Free tool · Script length
How many words are in a 5-minute script?
A 5-minute script is about 735 words of English read at a conversational pace, the speed most demo and explainer voice-overs use. A calm tutorial voice fits about 624 words and an upbeat ad read about 845. That is the right size for a full tutorial or a recorded walkthrough. Paste your own script below to time it.
A 5 min 00 s video holds about 735 words of narration at this pace. Your script fits, with room for 658 more.
Have a script that fits? ViralDub films your product, voices this script in any of 22 languages and syncs the captions.
Make it a video, freeWords in a 5-minute script, by pace
| Pace | Words per minute | Words that fit | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calm | 125 | 624 | Tutorials and onboarding |
| Conversational | 147 | 735 | Product demos and explainers |
| Upbeat | 169 | 845 | Ads, teasers and launch videos |
A 5-minute script in other languages
| Language | Fits in 5 min |
|---|---|
| English, French, Swedish, Turkish, Arabic, Hindi and more | 735 words |
| Spanish, Italian, Portuguese | 750 words |
| German, Dutch, Finnish, Polish, Russian | 630 words |
| Japanese, Korean, Chinese | about 1920 characters |
What fits in a 5-minute video
For a full tutorial or a recorded walkthrough, plan chapters of 30 to 60 seconds, one task each, with a short intro and a recap; split it into separate videos if viewers only need one task. At about 15 words per spoken sentence, 735 words is roughly 49 sentences. Leave about a tenth of the time silent so each screen lands: aim for about 662 words rather than 735.
Frequently asked questions
How many words is a 5-minute voice-over?
About 735 words of English at a conversational pace, between 624 and 845 depending on how calm or upbeat the read is.
Is 735 words too many for a 5-minute video?
It fills every second. Most scripts read better at about 90% of the limit, around 662 words, so the visuals get a short pause after each line.
How many words in a 5-minute script in Spanish or German?
About 750 words in Spanish and 630 in German at a conversational pace. German narration is usually read a little slower and uses longer words.
How do I make my script fit?
Cut adjectives and repeated points first, then merge two short sentences into one. If it still runs long, drop a feature: three well-shown features beat five rushed ones.