diff --git a/app/liquid_tags/youtube_tag.rb b/app/liquid_tags/youtube_tag.rb
index 35aae1131..80716705d 100644
--- a/app/liquid_tags/youtube_tag.rb
+++ b/app/liquid_tags/youtube_tag.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 class YoutubeTag < LiquidTagBase
   PARTIAL = "liquids/youtube".freeze
+  MARKER_TO_SECONDS_MAP = {
+    "h" => 60 * 60,
+    "m" => 60,
+    "s" => 1
+  }.freeze
 
   def initialize(_tag_name, id, _parse_context)
     super
@@ -29,19 +34,23 @@ class YoutubeTag < LiquidTagBase
     input_no_space
   end
 
-  def translate_start_time(id)
-    time = id.split("?t=")[-1]
-    time_hash = {
-      h: time.scan(/\d+h/)[0]&.delete("h").to_i,
-      m: time.scan(/\d+m/)[0]&.delete("m").to_i,
-      s: time.scan(/\d+s/)[0]&.delete("s").to_i
-    }
-    time_in_seconds = (time_hash[:h] * 3600) + (time_hash[:m] * 60) + time_hash[:s]
-    "#{id.split('?t=')[0]}?start=#{time_in_seconds}"
+  def valid_id?(id)
+    id.match?(/\A[a-zA-Z0-9_-]{11}((\?t=)?(\d{1,}h?)?(\d{1,2}m)?(\d{1,2}s)?){5,11}?\Z/)
   end
 
-  def valid_id?(id)
-    id =~ /\A[a-zA-Z0-9_-]{11}((\?t=)?(\d{1}h)?(\d{1,2}m)?(\d{1,2}s)?){5,11}?\Z/
+  def translate_start_time(id)
+    time = id.split("?t=")[-1]
+    return "#{id.split('?t=')[0]}?start=#{time}" if time.match?(/\A\d+\Z/)
+
+    time_elements = time.split(/[a-z]/)
+    time_markers = time.split(/\d+/)[1..]
+
+    seconds = 0
+    time_markers.each_with_index do |m, i|
+      seconds += MARKER_TO_SECONDS_MAP.fetch(m, 0) * time_elements[i].to_i
+    end
+
+    "#{id.split('?t=')[0]}?start=#{seconds}"
   end
 end
 
diff --git a/spec/liquid_tags/youtube_tag_spec.rb b/spec/liquid_tags/youtube_tag_spec.rb
index 43d63e349..10ac89c54 100644
--- a/spec/liquid_tags/youtube_tag_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/liquid_tags/youtube_tag_spec.rb
@@ -3,22 +3,9 @@ require "rails_helper"
 RSpec.describe YoutubeTag, type: :liquid_tag do
   describe "#id" do
     let(:valid_id_no_time) { "dQw4w9WgXcQ" }
-    let(:valid_ids_with_time) { "QASbw8_0meM?t=8h12m26s" }
+    let(:valid_id_with_time) { "QASbw8_0meM?t=8h12m26s" }
     let(:invalid_id) { Faker::Lorem.characters(number: rand(12..100)) }
 
-    def parsed_id(id)
-      return id unless id.include?("?t=")
-
-      id_array = id.split("?t=")
-      time_hash = {
-        h: id_array[1].scan(/\d+h/)[0]&.delete("h").to_i,
-        m: id_array[1].scan(/\d+m/)[0]&.delete("m").to_i,
-        s: id_array[1].scan(/\d+s/)[0]&.delete("s").to_i
-      }
-      time_string = ((time_hash[:h] * 3600) + (time_hash[:m] * 60) + time_hash[:s]).to_s
-      "#{id_array[0]}?start=#{time_string}"
-    end
-
     def generate_new_liquid(id)
       Liquid::Template.register_tag("youtube", YoutubeTag)
       Liquid::Template.parse("{% youtube #{id} %}")
@@ -33,7 +20,7 @@ RSpec.describe YoutubeTag, type: :liquid_tag do
     end
 
     it "accepts valid YouTube ID with starting times" do
-      liquid = generate_new_liquid(valid_ids_with_time).render
+      liquid = generate_new_liquid(valid_id_with_time).render
 
       expect(liquid).to include('<iframe')
       expect(liquid).to include('src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QASbw8_0meM?start=29546"')
@@ -47,7 +34,7 @@ RSpec.describe YoutubeTag, type: :liquid_tag do
     end
 
     it "accepts YouTube ID with start times and one empty space" do
-      liquid = generate_new_liquid("#{valid_ids_with_time} ").render
+      liquid = generate_new_liquid("#{valid_id_with_time} ").render
 
       expect(liquid).to include('<iframe')
       expect(liquid).to include('src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QASbw8_0meM?start=29546"')