This calculator compares typing time with the length of a recording, using the typing speed you enter. It divides the spoken words by your typing speed. The form starts with a 60-minute recording, 40 words per minute of typing and 150 spoken words per minute, which gives 3.8 hours of typing.
Transcribe a recording
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Files up to 2 GB · export to TXT, MD, DOCX, PDF, SRT and VTT · speaker labels and timestamps · about 30 languages
Key facts
- The form has three fields: Recording minutes, Typing speed in words per minute and Spoken words per minute.
- The formula is minutes times spoken rate, divided by typing speed, divided by 60: 60 x 150 / 40 / 60 = 3.75, shown as 3.8.
- The output reports hours of typing only. The page does not estimate how long an automatic transcription takes.
- The table compares 30, 60 and 120 minutes at typing speeds of 40 and 60: 120 minutes takes 7.5 hours at 40 and 5.0 at 60.
- The table rounds to one decimal, so a tie such as 1.25 hours may differ by 0.1 from the form.
Calculator
| Recording minutes | Typing speed (words per minute) | Hours of typing at 150 spoken words per minute |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | 40 | 1.9 |
| 30 | 60 | 1.2 |
| 60 | 40 | 3.8 |
| 60 | 60 | 2.5 |
| 120 | 40 | 7.5 |
| 120 | 60 | 5.0 |
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Where it works | Telegram bot @potok_now_bot; large files go through the bot's mini app |
| File size | Up to 2 GB |
| Export | TXT, MD, DOCX, PDF, SRT, VTT |
| Speakers and time | Speaker labels and timestamps can be switched on |
| Languages | About 30 languages with good published results; a few more with warnings |
| Translation | The transcript is not translated into another language |
| Dictation | A separate Potok desktop app lets you dictate text into any program; it recognises Russian speech |
More
See the full list of languages, the tools and the glossary.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to type out one hour of audio?
At 40 words per minute and 150 spoken words per minute it takes about 3.8 hours. At 60 words per minute it takes 2.5 hours.
Why is typing slower than the recording?
Speech runs at a higher rate than typing. When the spoken rate is 150 and typing is 40, the typist needs almost four times the recording length.
Does the result include pauses to replay the audio?
No. It assumes you type at your stated speed without stopping. Rewinds, corrections and unclear words would add time.
Which typing speed should I enter?
Enter the speed you actually reach while typing from audio, in words per minute, which may be lower than your speed on a plain typing test.
Can I use it to plan a transcription job?
Yes, as a rough guide. Change the minutes to match your file and compare the hours with the time you have.
Sources
Each source was opened by hand on the date shown. Pages change, so open the source if a detail matters to you.
- Transcription (linguistics) (Wikipedia), Wikipedia · checked
- Dictation machine (Wikipedia), Wikipedia · checked
Try it on your own recording
Send your voice message, audio or video to @potok_now_bot on Telegram and the text comes back in the chat.
Open @potok_now_bot in Telegram