In short
- A good first setting is 130 to 150 words per minute.
- Teaching and technical videos usually need less; short, upbeat clips can take more.
- If you chase the text, slow down. If you wait for it, speed up.
- Your own measured pace beats any rule of thumb.
Why words per minute
Many teleprompter apps use a speed scale from 1 to 10. The trouble is that "5" means something different in every app and changes again when you change the text size. Words per minute (wpm) describes how fast you actually speak, so it stays meaningful whatever the screen, font or line width.
Our online teleprompter uses words per minute directly. If your app uses an abstract scale, time yourself reading a known number of words and adjust the scale until the timing matches.
Starting points by video type
These are practical starting points we use for planning, not fixed rules. Everyone's natural pace is different, and the same person speaks faster when excited and slower when explaining.
| Type of video | Start at | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Tutorial or course lesson | 110–130 wpm | Viewers are learning; pauses give them time. |
| Presentation or talk | 120–140 wpm | Leaves room for slides and emphasis. |
| Product demo | 130–150 wpm | Conversational, with pauses while you show the screen. |
| Sales or outreach message | 130–150 wpm | Warm and personal; rushing sounds like a pitch. |
| Short social clip | 150–170 wpm | Higher energy suits short formats. |
Words to minutes
Use this table to plan how long a script will run, or how many words to write for a set length. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 words.
| Length | 110 wpm | 140 wpm | 170 wpm |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 seconds | 60 | 70 | 90 |
| 1 minute | 110 | 140 | 170 |
| 2 minutes | 220 | 280 | 340 |
| 3 minutes | 330 | 420 | 510 |
| 5 minutes | 550 | 700 | 850 |
| 10 minutes | 1,100 | 1,400 | 1,700 |
For any other length, use the speech time calculator.
How to find your own pace
Your natural pace is the best starting speed, and it takes 2 minutes to measure.
- Take a script you plan to record, or any paragraph of about 150 words.
- Read it aloud at the pace you would use on camera. Do not perform; just speak.
- Time yourself, then divide the number of words by the minutes it took. 150 words in 1 minute 10 seconds is about 129 wpm.
The speech time calculator does this for you: paste the script, press Start reading, read it aloud and press Stop.
Signs the speed is wrong
Too fast
- You feel you are chasing the text, and your voice speeds up to keep up.
- You skip small words or stumble on lines you know well.
- The line you are reading drifts above the reading guide.
Too slow
- You finish a line and wait, which creates odd pauses mid-sentence.
- You stretch words to fill time, and your delivery drags.
- Your eyes drop below the guide to read ahead.
When in doubt, err slightly slow. A pause sounds deliberate; a rushed read sounds nervous. Our guide on reading a script naturally covers the other habits that help.
Other settings that change how fast it feels
- Text size. Bigger text means fewer words per line, so the text scrolls faster for the same words per minute. If it feels jumpy, reduce the size or widen the line a little.
- Line width. Narrow columns keep your eyes near the lens but scroll faster. Find a balance between eye line and comfort.
- Pauses in the script. Blank lines take up space, so they create small natural pauses as they scroll past.
- Pausing the prompter. For demos and lessons, pause the scroll while you show something on screen, then carry on.
Adjust between takes, not during them
It is tempting to nudge the speed mid-sentence. Small changes during a take often show up as a change in your voice. Rehearse once, settle on a number, record, then adjust before the next take if you need to.