How many words fit in a 30-second radio ad?
About 70–80 words in English and 60–70 in Spanish. Here’s why, how to time your own script, and what to cut first when it runs long.
Short answer: about 70 to 80 words in English, and 60 to 70 in Spanish, for a :30 read at a natural, friendly pace. If your script has sound effects, music moments or two people talking, plan for fewer.
The longer answer is more useful, because the number matters less than what you do with it.
Why the number is lower than you think
Most people speak around 150 words per minute in conversation, which works out to 75 words in thirty seconds. That sounds like plenty until you try to fit a business name, an address, a phone number, an offer and a reason to care into one breath.
Voice actors can read faster, of course. But every word you add pushes the read toward that rushed, car-dealership tone listeners have learned to tune out. A spot that breathes is a spot people actually hear.
Rule of thumb: :15 ≈ 35 words · :30 ≈ 75 words · :60 ≈ 150 words (English, natural pace). Spanish runs roughly 10–15% longer for the same message, so budget fewer words.
How to time your own script
- Read it out loud. Not in your head. Out loud, at the speed you’d talk to a customer at the counter.
- Use a stopwatch. Your phone has one. If you’re over 28 seconds for a :30, you’re over.
- Leave room at the end. Many stations need a half-second of silence at each end, and you may want a music sting or sonic logo.
- Or use a tool. Our free radio script timer estimates read time for English and Spanish at different paces.
The five things to cut first
When a script runs long — and almost every first draft does — here’s where we look before touching the important parts.
- Stacked adjectives. “Friendly, professional, experienced, affordable” is four words that say nothing. Pick one, then prove it.
- A list of services. Listeners won’t remember the seventh item. Name the one most people come in for.
- The full street address. “Highway 78, across from the feed store” is more memorable than a house number.
- Your website and phone and social handles. Choose one call to action and repeat it.
- “Conveniently located.” Every business says it. Nobody believes it.
A thirty-second ad can carry one idea and one call to action. Everything else is decoration.
What should never be cut
Your business name, said clearly at least twice. The one reason someone should choose you. And the single thing you want them to do next. If those three survive, the ad will work harder than one that crams in everything.
If you’d like a second opinion on a script, send it our way. We’re happy to time it and suggest edits, no charge for a quick look.
Written by the Pura Candela Media studio team in Loganville, Georgia. Questions about this article? Email support@puracandelagt.com.
