A presentation timer app is one of three timing tools, and you need all three: a script-length estimate before you rehearse, a timer during spoken rehearsal, and checkpoints that tell you on the day whether you are on pace. Split your slot into speaking, discussion and handover time, measure real runs out loud, and keep a cut list for when you run long.
Split the slot before you write
A 20-minute board slot is rarely 20 minutes of talking. Agree with the chair or the company secretary how the time is divided, then plan backwards:
- Board meeting. Speaking time (often a short summary of a paper the board has already read), discussion time, and the decision or vote. If the decision is the point, protect the discussion time.
- Keynote. A fixed finish, often with a moderator signal, and sometimes questions. The organisers' run sheet is the authority.
Use Aitho to rehearse; the rules of the room apply on the day, whether that is the chair's agenda or the organisers' run sheet.
Three tools, three jobs
| Tool | What it tells you | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Script-length estimate | Roughly how long a draft will take at a typical pace | While writing, before you rehearse |
| Timer or stopwatch | How long you actually take, section by section | Every spoken rehearsal |
| Presentation timer app | Elapsed or remaining time while you present | Dress rehearsal and, where allowed, on the day |
If you choose a dedicated timer app, check its controls on the publisher's own pages: whether it counts up or down, how it signals, and whether it works with the screen locked. Many slide apps' presenter views also show a clock; check yours before you add another tool.
Estimate, then measure
- Estimate the draft. Paste it into the talk length calculator. At about 130 words per minute, 10 minutes is roughly 1,300 words.
- Measure real runs. Rehearse out loud, standing, and note the time at the end of each section. Spoken delivery with pauses usually runs longer than the estimate.
- Log three runs. Write the section times side by side. The section that varies most is the one to tighten.
Set checkpoints and a cut list
Pick three or four moments and the time you should reach each: "Recommendation slide by minute 4", "Story two by minute 12". On the day, a glance at the clock against a checkpoint tells you whether to cut. Then write a cut list in order: the example you drop before anything else, the supporting chart you skip next. For a board, cutting the lead-in is usually safer than cutting the discussion; for a keynote, cutting an example is safer than rushing the close. Shorten by removing material, not by speaking faster.
A one-page timing log
- Slot length and how it is split (speaking, discussion, handover).
- Estimated length of the draft.
- Measured time per section for three runs.
- Checkpoints with target times.
- Cut list, in order.
Rehearse to time with Aitho
Aitho is not a countdown timer, so keep a separate timer running while you rehearse. What it adds is a rehearsal you can repeat without losing your place: import your deck as PDF or PowerPoint, paste your script, and press Start. The script follows your voice and each slide advances when you reach its words, so you can run the whole talk standing and note the section times. The Rehearse tab can set a words-per-minute target and track filler words live. To practise the discussion, attach the board paper or your notes to the talk and type a likely question; a suggested answer from your own material appears on your screen, which you check and then say in your own words. The free plan includes three answers to try. See rehearse out loud.
Free to start: the free plan includes the voice-following script, your own PDF or PowerPoint (or the sample talk), any browser plus the iPhone and Android apps, spoken slide commands, and three private answers to try. Free needs no card. Current plans are on the pricing page.
Questions
What is a presentation timer app for?
It shows elapsed or remaining time while you present or rehearse. Pair it with a script-length estimate before rehearsal and checkpoints on the day.
Does Aitho have a built-in presentation timer?
Aitho is not a countdown timer. Use a separate timer while you rehearse; Aitho keeps your place in the script and advances the slides as you speak.
How many words is a 10-minute presentation?
At about 130 words per minute, roughly 1,300 words. Spoken delivery with pauses often runs longer, so measure real runs.
What should I cut if my board presentation runs long?
Cut the lead-in before the discussion time, and remove material rather than speaking faster.
Rehearse your talk to time
Free to start. Bring your deck and run it out loud with a script that follows your voice. Web, iPhone and Android.
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