# Monologue timer: how long is my monologue? > Paste your monologue to see how long it runs at a slow, average, and brisk pace, and whether it fits the audition time limit. Then perform it once with the stopwatch to get the real time. - URL: https://www.offbook.com/tools/monologue-timer Monologue timer: a free tool for actors. It runs in your browser at https://www.offbook.com/tools/monologue-timer, with no sign-up. Paste your monologue to estimate how long it runs at three speaking paces, check it against an audition time limit, and time a real run. ## Estimate first, then time a real run A word count gives you a fast estimate, which helps when you choose between pieces. It cannot know where you pause, how long a beat lasts, or how much a moment slows you down. Before an audition, perform the piece at full energy with the stopwatch and use that number. If the estimate and your real time are far apart, check whether you rush when you are nervous. A piece that runs short in rehearsal often runs even shorter in the room. For a whole scene or play, the [script line counter](https://www.offbook.com/tools/script-line-counter) gives the same estimate for every character, along with their lines and words. ## How to cut a monologue that runs long 1. Find the turn: the moment the character changes their mind or their tactic. Protect it. 2. Cut lines that repeat an idea the audience already has. 3. Shorten long setups before the turn, and lists of three or more examples. 4. Read the cut version out loud to check that each thought still connects to the next. 5. Time a full performance again. Leave a few seconds of margin under the limit. ## Learn it once it fits Once the cut is final, learn it word for word. The [first-letter memorizer](https://www.offbook.com/tools/first-letter-memorizer) turns your text into recall cues, and [Offbook](https://www.offbook.com) lets you rehearse with the cues hidden while it listens to you say the lines. ## Questions ### How many words is a one-minute monologue? At a speaking pace of 120 to 160 words per minute, a one-minute monologue is roughly 120 to 160 words. Pauses, beats, and slower moments make the real time longer, so time a full run before you rely on the estimate. ### How is the time estimated? The tool counts the words you paste and divides by a speaking pace in words per minute: 120 for a slow delivery with pauses, 140 for an average pace, and 160 for a brisk one. It is an estimate. Your own pace and the choices in the piece decide the real time. ### What if my monologue is over the time limit? Cut it rather than rush it. Look for lines that repeat an idea, a long setup before the turn, or a list you can shorten. Keep the beginning, the turn, and the ending, then time a full run again. ### Is my monologue saved anywhere? No. The timer runs in your browser and the text you paste is not sent to a server. ## More free tools - [First-letter line memorizer](https://www.offbook.com/tools/first-letter-memorizer): Turn your lines into first-letter cues, say them out loud, and click to check each line. - [Acting resume builder](https://www.offbook.com/tools/acting-resume-builder): Build a one-page acting resume with a live preview, then print it at 8x10 headshot size or save it as a PDF. - [Audition tracker](https://www.offbook.com/tools/audition-tracker): Log every audition, see your own callback and booking rates, and export it all to a spreadsheet. Saved in your browser. - [Script line counter](https://www.offbook.com/tools/script-line-counter): Paste a script to count lines, words, and speeches for each character, with speaking time and share of the dialogue. - [Cue script maker](https://www.offbook.com/tools/cue-script-maker): Pick your role and get only your lines, each with the last words of the speech before it, ready to print. - [Run lines online](https://www.offbook.com/tools/run-lines-online): Pick a classic scene and your part. Offbook’s natural voices read the other characters aloud and wait for you to say your line.