How to read military time
Military time counts the hours of the day from 00 to 23, so there is no AM or PM. It is written as four digits with no colon: the first two are the hour and the last two are the minutes. 0800 is 8:00 AM, 1745 is 5:45 PM, and 2359 is one minute before midnight.
To say it, read the hour and then the minutes. On the hour, say "hundred": 0800 is "zero eight hundred" and 1700 is "seventeen hundred," often followed by "hours." With minutes, read the two pairs: 1745 is "seventeen forty-five" and 0930 is "zero nine thirty." Many people say "oh" for a leading zero. Outside the military, the same clock is usually written with a colon, as in 17:45, and called 24-hour time.
How to convert military time
From 12-hour time to military time:
- For AM times, write the hour with two digits: 7:15 AM is 0715.
- For PM times from 1:00 PM on, add 12 to the hour: 3:40 PM is 1540.
- 12 AM becomes 00: 12:30 AM is 0030. 12 PM stays 12: 12:30 PM is 1230.
From military time to 12-hour time:
- 0000 to 0059: the hour is 12 AM. 0045 is 12:45 AM.
- 0100 to 1159: drop the leading zero and add AM. 0915 is 9:15 AM.
- 1200 to 1259: add PM. 1220 is 12:20 PM.
- 1300 to 2359: subtract 12 from the hour and add PM. 2140 is 9:40 PM.
The minutes never change. Only the hour and the AM or PM do.
Military time chart
| 12-hour | 24-hour | How it's said |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00 AM (midnight) | 0000 | zero hundred |
| 1:00 AM | 0100 | zero one hundred |
| 2:00 AM | 0200 | zero two hundred |
| 3:00 AM | 0300 | zero three hundred |
| 4:00 AM | 0400 | zero four hundred |
| 5:00 AM | 0500 | zero five hundred |
| 6:00 AM | 0600 | zero six hundred |
| 7:00 AM | 0700 | zero seven hundred |
| 8:00 AM | 0800 | zero eight hundred |
| 9:00 AM | 0900 | zero nine hundred |
| 10:00 AM | 1000 | ten hundred |
| 11:00 AM | 1100 | eleven hundred |
| 12:00 PM (noon) | 1200 | twelve hundred |
| 1:00 PM | 1300 | thirteen hundred |
| 2:00 PM | 1400 | fourteen hundred |
| 3:00 PM | 1500 | fifteen hundred |
| 4:00 PM | 1600 | sixteen hundred |
| 5:00 PM | 1700 | seventeen hundred |
| 6:00 PM | 1800 | eighteen hundred |
| 7:00 PM | 1900 | nineteen hundred |
| 8:00 PM | 2000 | twenty hundred |
| 9:00 PM | 2100 | twenty-one hundred |
| 10:00 PM | 2200 | twenty-two hundred |
| 11:00 PM | 2300 | twenty-three hundred |
Midnight: 0000 or 2400
Midnight is written 0000 when it starts a day, so a shift that begins at midnight on Tuesday starts at 0000 Tuesday. Some schedules write 2400 for midnight at the end of a day, which makes Monday 2400 and Tuesday 0000 the same moment. The minute after midnight is always 0001, never 2401. On time cards, 0000 is the usual form.
Military messages often add a time zone letter after the time, such as 1400Z for 1400 in Coordinated Universal Time, called "Zulu" time.
Military time on a time card
Many time clocks and payroll reports print punches in 24-hour time. You can subtract them directly as hours and minutes, with no AM or PM to track. Convert them only when you need to compare against a schedule written in 12-hour time.
Your card shows In 0645 and Out 1515, with a 30-minute unpaid lunch.
- In
- 0645 = 6:45 AM
- Out
- 1515 = 3:15 PM
- Time between
- 15:15 − 6:45 = 8:30
- Lunch
- − 0:30
- Hours worked
- 8:00 (8.00 hours)
If the Out time is smaller than the In time, the shift crossed midnight. From 2230 to 0700 is 1:30 before midnight plus 7:00 after, or 8:30. The hours calculator and the time card calculator handle these shifts, and the decimal hours chart converts the result for payroll.
Questions
What time is 1700 in military time?
1700 is 5:00 PM. Subtract 12 from the hour: 17 − 12 = 5, and any hour from 13 to 23 is PM.
What is 2100 in regular time?
2100 is 9:00 PM, said "twenty-one hundred."
What time is 1930?
1930 is 7:30 PM. The hour 19 minus 12 is 7, and the minutes stay 30.
How do you say 0000 in military time?
0000 is midnight at the start of a day and is usually said "zero hundred." When 2400 is used for the end of a day, it is said "twenty-four hundred."
Is military time the same as 24-hour time?
It uses the same 24-hour clock. Military time is written without a colon, is said with "hundred" on the hour, and often carries a time zone letter. Civilian 24-hour time usually has a colon, as in 17:45.
How do I add hours to a military time?
Add the hours and minutes. If the result is 2400 or more, subtract 24 hours and move to the next day: 2200 plus 8 hours is 3000, so 0600 the next morning. To add up many durations, use the time calculator.