 10% | Name, premise, what the listener gets. Same words every episode. |
| Body | 65 to 75% | The content. Split into named sections so you can cut one without re-recording. |
| Recap | 5 to 8% | One sentence per section. People skip ahead to this. |
| Call to action | 5 to 10% | One ask. Two asks get neither. |
Cuts, sponsor reads and outros
Three timings almost nobody plans. A sponsor read is 90 to 150 words a minute, closer to an ad than a conversation, so a 60 second slot needs 100 to 150 words and not the 90 a conversational rate would suggest.
An outro with a call to action is 45 to 75 seconds. Anything longer and listeners leave during it, which shows up as a cliff in the retention graph. An intro bumper that runs past 20 seconds costs you listeners before the content starts.
Finally, leave 10 to 15 per cent of the episode unplanned. Room to go sideways on a good tangent is what makes an unscripted episode sound unscripted, and it is the first thing to go when the script is already at the limit.
Questions about podcast script timing
About 4,500 words at a conversational 150 WPM. A fully word for word script read at 160 WPM needs about 4,800 words, and an outline only episode that fills time runs closer to 4,200.
About 750 words at a conversational 150 WPM. A scripted read at 160 WPM needs about 800, and a bullet script about 750 with room to ad lib between points.
10 to 15 per cent of the episode. For a 30 minute episode that is roughly 350 to 500 words, or about 60 to 90 seconds. Move your single best line to the front rather than opening with a greeting.
100 to 150 words. Sponsor reads run at 90 to 120 WPM, closer to an ad than a conversation, so a 60 second slot needs more words than the conversational rate would suggest.
It depends on the format. A voiceover or video essay is scripted word for word. A solo explainer usually works as a bullet script. An interview should be outlines only, since a word for word answer does not survive being asked an unexpected question.
Almost always because the script was written to the target word count with no allowance for breaths, re-takes and transitions. Leave 10 to 15 per cent of the episode unplanned, and time the delivery rather than trusting the word count.
Specialized speech timers
Formats with hard rules and their own pacing math. Each tool opens with that format’s default limits already set.
Public Comment & City Council Timer
3:00 civic mic-cutoff simulator with the green → yellow → red warning lights.
Graduation & Commencement Speech Timer
Stadium-pace timing with an applause buffer for valedictorian and commencement addresses.
3MT Three Minute Thesis Timer
Strict 180-second hard stop at 125 WPM, with a syllable-density disqualification check.
PechaKucha 20×20 & Ignite Script Timer
20-slide grid with a 20-second word budget per slide and an auto-advancing rehearsal runner.