---
title: "Speech Timer with Green, Amber & Red Lights | Ripple Brief"
description: "A speech timer that turns green, amber and red like a club timing light, with presets for 1–2, 5–7 and other ranges, fullscreen, overtime alert and a log."
url: https://ripplebrief.buzz/speech-timer/
---

Channel 3 · Timing lights

# Speech timer with timing lights

Green when the minimum is reached, amber halfway, red at the maximum. Go fullscreen and turn the screen towards the speaker.

## How timing lights work

Many speaking clubs, Toastmasters clubs among them, time speeches with three coloured cards or lights. Green shows once the speaker has reached the minimum time, so they know they may start to close. Amber, often called yellow, comes halfway through the range: time to head for the conclusion. Red shows at the maximum, the cue to finish the sentence and sit down.

The presets follow that pattern. A 5–7 minute speech shows green at 5:00, amber at 6:00 and red at 7:00; an impromptu answer of 1–2 minutes shows them at 1:00, 1:30 and 2:00. The lightning talk preset is for a fixed 5-minute slot, with green at 4:00 and amber at 4:30. Choose Custom, or edit any time, to set your own lights for a conference slot, a toast or a pitch.

## Timing a meeting

Type the speaker's name, press Start as they begin and press Pause when they finish. Save time adds them to the log with a verdict: under the minimum, within the range or over the maximum. In club contests speakers often have 30 seconds of grace either side of the range; the log notes when a time falls inside that window, but your contest rules decide. Copy the log at the end for your report.

The display can count up, count down to red, or show no numbers at all, only the colour, which some speakers find less distracting. Once the overtime warning is reached the light pulses slowly; it holds steady if your device asks for reduced motion. The timer keeps the screen awake while it runs, where the browser allows it.

**Timing an online meeting?** Share this tab or pin it beside your camera. Before the call, WebTraceCheck's [free network self-check](https://webtracecheck.com/network-check) tests the IPv4, IPv6, DNS and WebRTC connections that video calls rely on.

## Questions

**What do green, amber and red mean?**

Green: the minimum time has been reached. Amber: the speaker is halfway through the allowed range and should move towards the end. Red: the maximum time has been reached and the speaker should finish.

**Can I hide the numbers from the speaker?**

Yes. Set Display to Colour only and the screen shows just the light. The time log still records the exact time when you save it.

**Does the timer keep counting if I switch tabs?**

Yes. It measures from the moment you pressed Start, so it stays accurate in a background tab, and the display catches up as soon as you come back.

**Can it make a sound?**

Turn on Chime at each light for a short, quiet tone as each colour appears. It is off by default, because most meetings use silent lights.