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My times
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Read next: How long is a 1,000-word speech? Times from 500 to 2,000 wordsAll 8 timers
Presentation timer with green, amber and red
The number that matters is not your total, it is the point where you should be starting your conclusion. Amber is that point, and rehearsing against it is what stops a talk being cut off mid-slide.
The short answer
Set amber two minutes before your slot ends and treat it as the cue to begin your conclusion, not as a signal to speed up. A twenty-minute conference slot is usually eighteen minutes of talk and two of questions, so time the talk to eighteen — the overrun everyone remembers comes from timing it to twenty.
Three steps to a timer on the wall
Step 1: Choose a time
Pick a preset or set your own. The timer remembers what you used last on this device.
Step 2: Press start
Start the timer, then press F or the fullscreen button to fill the screen.
Step 3: Run the room
Space pauses, the up arrow adds a minute, R resets. Fullscreen shows the timer alone, with no ads and no navigation.
Four things worth knowing
Time the talk, not the slot
A twenty-minute slot is not twenty minutes of speaking. Subtract the questions, the introduction and the laptop that will not connect. Eighteen minutes of content in a twenty-minute slot finishes on time.
Rehearse against amber, not red
Amber is where your conclusion starts. If you are still on your third-to-last point when it appears, the problem is the structure of the talk rather than your pace.
Speaking speed rises under pressure
Most people deliver a rehearsed talk faster on the day. Rehearsing slightly slow leaves room for that; rehearsing exactly to time leaves none.
Put it where you can see it without turning
A confidence monitor, a laptop on the lectern, or a phone on the table. Turning to check a screen behind you reads as losing your place, whatever the reason.
No ads on your big screen
Ads pay for this page, and they stay on this page. The moment the timer goes fullscreen there is nothing on screen but the time — no banners, no navigation, no surprises in front of a room.
- Fullscreen shows the timer alone
- Ad sounds can never clash with the alarm
- Saved times stay on your device — no account
- Works with an ad blocker, and offline once loaded
Questions people ask
Anything we've missed?
How long should a conference talk be?
Time the content to about ninety per cent of the slot. A twenty-minute slot takes eighteen minutes of talk, leaving room for the introduction, questions and the inevitable technical delay.
Where should the amber warning go?
At the point your conclusion should start — usually two minutes before the end for a short talk, four or five for a long one. It is a structural cue, not a signal to talk faster.
What do I do if amber comes early?
Cut a section rather than accelerating. An audience notices speed immediately and rarely notices a missing example.
Can I run this on a second screen?
Yes. Open it on the lectern laptop or a phone and press F for fullscreen — it shows nothing but the time and the colour, with no ads and no navigation.
Time something specific
Guides worth reading
- Public speaking
How long is a 1,000-word speech? Times from 500 to 2,000 words
A 1,000-word speech takes about 6 minutes 40 seconds to 7 minutes 42 seconds at a normal pace. Times for 500 to 2,000 words, with pauses and slides.
5 min read - Public speaking
How many words is a 5-minute speech? Word counts from 1 to 20 minutes
A 5-minute speech is about 650 to 750 words at a normal pace. Word counts from 1 to 20 minutes, how to find your own pace, and how to time a practice run.
6 min read - Toastmasters
Toastmasters timing rules: green, amber and red for every speech type
What the timing lights mean, the exact times for every speech type, and the 30-second rule that disqualifies contestants. Plus how to run the timer role.
6 min read
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