Glossary
Words per minute
Also called: WPM, Narration pace, Speaking rate
Definition
Words per minute (WPM) is a measure of speaking speed; for narration, it tells you how many words of script fit in a given video length.
What “words per minute” means
Speaking rates vary a lot with the speaker, the language and the style. A calm, clear narration in English is commonly around 140 to 160 words per minute, roughly 2.4 to 2.6 words per second; energetic social-media delivery can be faster, and teaching or storytelling slower. Pauses, numbers and long words all slow the effective pace.
Other languages have different typical word counts for the same content, because words are longer or shorter on average. A script translated from English into German or Polish, for example, may need trimming to keep the same duration.
Why it matters for short explainer videos
Word count is the simplest way to know if a script fits. At about 150 words per minute, a 60-second short holds roughly 140 to 155 words, a 45-second one around 110, and a 90-second one around 220. A first draft of 250 words for “one minute” is not a pacing problem; it’s a scope problem.
In animated explainers, the pace also sets the rhythm of the visuals. Too fast, and each visual disappears before it’s read; too slow, and the video drags.
Example
A script for a 60-second short has 210 words. Read at a natural pace, it runs about 85 seconds. The writer cuts one of three examples and two transition sentences, bringing it to 150 words, which lands close to 60 seconds without the narrator having to rush.
In Motiongist
How Motiongist handles it
Motiongist sizes scripts for three lengths: short (45–60 s), standard (90–120 s) and long (150–180 s), planning around 2.45 words per second. When it writes the script, it targets the length you picked; when you paste your own, the studio shows the word count and estimated duration. The final duration follows the real narration, since animation and captions are timed to the voice.
Each voice has its own natural pace, which you can hear on the voices page. The free words to minutes tool converts any script into durations at several paces.