Check how long a subtitle stays readable and line-limited.
Dividing the subtitle length by a reading speed gives how long it should stay up, and by the line capacity its line count. Subtitles too short to read or too long for two lines frustrate viewers, so pacing and limits keep captions usable.
Subtitle Character
Display time = characters / reading speed; lines = ceil(chars / chars per line)
Display time = characters / reading speed; lines = ceil(chars / chars per line) Dividing the subtitle length by a reading speed gives how long it should stay up, and by the line capacity its line count.
Subtitles too short to read or too long for two lines frustrate viewers, so pacing and limits keep captions usable.
This calculator takes 3 inputs: Subtitle characters, Characters per line, Reading speed. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.