# Timer function error

**URL:** <https://phaser.discourse.group/t/timer-function-error/15274>\
**Category:** Phaser 3\
**Created:** [April 8, 2025, 1:28pm UTC](https://phaser.discourse.group/t/timer-function-error/15274 "2025-04-08T13:28:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RickyRay](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/phaser.discourse.group/rickyray/32/8909_2.png) [@RickyRay](https://phaser.discourse.group/u/RickyRay)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2025, 1:28pm UTC](https://phaser.discourse.group/t/timer-function-error/15274/1 "2025-04-08T13:28:14Z")

</div>

Hi, I’m new to phaser and trying to make a undertale-like text system.  
I can’t understand why it gives error “Uncaught TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading ‘delayedCall’)”

```javascript
            var config = {
                type:Phaser.AUTO,
                width:1600,
                height:900,
                scene:{
                    preload: preload,
                    create: create,
                    update: update
                }
            };

            var game = new Phaser.Game(config);
            var image;
            var speechText;
            var speechAudio;
            
            function preload ()
            {
                this.sound.unlock();
                speechAudio = this.load.audio('speak','assets/audios/speak_1.mp3')
            }

            function create ()
            {
                speechText = this.add.text(800, 450, 'text', { font: '"Arial"' });
            }

            function update ()
            {
                speakSet('lorem ipsum dolor sit amet');
            }

            function speakSet(speech)
            {
                for (let i = 0; i < speech.length; i++) {
                    var pitch = Phaser.Math.Between(200, -200);
                    speechAudio.detune = pitch;
                    speechAudio.play;
                    speechText+=speech[i];
                    var timer = this.time.delayedCall(speechAudio.duration, returner(), [], this)
                }
            }

            function returner()
            {
                return 0;
            }

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![samme](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/phaser.discourse.group/samme/32/5275_2.png) [@samme](https://phaser.discourse.group/u/samme)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2025, 2:44pm UTC](https://phaser.discourse.group/t/timer-function-error/15274/2 "2025-04-08T14:44:57Z")

</div>

👋

In JS the calling context (`this` value) is dynamic.

> [@RickyRay](#):
>
> ```javascript
> speakSet('lorem ipsum dolor sit amet');
> 
> ```

Here `speakSet()` is called in the global context (`this === globalThis === window`). `window.time` is undefined. You want to call `speakSet()` in the context of the scene instead, which has `time.delayedCall`.

There are a few ways to fix this:

- Rewrite your scene as a class and call the method as `this.speakSet('…')`
- Add `speakSet` to `extend` in the scene config and call the method as `this.speakSet('…')`
- Call `speakSet` as `speakSet.call(this, '…')`

* * *

Change to

```javascript
var timer = this.time.delayedCall(speechAudio.duration, returner, [], this)

```

as you want to pass the function `returner` not invoke it.

Remove

```javascript
this.sound.unlock();

```

as it won’t do anything.

Remove `speechAudio = ` in `preload()` because `load.audio()` returns the loader. The audio hasn’t downloaded until `create()`.