Speech Timer
A free countdown timer for speeches and talks. Pick a preset from one to fifteen minutes, or set any length you like, and it counts down in a big, glanceable number — then keeps counting up past zero so you can see exactly how far over you ran.
Alerts fire at the halfway point, at one minute left, and at thirty seconds, with three beeps when time is up. Everything runs in your browser — nothing to install, no sign-up.
Opening — you still have room · target 05:00
Counts up past zero after time is up, so you can see how far over you ran. Sounds three beeps at zero — keep this tab audible, or leave it open on a second screen.
Countdown beats stopwatch every time
Most phone timers can do both, and most speakers pick the wrong one. A stopwatch tells you how long you have been speaking — a number you have to subtract from your limit while you are also trying to remember your next sentence. A countdown tells you the single number that matters: how long is left. On stage that is the difference between finishing on time and getting the hook.
The second reason is that a countdown can be trusted to have finished the subtraction for you. Under pressure, speakers are reliably bad at mental arithmetic — ask anyone who has watched a best man think his way through “five minutes minus four twenty” in front of two hundred people.
Where you should be, minute by minute
A timer is only useful if you know what to check against it. These are the four moments that matter in any timed talk — the point where a speech usually goes wrong is the third one, not the last.
| Landmark | 3 min | 5 min | 7 min | 10 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First point finished | 0:45 | 1:00 | 1:30 | 2:00 |
| Halfway point | 1:30 | 2:30 | 3:30 | 5:00 |
| Last point starts | 2:15 | 4:00 | 5:30 | 8:00 |
| Begin your close | 2:45 | 4:40 | 6:30 | 9:20 |
Miss the first landmark and you are running long — cut an example rather than speeding up. Speed is the one thing an audience notices immediately and never forgives.
Timing a wedding speech
Wedding speeches are the most common reason people search for a timer, and they are the worst case for overrun: the room is warm, the laughter is unpredictable, and there is usually another speaker waiting. The widely used convention is three minutes for the speech, with five minutes as the hard ceiling — beyond that, guests start checking the bar.
Set the timer to 3:00 and rehearse out loud until you finish with fifteen to twenty seconds to spare. On the day, aim to be at your closing line by the one-minute alert — the last thing you want is to be still building to the toast when the timer turns amber.
If you are writing rather than rehearsing, the word counts line up like this: about 390 words for three minutes and about 650 for five, which is the same maths the how many words in a 5 minute speech chart runs through at every length.
How to use it without staring at it
The fastest way to wreck a speech is to read the timer instead of the room. Two rules fix that:
- Put it on a second screen. A tablet on the lectern, a laptop at the back of the room, or the phone in your pocket set face up on the table beside you. Big numbers, glance only.
- Check it at the landmarks, not continuously. Four glances in a five minute talk is plenty — at the first point, at halfway, when the last point starts, and when you begin your close.
Turn off silent mode and auto-lock before you start. This timer uses your browser’s audio, so a tab in the background or a screen that has gone to sleep will not beep — the countdown keeps running either way.
Turn the timer result into a word count
Once you have timed one real rehearsal, you know your own pace — and that number is worth more than any average. If you read about 620 words in five minutes, that is your rate: about 124 words per minute. Multiply it by your slot length and you have a word budget for every speech you ever write.
Not sure what your rate is? Our words per minute speech page walks through the 60-second measurement, and the words into minutes calculator turns any word count into a time at slow, normal and fast speeds.
Frequently asked questions
What is a speech timer?
A speech timer is a countdown clock used while giving a talk, so you know how much time is left before you hit the limit. This one runs in the browser, beeps at zero, and keeps counting upward after time is up so you can see exactly how far over you went.
Should I use a countdown or a stopwatch?
Use a countdown. A stopwatch tells you how long you have been talking, which means you have to subtract in your head while speaking. A countdown tells you the one number that matters: how long you have left. On stage that difference decides whether you finish on time or get cut off.
How do I time my speech without staring at my phone?
Set the timer on a second device — a tablet, a laptop, or a second phone — and put it where a glance is enough: at the back of the room, on the lectern, or on the table beside you. A big on-screen number plus the one-minute colour change is usually all you need. Practise glancing at it at your landmark times rather than watching it.
What is a good length for a wedding speech?
There is no fixed rule, but the widely used convention is to keep it inside three minutes and treat five minutes as the ceiling. Wedding audiences are standing or seated through several speeches, and attention drops sharply after the first couple of minutes. Set this timer to 3:00 and rehearse until you finish with 15 to 20 seconds to spare.
How long should a 5 minute speech be in words?
About 650 words at a normal pace of 130 words per minute, with a realistic range of 550 to 750 depending on how fast you speak. We cover every speech length in the full chart on how many words in a 5 minute speech. Time your draft with the timer above and you will know within about ten seconds whether your word count is right for your own pace.
Why does the timer keep going after zero?
Because knowing how far over you ran is more useful than knowing you ran over. If you hit zero and finish 20 seconds later, that tells you the draft is roughly 40 words too long at your pace — cut that much before the next rehearsal. Speakers who only ever see zero keep making the same overrun twice.
Do pauses and applause count against the clock?
Yes, and that is the point of timing a real rehearsal rather than reading your script silently. Pauses, laughter, applause and slide changes all consume wall-clock time. Budget around 5 to 10 percent of the slot for them, then use the timer to confirm. If a live run comes in ten seconds long, cut about 20 words.
Is this speech timer free, and does it work on a phone?
Yes on both counts. The timer is free with no sign-up, and it runs on phones, tablets and desktops. Sound needs the tab to stay in the foreground, so for a phone on stage, turn off silent mode and disable auto-lock before you start.
If you are here to rehearse, start with these
- Words into minutes calculator — turn any script length into a running time at three speaking rates.
- Words per minute speech — measure your own pace in sixty seconds, then plan every slot from it.
- How many words in a 5 minute speech — the full chart from one minute to ten, slow through fast.