Measure the delivery you will use
Choose a representative script section rather than your easiest sentence. Include the kinds of words you normally say: numbers, names or unfamiliar terms can change the pace. Read with the emphasis and pauses you intend to keep in the finished recording.
- Paste only the text you will speak into the script tool.
- Press “Measure my pace” as you start, then “Finish reading” when you stop.
- The tool applies units × 60 ÷ elapsed seconds as the new working rate.
- Do not edit the text while timing. Editing cancels the measurement.
Understand the arithmetic
As a worked example, reading 100 units in 45 seconds gives 133 units per minute after rounding. At that working rate, a 600-unit script needs about 4 minutes 31 seconds before additional screen time. This example explains the formula; no human reading was measured to produce these values.
Repeat before trusting a short test
The start and stop clicks introduce reaction time. Over a five-second phrase, that error can be a large share of the measurement. Use a longer representative passage and try it more than once. If the rates differ substantially, inspect your pauses and delivery instead of averaging everything automatically.
Turning several takes into one working rate
A worked example with three readings of the same 300-unit passage. The values are arithmetic, not a recording.
| Take | Seconds for 300 units | Working rate | 900-unit script |
|---|---|---|---|
| Take 1 | 128 s | 141 units/min | 6m 23s |
| Take 2 | 131 s | 137 units/min | 6m 34s |
| Take 3 | 141 s | 128 units/min | 7m 2s |
The middle rate, 137 units per minute, is a sensible planning value. The fastest and slowest takes put the same 900-unit script 39 seconds apart, so keep that spread in mind when a platform or client sets a hard maximum length. If one take sits far from the others, check whether you changed your delivery before averaging it in.
What the timer records
It measures elapsed browser time and counts the current text. It does not use a microphone, recognize speech, upload your script or save your rate permanently. Closing or refreshing the page clears this working state. If you switch tabs and stop much later, that elapsed time is included.
For a recorded project, the recording duration is the stronger measurement. Use the browser timer to plan before recording, then update the edit with the real take.
Original worked examples; timing values are calculations unless you measure your own delivery. Read the method.