Count every word in an SRT or VTT file.
Measure the visible text and timing inside a subtitle file, not its cue numbers or timestamps. Get a quick summary for estimating review work, translation scope, and caption density.
How this tool works
- 01
Select SRT or VTT
Choose the format that matches the text you are pasting so cue timings are parsed correctly.
- 02
Paste the subtitle content
Include the complete file with timestamps. Cue identifiers and timing lines are not counted as words.
- 03
Read the file summary
Compare word, character, cue, duration, and average-density totals before the next production step.
Practical guide
What to know before you download
What is included in the word count
The counter reads the visible text inside each timed cue. It excludes SRT cue numbers, VTT identifiers, timestamps, the WEBVTT header, and supported cue settings. Words are separated by whitespace, while repeated whitespace is normalized for the character count. Punctuation remains attached to the surrounding text, which is appropriate for estimating the amount of subtitle copy a person must review or translate.
Estimate transcription, editing, or translation scope
A word total is useful when work is priced or scheduled by volume. Pair it with the cue count because 500 words split across 200 short cues can take longer to review than the same text in large paragraphs. Speaker labels, sound descriptions, names, technical terms, and frequent line breaks can also add editorial effort. Treat the result as a scope estimate, then inspect a sample of the actual captions before setting a deadline.
Understand the timing measurements
On-screen seconds are the sum of individual cue durations, not the full runtime from the first caption to the last. Average words per cue describes how the text is divided. Average characters per second divides all visible characters by the combined display duration. These averages can reveal unusually dense files, but they can hide one very crowded cue; use the caption length checker when you need a cue-by-cue reading-speed review.
Know what a file summary cannot verify
Counts do not prove that captions are accurate, synchronized, readable, or accessible. The tool cannot hear the source audio, identify missing speech, judge line breaks, or see whether text covers important visuals. It also does not estimate speaking rate from silent gaps. Preview the subtitles with the final video, verify names and numbers, and check individual cue timing before publishing or burning captions into the picture.
Questions about this tool
Do timestamps and cue numbers count as words?+
No. The parser counts only visible cue text. SRT numbers, VTT identifiers, headers, timestamps, and cue settings are excluded.
Why is on-screen duration shorter than the video?+
It adds only the periods when caption cues are displayed. Silence and uncaptained gaps between cues are not part of that total.
Can I use the total to quote translation work?+
It provides a useful volume estimate, but cue fragmentation, terminology, quality, language pair, and required timing changes can affect the actual workload.
Are my subtitles sent to a server?+
No. The SRT or VTT text is parsed and counted locally in the browser, without an account or video upload.