Count the words in a transcript
Paste a transcript to see its words and characters, how much each speaker said, and roughly how long it takes to read and to say aloud.
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Reading time assumes 238 words a minute, the average silent reading speed of adults (Brysbaert, 2019). Speaking time assumes 130 words a minute, an average speaking pace.
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Transcribe a recording for freeHow to do it
- Paste the transcript or choose a text file.
- Leave timestamps and speaker names out of the count, or include them.
- Read the totals, the reading and speaking time, and how much each speaker said.
Questions
- Are my files uploaded anywhere?
- Your text stays in your browser. Nothing is uploaded and you don't need an account.
- Are timestamps and speaker names counted as words?
- Not by default. Times like [00:01:23], subtitle numbers and labels such as “Anna:” are left out. Untick the option to count everything.
- How is the reading time worked out?
- At 238 words a minute — the average silent reading speed of adults found in a 2019 review of 190 studies by Marc Brysbaert. Speaking time uses an average pace of 130 words a minute.
- How does it know who said what?
- From the speaker names at the start of lines, such as “Anna:” or “[00:01:23] Speaker 1:”. Lines without a name belong to the speaker above them, up to the next blank line.
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