How Long Is a 60-Second Script? Word Counts for Reels and TikTok
A 60-second script is about 130 to 150 words when you speak at a normal pace. That is also the answer to "how many words is a 1 minute speech": roughly 140.
Those numbers shift with your pace, your pauses and your topic. The table below gives word counts for the video lengths creators use most.
How many words fit in a 60-second video?
For a 60-second Reel, TikTok or YouTube Short, plan for 130 to 150 words if you talk at a steady, clear pace. If you talk slowly and leave room for pauses, plan for 110 to 120 words. If you talk fast, you can fit 160 or more, but viewers need to keep up.
Here is what 140 words sounds like on the page:
I used to spend three hours editing every video. Now I spend twenty minutes. The change was simple: I stopped filming in one long take. I film one line at a time, and I cut the pauses as I go.
That is only 40 words. Three more blocks like it fill the full minute. Short lines add up quickly.
What is the word count for 15, 30, 45, 60 and 90 seconds?
This table uses three paces. Slow is 120 words per minute, normal is 140, and fast is 160. These are working numbers for planning, not rules. For where they come from, see speaking pace in words per minute.
| Video length | Slow (120 wpm) | Normal (140 wpm) | Fast (160 wpm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 seconds | 30 words | 35 words | 40 words |
| 30 seconds | 60 words | 70 words | 80 words |
| 45 seconds | 90 words | 105 words | 120 words |
| 60 seconds | 120 words | 140 words | 160 words |
| 90 seconds | 180 words | 210 words | 240 words |
| 3 minutes | 360 words | 420 words | 480 words |
The math is simple: words per minute divided by 60, times the seconds you have. At 140 words per minute, you speak about 2.3 words per second.
Why does my script run longer than the math says?
Pauses add time. The table counts only speaking. It does not count the gaps between sentences, the breath before a punchline, or the beat you leave after a hook.
A 60-second script with 140 words and ten half-second pauses runs about 65 seconds. That is 5 seconds over, and on a platform with a hard cap, you lose the last line.
Common places where time sneaks in:
- A pause after the hook, so the viewer registers it
- A breath between sentences
- A retake in the middle of a line that you leave in the cut
- Words you stretch for emphasis
- A look at the lens before the call to action
If your script has a lot of deliberate pauses, cut 10 to 15 percent of the words from the table. For a 60-second video at normal pace, that means 120 to 125 words.
How do I time my own script?
Do not trust word count alone. Your pace is not the same as the table's pace.
- Paste your script into the free script timer. It shows the run time at slow, normal and fast pace.
- Read the script out loud once and time yourself with a stopwatch.
- Compare. If you ran 8 seconds longer than the timer's normal pace, you are a slower speaker, or you paused more than you planned.
- Trim or add words until the real read lands where you want it.
Reading in your head is faster than speaking. Always time an out-loud read.
How long should my Reel, TikTok or Short be?
There is no single right length. A few working guidelines:
- 15 to 30 seconds: One idea, one hook, one point. Good for a quick tip or a reaction.
- 30 to 45 seconds: A tip with a short story or an example.
- 60 seconds: A mini-lesson with a hook, three points, and a close.
- 90 seconds to 3 minutes: A story or a how-to where each step needs a moment to land.
Platform limits change. Check the current maximum length in each app before you plan a long script. If your script is longer than the cap, cut it. Do not speed up your speech to fit.
What if I need to cut words?
Cut in this order:
- Throat-clearing openers like "So, today I wanted to talk about"
- Repeated points
- Adverbs and hedges: "really," "kind of," "basically"
- Examples that do not add anything new
Keep the hook and the last line. Those two do the most work.
Example of a trim. Before, 21 words:
So, basically, what I wanted to tell you guys today is that you really should be filming near a window.
After, 8 words:
Film near a window. It fixes your lighting.
For more on writing lines that sound like speech, see how to write a script that sounds spoken.
What should I do next?
Pick your target length, find the word count in the table, and write to it. Then time the read.
If you want to practice the timing with the words in front of you, paste your script into YapBetter. The prompter scrolls with your voice or at a fixed speed, so you can feel how your script runs. The free online teleprompter needs no account.
FAQ
How many words is a 1 minute speech?
About 130 to 150 words at a normal speaking pace. Slow speakers land near 120, and fast speakers near 160.
How many words is a 30-second script?
About 65 to 75 words at a normal pace. Use 60 words if you plan pauses and 80 if you talk fast.
How many words is a 90-second script?
About 195 to 225 words at a normal pace, or about 210 at 140 words per minute.
Do pauses count in the word count?
No. Word count measures only the words. Pauses add seconds on top, so a script with many pauses needs fewer words to fit the same time.
Is a 60-second script the same for Reels, TikTok and Shorts?
The word count is the same, because it depends on how fast you speak and not on the app. The maximum video length is different on each app and can change, so check it before you plan.