Free tool
Speech timer
Choose the time limits and press Start: this free speech timer shows timing lights, green when the speaker reaches the minimum, yellow halfway to the maximum and red at the maximum, big enough for the whole room.
- Free
- Full screen
- Works on phones
0:00
Green at 5:00 · yellow at 6:00 · red at 7:00
Space: start or pause · R: reset and log · F: full screen. Click the clock to start or pause.
Timing a meeting rather than a speech? NoteOwl records the meeting on your Mac and writes the summary, the decisions and who promised what, with no bot in the call.
How it works
How does a speech timer work?
It counts up from the moment the speaker starts and changes colour at set times: green at the minimum, yellow halfway between the minimum and the maximum, red at the maximum. The speaker sees where they are without looking at a clock.
- 1
Set the limits
Pick a preset, such as a 5–7 minute speech, or enter your own minimum and maximum for a presentation or a pitch.
- 2
Start with the speaker
Press Start, the space bar, or the clock itself. Full screen turns the whole display into the light.
- 3
Log and reset
Press Reset and log when they finish: their time goes into the log with “within time”, under or over.
What do the green, yellow and red lights mean?
Green: the speaker has reached the minimum and can start to wrap up. Yellow: halfway to the maximum. Red: the maximum, time to finish. Speech clubs show the same three signals with cards or lights[1].
The first four presets follow the timer script Toastmasters clubs use; the 10-to-12-minute talk is our own.
- Impromptu, 1–2 min
- Green1:00
- Yellow1:30
- Red2:00
- Evaluation, 2–3 min
- Green2:00
- Yellow2:30
- Red3:00
- First speech, 4–6 min
- Green4:00
- Yellow5:00
- Red6:00
- Speech, 5–7 min
- Green5:00
- Yellow6:00
- Red7:00
- Talk, 10–12 min
- Green10:00
- Yellow11:00
- Red12:00
| Preset | Green | Yellow | Red |
|---|---|---|---|
| Impromptu, 1–2 min | 1:00 | 1:30 | 2:00 |
| Evaluation, 2–3 min | 2:00 | 2:30 | 3:00 |
| First speech, 4–6 min | 4:00 | 5:00 | 6:00 |
| Speech, 5–7 min | 5:00 | 6:00 | 7:00 |
| Talk, 10–12 min | 10:00 | 11:00 | 12:00 |
How do you practise a speech with a timer?
Run the whole talk without stopping, with the lights only, and note where you are in your outline when green comes on. If you go over red, cut a point rather than speaking faster.
- 1
Time the whole run-through
Start the timer as you say your first word and don’t stop it for stumbles: the real talk won’t pause either.
- 2
Hide the clock
Untick “Show the time” to practise with the colours only, the way you’d see timing cards from the stage.
- 3
Mark where green comes
Note which part of your talk you’re in when the light turns green. If it’s early in your outline, you’ll run long.
- 4
Cut, don’t rush
Over the red light? Take out a point rather than speaking faster: the pace that fits is the one you’ll use on the day.
How do you know a speech will fit before you give it?
Count its words: at an average 130 words a minute, a 5-to-7-minute slot holds about 650 to 910 words. The speech time calculator works it out from your script, and the teleprompter scrolls it at your pace while you rehearse.
Can NoteOwl take the minutes of a meeting?
Yes. NoteOwl records the meeting on your Mac, with no bot in the call, then writes the summary, the decisions and the action items with who owns each one, in a format such as the meeting minutes template. Everything is written on the Mac with on-device AI models.
FAQ
Questions about timing a speech
How do I show the timer in full screen?
Press Full screen, or F on the keyboard. The timer fills the screen with the colour of the current light, with the time in large figures; press Escape or Exit full screen to go back. Put it on a laptop or a second screen facing the speaker.
Can the timer show only the colours?
Yes. Untick “Show the time” and the timer shows just the green, yellow and red lights, with no clock, so the speaker isn’t distracted by the seconds.
What happens when a speaker goes over time?
The timer stays red after the maximum, and starts flashing red 30 seconds over, so the speaker can’t miss it. The time keeps counting, and the log marks the speech as over.
Can I time several speakers in a row?
Yes. Type each speaker’s name before they start, then press Reset and log when they finish. The timer keeps a table of every speaker with their time, the limits and whether they finished within time.
Can the timer beep?
Tick “Chime at each light” and it chimes once at green, twice at yellow and three times at red. It’s off to start with, so the timer stays silent unless you want sound.
Does the timer keep running if I switch tabs?
Yes. The timer works from the clock, not by counting ticks, so the time is right when you come back to the tab. Keep the timer on screen while someone speaks, so the lights stay visible.
Sources
Last checked .
- [1]Toastmasters International, Timer Script and Log (Item 675E) — green, yellow and red cards: Table Topics 1–2 minutes (1:00, 1:30, 2:00), Ice Breaker 4–6, most speeches 5–7, evaluations 2–3
Keep exploring
More free tools
- Word counterCount words, characters with and without spaces, sentences and paragraphs as you type, with reading and speaking time and the most-used words
- Reading time calculatorHow long a text, a word count or a book takes to read silently, at the adult average of 238 words a minute or your own measured speed
- Typing testA 30-second to 5-minute typing test that scores words per minute and accuracy word by word, with how your speed compares
- Words per minute calculatorWork out typing speed (gross and net WPM) from words or characters and time, or a speaking rate from a talk or a timed read-aloud
Related
- Meeting minutes templateA meeting minutes template to fill in online or copy, what each section holds, an example, and how NoteOwl writes minutes
- Meeting agenda templateA meeting agenda template to copy or fill in online, with start times for every item, a team meeting example and how to write one
- AI meeting summariesAI meeting summaries, decisions and action items written on your Mac from any template, when the call ends
Private AI meeting notes, on your Mac
Free to download. Runs entirely on your Mac.
macOS 26 or later · Apple Silicon (M1 or newer) · 16 GB memory minimum, 24 GB recommended
About NoteOwl
NoteOwl is private AI meeting notes and memory for the Mac. It captures meetings without a bot joining the call, labels every speaker, writes summaries and action items, and builds a memory of every conversation that you can chat with — fully offline, because the speech recognition and the AI run on the Mac itself. Dictation into any app is free; Pro is a one-time purchase.
NoteOwl pricing: what’s free and what Pro adds
Last updated