Standard Military Time Chart
Complete reference table for converting between 12-hour and 24-hour time formats
Complete Military Time Conversion Chart
This comprehensive military time chart provides a clear reference for converting between standard 12-hour clock times and the 24-hour military time format. Military time is widely used in armed forces, emergency services, hospitals, aviation, and other fields where precision in timekeeping is critical.
Unlike the 12-hour clock that divides the day into two periods (AM and PM), military time counts all 24 hours of the day consecutively from 0000 hours (midnight) to 2359 hours (11:59 PM). This eliminates confusion between morning and evening hours and reduces the possibility of time-based errors in critical operations.
How to Read This Chart
Military time format: Four digits with no colon or separator. The first two digits represent hours (00-23), and the last two digits represent minutes (00-59). Example: 1430 (not 14:30).
Pronunciation: Military time is typically read by pronouncing each digit separately or as a whole number followed by "hundred" for times with 00 minutes. Example: 1430 is "fourteen thirty" or "one-four-three-zero", and 1400 is "fourteen hundred".
Color coding: The chart below is color-coded by time periods (morning, afternoon, evening, night) with special highlighting for midnight and noon.
| Standard Time (12-hour) | Military Time (24-hour) | Pronunciation | Time Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 AM | 0000 | "Zero hundred hours" or "Zero-zero-zero-zero" | Midnight |
| 12:15 AM | 0015 | "Zero zero fifteen" | Night |
| 12:30 AM | 0030 | "Zero zero thirty" | Night |
| 12:45 AM | 0045 | "Zero zero forty-five" | Night |
| 1:00 AM | 0100 | "Zero one hundred hours" or "Oh-one-hundred" | Night |
| 2:00 AM | 0200 | "Zero two hundred hours" or "Oh-two-hundred" | Night |
| 3:00 AM | 0300 | "Zero three hundred hours" or "Oh-three-hundred" | Night |
| 4:00 AM | 0400 | "Zero four hundred hours" or "Oh-four-hundred" | Night |
| 5:00 AM | 0500 | "Zero five hundred hours" or "Oh-five-hundred" | Night |
| 6:00 AM | 0600 | "Zero six hundred hours" or "Oh-six-hundred" | Morning |
| 7:00 AM | 0700 | "Zero seven hundred hours" or "Oh-seven-hundred" | Morning |
| 8:00 AM | 0800 | "Zero eight hundred hours" or "Oh-eight-hundred" | Morning |
| 9:00 AM | 0900 | "Zero nine hundred hours" or "Oh-nine-hundred" | Morning |
| 10:00 AM | 1000 | "Ten hundred hours" | Morning |
| 11:00 AM | 1100 | "Eleven hundred hours" | Morning |
| 11:30 AM | 1130 | "Eleven thirty hours" | Morning |
| 12:00 PM | 1200 | "Twelve hundred hours" | Noon |
| 12:15 PM | 1215 | "Twelve fifteen" | Afternoon |
| 12:30 PM | 1230 | "Twelve thirty" | Afternoon |
| 12:45 PM | 1245 | "Twelve forty-five" | Afternoon |
| 1:00 PM | 1300 | "Thirteen hundred hours" | Afternoon |
| 2:00 PM | 1400 | "Fourteen hundred hours" | Afternoon |
| 3:00 PM | 1500 | "Fifteen hundred hours" | Afternoon |
| 4:00 PM | 1600 | "Sixteen hundred hours" | Afternoon |
| 5:00 PM | 1700 | "Seventeen hundred hours" | Afternoon |
| 6:00 PM | 1800 | "Eighteen hundred hours" | Evening |
| 7:00 PM | 1900 | "Nineteen hundred hours" | Evening |
| 8:00 PM | 2000 | "Twenty hundred hours" | Evening |
| 9:00 PM | 2100 | "Twenty-one hundred hours" | Evening |
| 10:00 PM | 2200 | "Twenty-two hundred hours" | Evening |
| 11:00 PM | 2300 | "Twenty-three hundred hours" | Evening |
| 11:30 PM | 2330 | "Twenty-three thirty" | Evening |
| 11:45 PM | 2345 | "Twenty-three forty-five" | Evening |
| 11:59 PM | 2359 | "Twenty-three fifty-nine" | Night |
Understanding Military Time
Military time follows a 24-hour clock system with hours ranging from 00 to 23. This format eliminates the confusion that can occur with AM and PM designations in the 12-hour time format. In military time, the day begins at midnight (0000 hours) and ends at 2359 hours (11:59 PM).
Key Features of Military Time
- No AM/PM designations - The 24-hour format eliminates the need for AM and PM suffixes
- Four-digit format - Always displayed as four digits without colons or separators
- Leading zeros - Hours from 0-9 are preceded by a zero (e.g., 0630 for 6:30 AM)
- Midnight representation - Midnight can be written as either 0000 or 2400
- "Hours" suffix - Often appended when speaking (e.g., "fifteen hundred hours")
Converting Between Standard and Military Time
From standard time to military time:
- For AM times: Use the hour as is (adding a leading zero if less than 10) and append the minutes
- For PM times: Add 12 to the hour and append the minutes
- For 12:00 AM (midnight): Use 0000
- For 12:00 PM (noon): Use 1200
From military time to standard time:
- For times 0000-1159: Use the hour as is (removing leading zero if present), add minutes, and append AM
- For times 1200-2359: Subtract 12 from hours greater than 12, add minutes, and append PM
- For 0000: Convert to 12:00 AM
- For 1200: Convert to 12:00 PM
Tips for Mastering Military Time
Learning to read and use military time efficiently takes practice. Here are some tips to help you master it:
- Memorize the key conversion points - Focus on learning the military time equivalents for noon (1200), 1:00 PM (1300), 5:00 PM (1700), and 8:00 PM (2000) as reference points.
- Practice mental conversion - For PM times, get used to adding 12 to the hour mentally. For example, 3 PM? Add 12 to get 15, so it's 1500 hours.
- Use a digital clock with 24-hour display - Change your phone, computer, or watch to the 24-hour format to become more familiar with military time in daily life.
- Remember pronunciation conventions - Practice saying the times correctly using military terminology: "thirteen hundred hours" instead of "one three zero zero."
Real-World Applications of Military Time
Military Operations
In military contexts, precise timekeeping is critical for coordinating operations across different time zones. Military time eliminates confusion between AM and PM, ensuring that operations occur exactly when planned. This standardization is essential for multinational operations where different time formats could lead to dangerous miscommunications.
Healthcare Settings
Hospitals and healthcare facilities worldwide use military time for patient records, medication administration, and scheduling. This ensures precision in treatment timing and prevents potentially dangerous errors that could occur with AM/PM confusion. For medication that must be administered at specific intervals, military time provides an unambiguous reference.
Aviation and Transportation
The aviation industry uses military time globally for flight plans, schedules, and communications between pilots and air traffic control. This standardization helps prevent confusion when coordinating air traffic across multiple time zones and international boundaries, enhancing safety and operational efficiency.
Note: While military time is the standard for armed forces and many professional settings, conventions may vary slightly between organizations and countries. Some regions, particularly in Europe, use a colon separator (14:30 instead of 1430) in civilian contexts while still following the 24-hour format. The chart above follows the standard military format without separators.