How Many Words in a 30 or 60-Second Voiceover Script?

A 30-second voiceover script fits about 60 to 75 words, and a 60-second script fits about 120 to 150 words at a natural, conversational pace. Those numbers are a starting point. Writing a script to an exact time is harder than most people expect, because a good read has natural pauses and the pace shifts from one part of the script to the next.

The standard word counts

Most voiceover talent read at around 150 words per minute, or roughly 2.5 words per second. The style of the read changes that number. One working voice actor's guideline for a 60-second script looks like this:

• About 120 words for a slow, deliberate read

• About 150 words for a standard conversational read

• About 160 to 165 words for a brisk informational read

• 170 to 200 words for a fast car dealership spot

For a 30-second spot, cut those numbers in half. If you want the read to sound relaxed and natural, aim for the low end.

Why timing a script is harder than it looks

A voiceover is never read at one steady speed. The opening line might need a beat to set the mood. The offer or the brand name usually gets slowed down so it sticks. A funny line needs a pause. Two scripts with the exact same word count can time out several seconds apart because of how they're written.

Numbers are another trap. Every digit in a phone number gets spoken, so a full phone number with area code can count as eleven words on its own. Web addresses, product names, and legal lines all eat time too. Count them the way they'll be said out loud, not the way they look on the page.

The mistake most clients make

The most common thing clients get wrong is forgetting about strategic pauses. They also forget that good talent adds natural reactions for effect. A small laugh, a breath before the key line, a beat after the big reveal. Those moments are what make a read sound like a real person talking to you, and they're something a human voice can do that AI still can't.

If every second of the script is filled with a word, there is no room for any of that. The read ends up flat and rushed, even with a great voice talent.

What happens when a script runs long

I worked on a video for a financial services client who tried to fit too much content into 60 seconds. Once we got into it, it was clear the talent could never read it fast enough and still sound good. We ended up writing a new script and re-voicing the whole thing.

You don't want your ad or video to sound like the list of side effects they rattle off at the end of a medication commercial. Speed kills credibility. When the voice sounds rushed, you can lose the audience.

Test the script yourself first

The best test costs nothing. Play your video and read the script out loud along with it. If you have to rush any part to keep up, the script is too long.

Then read it again at a slower, more relaxed pace. If the slower version sounds better, and it usually does, you need to cut content until that slower read fits the time.

AI tools can help you trim and tighten a script. Just rewrite anything that sounds like AI wrote it. Stiff phrasing is hard for talent to make sound natural, and listeners pick up on it fast.

Let your voice talent weigh in

Every voice on Voice Dragons has experience reading to a specific length. When you submit your script, ask the talent for their opinion on the timing. They'll tell you up front if it's going to run long, which saves you from paying for re-reads later. Script timing belongs on the list of questions to ask voice talent before you hire.

Each job has built-in messaging, so you can go back and forth with the talent before they record. For longer scripts, you can request a sample read at no extra charge, and one revision is included on every job.

Key Takeaways

• A 30-second voiceover script fits about 60 to 75 words, and a 60-second script fits about 120 to 150 words.
• Natural pauses and pace changes make exact timing harder than a word count suggests.
• Phone numbers, web addresses, and legal lines take longer to say than they look on the page.
• Leave room for strategic pauses and the natural reactions talent add to make a read feel real.
• Read your script out loud against the video, and cut content if it only sounds good at a slower pace.
• On Voice Dragons, ask the talent for their opinion on script length when you submit to avoid re-reads.