Have you ever heard someone mention “military time” and felt a little lost? You’re not alone! Many people are curious about this 24-hour clock system. Whether you’re wondering what time is it in military time right now, or simply want to understand this method of telling time, you’ve come to the right place. This guide will break down everything you need to know about military time, also known as the 24-hour clock or astronomical time, and show you how easy it is to read and use.
Military time is based on a 24-hour clock, where the day runs from midnight to midnight and is divided into 24 hours. This system is used worldwide for its clarity and precision, especially in fields where avoiding confusion is crucial.
Easy Military Time Conversion Chart
To help you quickly understand military time, here’s a handy conversion chart comparing the 12-hour clock to military time. Think of this as your go-to military time converter or a quick reference military time conversion chart.
| 12-hour am-pm clock | 24-hour military time |
|---|---|
| 12:00 midnight | 00:00 |
| 1:00 am | 01:00 |
| 2:00 am | 02:00 |
| 3:00 am | 03:00 |
| 4:00 am | 04:00 |
| 5:00 am | 05:00 |
| 6:00 am | 06:00 |
| 7:00 am | 07:00 |
| 8:00 am | 08:00 |
| 9:00 am | 09:00 |
| 10:00 am | 10:00 |
| 11:00 am | 11:00 |
| 12:00 pm | 12:00 |
| 1:00 pm | 13:00 |
| 2:00 pm | 14:00 |
| 3:00 pm | 15:00 |
| 4:00 pm | 16:00 |
| 5:00 pm | 17:00 |
| 6:00 pm | 18:00 |
| 7:00 pm | 19:00 |
| 8:00 pm | 20:00 |
| 9:00 pm | 21:00 |
| 10:00 pm | 22:00 |
| 11:00 pm | 23:00 |
| 12:00 midnight | 24:00 |
Understanding How to Read Military Time
In military time, the day begins at midnight, represented as 00:00. The day progresses through 24 hours, ending at 23:59, which is one minute before midnight. You might occasionally see midnight written as 24:00, and both 00:00 and 24:00 are acceptable notations for midnight.
For example, if you have a schedule from 4:00 pm to 12:00 midnight in standard time, in military time, it would be shown as 16:00 – 24:00. Similarly, 10:15 am remains 10:15 in military time, but 2:30 pm becomes 14:30. This difference highlights the core conversion needed for times after noon.
Simple Steps to Master Military Time Conversion
There are just two key things to remember when learning to tell military time:
Morning Hours Remain the Same: From midnight until just before noon (12:59 pm), military time is exactly the same as standard civilian time. So, 7:00 am is simply 07:00 in military time.
Afternoon and Evening Hours: Add 12: For any time from 1:00 pm onwards, convert to military time by adding 12 hours to the standard 12-hour clock time. For instance, 3:00 pm becomes 15:00 (12 + 3 = 15), and 9:00 pm becomes 21:00 (12 + 9 = 21).
That’s all there is to it! With these simple rules, you can easily convert any time to military time.
This 24-hour system is widely used by various organizations including the military, government agencies, public transportation, hospitals, emergency services, and in fields like meteorology and astronomy. Computers also operate on a 24-hour clock.
When spoken, military time like 07:00 is often pronounced as “zero seven hundred” or “oh seven hundred.” In written form, especially in military contexts, the colon is often omitted, so 07:52 would be written as 0752.
Time can also be referenced to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), often now referred to as Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). When referencing GMT/UTC, a “Z” is appended to the time, like 0752Z. Local time might be denoted with a “J,” and the Eastern time zone with an “R,” each zone having a corresponding letter.
Visual Military Time Converter
military time chart for easy conversion
Explore other timekeeping systems by visiting our articles on the lunar calendar, the Mayan Calendar, the Chinese Calendar, the Gregorian Calendar, and learn All About Sundials.
Further Reading: Wikipedia: 24-hour clock
