NARRATIVE DESIGN
Dialogue Timing Calculator
How long does a line of text take to display? Reading speed + sentence pauses.
TEXT BOX TIMING
Estimate display time
Dialogue timing guide
Dialogue that types too fast is unreadable; too slow and players mash skip. This calculator estimates how long a line of text takes to display at a given reading speed, with sentence pauses — the numbers behind every text box and subtitle system.
Reading speed is not fixed
Comfortable reading is 15–20 characters per second (roughly 200–300 words per minute), but players read slower in cutscenes — they are watching the scene, not just the text. Action games often sit at 12–15 c/s; visual novels closer to 20–25 since text is the main event.
Punctuation matters: a full stop is a natural pause, and readers need ~0.3–0.6s per sentence boundary to parse it. The calculator adds that automatically.
The skip button is part of the design
Whatever timing you pick, a significant fraction of players will skip dialogue they have seen before — on replays, that is almost everyone. Always support click-to-advance and full skip, and never lock important information behind unskippable slow text.
Tip: A good rule: keep individual lines under 2.5 seconds at your chosen speed. If a line needs longer, split it — long text boxes lose players even when they are readable.
Frequently asked questions
How fast should dialogue text appear?
12–20 characters per second depending on genre. 15 c/s is a safe default; test with your actual build and the game running, not in isolation.
Should I add pauses after punctuation?
Yes — 0.3–0.6s per sentence gives readers time to parse. Skipping these pauses is why some games feel like the text outruns the player.
How long should a subtitle stay on screen?
Roughly the reading time of the line plus a small buffer. This calculator gives you the exact number for any text.
Privacy note: dialogue timing calculations happen in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.