The subtitle reading speed checker calculates characters per second for a cue from its text length and its time on screen. A cue of 34 characters shown for 2 seconds reads at 17.0 characters per second. It is useful when you want to see which cues are hard to read in the time they stay on screen.
Turn a recording into text
Open @potok_now_bot in Telegram, attach the recording and wait: the transcript arrives as a message in the same chat.
Write to @potok_now_bot in Telegram
Up to 2 GB per file · speaker labels and timestamps · six export formats · about 30 languages
In short
- Formula: characters per second = characters ÷ seconds on screen, applied to the numbers in the table below.
- Assumption: spaces count as characters, and the limit you compare with is your own choice.
- Look at the cues with the highest value first: they are the ones viewers cannot finish.
- The table is arithmetic, not a measurement of a recording or of a service.
Calculation and example
Formula: characters per second = characters ÷ seconds on screen
| Characters | Seconds | Characters per second |
|---|---|---|
| 34 | 2.0 | 17.0 |
| 60 | 3.0 | 20.0 |
| 84 | 4.0 | 21.0 |
| 42 | 1.5 | 28.0 |
A cue of 34 characters shown for 2 seconds reads at 17.0 characters per second.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Size limit | Files up to 2 GB |
| What you can send | Voice messages, audio and video |
| Speakers | Speaker labels and timestamps can be switched on |
| Where to use it | Telegram bot @potok_now_bot; large files go through the bot's mini app |
| Languages | Around 30 languages have good published results; a few more come with warnings |
How to use the result
Start from the row that looks most like your situation. Change the numbers one by one, keep the formula as it is, and compare the new result with the row you started from. A result far from every row is a reason to check the inputs.
Keep going
The tools section has converters and calculators, the glossary explains the terms, and the download page covers the apps.
Questions and answers
How does the subtitle reading speed checker work?
It applies one rule: characters per second = characters ÷ seconds on screen. A cue of 34 characters shown for 2 seconds reads at 17.0 characters per second.
What does the subtitle reading speed checker assume?
It assumes that spaces count as characters, and the limit you compare with is your own choice. For another case, change the numbers and keep the rule.
What does the table of the subtitle reading speed checker show?
It shows: Characters, Seconds, Characters per second. Values: 34 | 2.0 | 17.0; 60 | 3.0 | 20.0; 84 | 4.0 | 21.0; 42 | 1.5 | 28.0.
Where do the definitions behind the subtitle reading speed checker come from?
Units, formats and rules are described in the sources listed at the bottom of this page. The numbers in the table are calculated here by the formula above and are not copied from those sources.
How do I avoid a mistake with the subtitle reading speed checker?
Look at the cues with the highest value first: they are the ones viewers cannot finish. Use it when you want to see which cues are hard to read in the time they stay on screen.
Sources
Every source below was checked by hand on the date given. Sites change, so open the source if the exact wording matters.
- Subtitle (Wikipedia), Wikipedia · checked
- Closed captioning (Wikipedia), Wikipedia · checked
Try it on your own recording
Your recording goes to @potok_now_bot as a file or a voice message, and the transcript returns to you in Telegram.
Write to @potok_now_bot in Telegram