diff --git a/test/test_utils.py b/test/test_utils.py
index 3d14f61fbf..8d89979775 100644
--- a/test/test_utils.py
+++ b/test/test_utils.py
@@ -211,6 +211,9 @@ class TestUtil(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(parse_duration('00:01:01'), 61)
         self.assertEqual(parse_duration('x:y'), None)
         self.assertEqual(parse_duration('3h11m53s'), 11513)
+        self.assertEqual(parse_duration('3h 11m 53s'), 11513)
+        self.assertEqual(parse_duration('3 hours 11 minutes 53 seconds'), 11513)
+        self.assertEqual(parse_duration('3 hours 11 mins 53 secs'), 11513)
         self.assertEqual(parse_duration('62m45s'), 3765)
         self.assertEqual(parse_duration('6m59s'), 419)
         self.assertEqual(parse_duration('49s'), 49)
diff --git a/youtube_dl/utils.py b/youtube_dl/utils.py
index 4f02108720..e077504348 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/utils.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/utils.py
@@ -1332,8 +1332,10 @@ def parse_duration(s):
     if s is None:
         return None
 
+    s = s.strip()
+
     m = re.match(
-        r'(?:(?:(?P<hours>[0-9]+)[:h])?(?P<mins>[0-9]+)[:m])?(?P<secs>[0-9]+)s?(?::[0-9]+)?(?P<ms>\.[0-9]+)?$', s)
+        r'(?:(?:(?P<hours>[0-9]+)\s*(?:[:h]|hours?)\s*)?(?P<mins>[0-9]+)\s*(?:[:m]|mins?|minutes?)\s*)?(?P<secs>[0-9]+)(?P<ms>\.[0-9]+)?\s*(?:s|secs?|seconds?)?$', s)
     if not m:
         return None
     res = int(m.group('secs'))