Speech timer
Set your green, yellow and red times and press Start. The display changes color as the speech runs. Runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
Type minutes:seconds (5:30) or just minutes (5). Times must go green, then yellow, then red.
Ready
0:00
Shortcuts: Space start/pause, R reset, F full screen, N hide numbers.
Each time you reset after timing someone, their time is logged here.
How to use the speech timer
- Pick a preset or type your own green, yellow and red times.
- Optionally type the speaker's name so the log shows who spoke for how long.
- Press Start (or Space) when the speaker begins. Turn on Full screen and point the screen at the speaker.
- The display turns green at the minimum, yellow as the end approaches, and red at the maximum. If you leave flashing on, it flashes once the speaker is 30 seconds past red.
- Press Reset (or R) when they finish. The time is logged with whether it landed between green and red.
Your times are saved in the page address, so a bookmarked or shared link opens with the same settings.
What green, yellow and red mean
Timing lights give a speaker information without interrupting them. The convention, used by Toastmasters clubs and many conferences, is simple:
- Green: you have reached the minimum time. You can finish whenever you are ready.
- Yellow: you are approaching the limit. Start moving toward your conclusion.
- Red: you have reached the maximum. Finish your sentence and close.
Before green, this timer shows a dark display so the speaker can tell the clock is running. Agree with the speaker beforehand on what happens after red, for example whether the chair will step in, so nobody is surprised.
Toastmasters timing
The presets for club meetings follow the Timer Script and Log published by Toastmasters International (item 675E, revised September 2019):
| Role | Length | Green | Yellow | Red |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Table Topics | Up to 2 min | 1:00 | 1:30 | 2:00 |
| Ice Breaker speech | 4-6 min | 4:00 | 5:00 | 6:00 |
| Most other speeches | 5-7 min | 5:00 | 6:00 | 7:00 |
| Evaluations | 2-3 min | 2:00 | 2:30 | 3:00 |
Some Pathways projects and contests set different limits, and contests have their own rules for how far outside the range a speaker may go. Check the project or contest rules and type those times in. The 5-minute and 15-minute talk presets are our own suggestions for meetings and conference slots, not Toastmasters rules.
Choosing times for any talk
The traffic-light pattern works for anything with a time limit: lightning talks, team updates, pitches, wedding toasts, class presentations or interview answers. A simple rule is to set red at the hard limit, yellow a minute or two earlier (about 15 to 20 percent of the time), and green at the shortest length that would still feel complete.
- Practicing alone: use colors only so you learn to feel the time instead of watching the clock.
- Several speakers: type each name before they start and copy the log at the end for the meeting notes.
- Writing to a time limit: our words to minutes converter and the speaking rate calculator estimate how long a script will take to say.
Tips for the timer role
- Start timing at the speaker's first word (or first deliberate gesture), not when they walk up.
- Sit where the speaker can see the screen without turning away from the audience.
- Practice the shortcuts before the meeting so you never fumble a button.
- If you need a plain stopwatch with laps instead, use our online stopwatch.
Want to hear how a talk actually went? Record it with the online voice recorder, or for meetings use Hark, a desktop app that records and transcribes on your own computer so you can read back exactly what was said (get everyone's consent before recording).
Frequently asked questions
What are the Toastmasters timing lights? +
Green means the speaker has reached the minimum time, yellow (amber) means they are in the middle of the allowed range, and red means the maximum time has been reached and they should wrap up. For a standard 5 to 7 minute speech, Toastmasters International's timer script shows green at 5 minutes, yellow at 6 and red at 7.
How long is a Toastmasters Table Topics speech? +
Toastmasters International's timer script says Table Topics speakers should speak for no more than 2 minutes, with green at 1 minute, yellow at 1 minute 30 seconds and red at 2 minutes. Use the Table Topics preset to load those times.
How long is an Ice Breaker speech? +
The Ice Breaker is 4 to 6 minutes in Toastmasters International's timer script, with green at 4 minutes, yellow at 5 and red at 6. Speech evaluations are 2 to 3 minutes, with green at 2, yellow at 2:30 and red at 3.
Can I use this speech timer full screen? +
Yes. Press Full screen (or F) and the whole screen turns green, yellow or red as the speech goes on, which is easy for a speaker to see from across a room. Press Esc to leave full screen. You can hide the numbers so the speaker sees colors only.
What keyboard shortcuts does the speech timer have? +
Space starts and pauses, R resets (and logs the time if the timer ran), F toggles full screen, and N hides or shows the numbers. Shortcuts are ignored while you are typing in a box.
Does the timer keep running if I switch tabs? +
Yes. The timer measures real elapsed time, so it stays accurate if you switch tabs or the screen dims. Where the browser supports it, the page also asks to keep the screen awake while the timer runs.
Related
- Meeting cost calculator See what a meeting costs per minute, per meeting and per year.
- Microphone test Check your mic works and see its level, right in the browser.
- Webcam test Check your camera before a call: picture, resolution and frame rate.
- Words to minutes converter How long a script takes to read aloud, at your speaking pace.
- Meeting planner across time zones Find a meeting time that works across cities and time zones.
- Speaking rate calculator Words per minute, speech length and transcription time.
Record, transcribe and remember every meeting
Hark records your calls on your own computer, transcribes them privately, and learns who is speaking. Free forever, with a 2-day preview of AI meeting notes.