1,700 Words Is About 9.6 Minutes of YouTube Video
1,700 words is about 9 minutes 33 seconds of finished YouTube video, at the 178 words-per-minute median of the 3,923 English videos whose captions we stored. The middle half of that sample spoke between 154 and 201 words per minute, which puts 1,700 words between about 8 minutes 27 seconds and about 11 minutes 2 seconds.
How long 1,700 words takes at each pace
| Pace | Words per minute | Time for 1,700 words |
|---|---|---|
| 25th percentileTypical YouTube range (slower delivery) | 154 wpm | about 11 minutes 2 seconds |
| Sample medianTypical YouTube range (middle) | 178 wpm | about 9 minutes 33 seconds |
| 75th percentileTypical YouTube range (faster delivery) | 201 wpm | about 8 minutes 27 seconds |
| Slow, deliberate narrationA reference pace, not measured | 130 wpm | about 13 minutes 5 seconds |
The 25th percentile, median, and 75th percentile are the typical YouTube range in our sample. The 130 wpm row is a reference pace for slow, deliberate narration, not a measurement. Each time is words divided by full video runtime for finished videos, which already include intros, b-roll, and pauses.
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Which video length 1,700 words lands in
At 9.6 minutes of finished video, 1,700 words lands in the 8 to 12 minutes band. Across the 546 videos we measured at that length, the median was 181 words per minute of finished video, which would put a 1,700-word script at about 9 minutes 24 seconds. Band medians differ from the corpus median, so the length you are aiming for is part of the estimate.
What 1,700 words usually is
This size: a 5-to-10-minute video
1,700 words is a 5-to-10-minute video: about 9 minutes 33 seconds of finished video at the sample median. This length holds one topic with room for a few arguments and one example each.
- Hook share
- The hook can run 15 to 20 seconds, roughly 45 to 60 words, but it still has to state the payoff rather than promise to get to it.
- Sections
- Write four to six sections and name them before the prose. If you cannot name them, cut or merge the ideas first.
- Re-hooks
- One re-hook around the midpoint, then a second at roughly three quarters as the payoff approaches. Write both as script lines that preview the next beat.
- Pacing check
- At this length the words add up fast: 1,700 words is 9.6 minutes of finished video at the sample median, so a slow paragraph costs more runtime than it feels like on the page.
Frequently asked questions
How many minutes is 1,700 words?
About 9 minutes 33 seconds of finished YouTube video at the 178 words-per-minute median of the 3,923 captioned videos we measured. The middle half of that sample spoke between 154 and 201 words per minute, which puts 1,700 words between about 8 minutes 27 seconds and about 11 minutes 2 seconds.
How long does it take to say 1,700 words?
About 13 minutes 5 seconds at a slow, deliberate 130 words per minute, which is a reference pace rather than a measurement, or about 9 minutes 33 seconds at the 178 words-per-minute sample median. Time yourself reading the script aloud for your own number.
Is 1,700 words enough for a 10 minute YouTube video?
Ten minutes of finished video is about 1,570 to 2,060 words across the 3,923 videos we measured, and 1,810 at the median pace for videos of that length. At 1,700 words this script sits inside that range, so 10 minutes is a realistic target.
What video length does 1,700 words make?
The median runtime of 1,700 words, about 9 minutes 33 seconds, lands in the 8 to 12 minutes band. In the 546 videos we measured in that band, the median was 181 words per minute of finished video, which would put 1,700 words at about 9 minutes 24 seconds. At 9.6 minutes of finished video, that is the length to plan around.
Do these numbers include pauses, intros, and b-roll?
The measurement does. Words per minute here is caption words divided by full video runtime, so intros, b-roll, and pauses are already inside the finished videos we measured. To turn 1,700 words into a recording plan, time yourself reading the script and add your own non-speaking segments on top.