Military Time Pronunciation Guide: How to Say 24-Hour Time Correctly

Published: February 15, 2025 Last Updated: 25/04/2025

Knowing how to correctly pronounce military time is essential for clear communication in military operations, emergency services, healthcare, aviation, and other fields where precise time communication can be critical. This comprehensive guide covers standard pronunciation formats, common variations, and practical examples to help you master verbal military time communication.

Table of Contents

Standard Military Time Pronunciation Format

Military time is typically pronounced by grouping the hours and minutes as separate numbers, not as a single four-digit number. The standard convention follows these rules:

  • Hours are spoken as a whole number (zero through twenty-four)
  • Minutes are spoken as a whole number (zero through fifty-nine)
  • The word "hours" is typically added at the end

Basic Examples:

0600 = "Zero six hundred hours" or "Oh six hundred hours"

1430 = "Fourteen thirty hours"

2300 = "Twenty-three hundred hours"

Hours and Minutes Pronunciation

For precise time communication, it's important to know how to correctly pronounce both the hours and minutes portions of military time.

Military Time Standard Pronunciation Alternative Pronunciation
0000 "Zero zero hundred hours" "Midnight" or "Zero hundred hours"
0100 "Zero one hundred hours" "Oh one hundred hours"
0630 "Zero six thirty hours" "Oh six thirty hours"
1200 "Twelve hundred hours" "Noon"
1545 "Fifteen forty-five hours" "Fifteen forty-five"
2000 "Twenty hundred hours" "Twenty hundred"
2359 "Twenty-three fifty-nine hours" "Twenty-three fifty-nine"

Notice that for times from 0001 to 0959, the leading zero can be pronounced either as "zero" or as "oh" (the letter O). Both are acceptable in military communications, though "zero" is considered more formal and precise.

Special Cases and Exceptions

There are a few special cases in military time pronunciation that deserve additional attention:

On-the-Hour Times

When the time is exactly on the hour (no minutes), the format changes slightly. The minutes portion ("00") is pronounced as "hundred" instead of "zero zero."

1400 = "Fourteen hundred hours" (not "fourteen zero zero hours")

0900 = "Zero nine hundred hours" or "Oh nine hundred hours"

Midnight and Noon

In many contexts, 0000/2400 (midnight) and 1200 (noon) have special pronunciations:

  • 0000 or 2400 = Often simply called "midnight"
  • 1200 = Often simply called "noon"

However, in formal military communications, the numeric format is still preferred: "zero zero hundred hours" or "twenty-four hundred hours" for midnight, and "twelve hundred hours" for noon.

Important Note

Although both 0000 and 2400 technically represent midnight, 0000 refers to the beginning of the day while 2400 refers to the end of the day. In most military and technical contexts, 0000 is the preferred format.

Regional and Organizational Variations

Different organizations and countries may have variations in how they pronounce military time:

U.S. Military

The U.S. Armed Forces typically use the standard format with "hours" at the end:

1425 = "Fourteen twenty-five hours"

NATO

NATO communications often add the word "Zulu" to indicate UTC time:

1425Z = "Fourteen twenty-five Zulu"

Aviation

Pilots and air traffic controllers often omit the word "hours":

1425 = "Fourteen twenty-five"

European Countries

Some European countries use "hours" before the minutes:

1425 = "Fourteen hours twenty-five"

Common Pronunciation Mistakes

When first learning to pronounce military time, many people make these common mistakes:

Military Time Incorrect Pronunciation Correct Pronunciation
0600 "Six hundred hours" "Zero six hundred hours"
1430 "Fourteen hundred thirty hours" "Fourteen thirty hours"
0015 "Zero fifteen hours" "Zero zero fifteen hours"
0845 "Eight forty-five hours" "Zero eight forty-five hours"
2000 "Two thousand hours" "Twenty hundred hours"

The most common mistake is omitting the leading zero for hours 0 through 9. Always include the leading zero in both written and verbal communication to maintain clarity and prevent misunderstandings.

Practice Exercises

Test Your Military Time Pronunciation

Practice with these examples and check your understanding of proper military time pronunciation:

How would you pronounce 0715?

  • Zero seven fifteen hours
  • Seven fifteen hours
  • Oh seven one five hours
  • Seven hundred fifteen hours
Correct! "Zero seven fifteen hours" is the proper pronunciation, although "Oh seven fifteen hours" is also acceptable.

How would you pronounce 1830?

  • Eighteen hours thirty minutes
  • Eighteen thirty hours
  • One eight three zero hours
  • Eighteen hundred thirty hours
Correct! "Eighteen thirty hours" is the standard military pronunciation.

How would you pronounce 2400?

  • Two thousand four hundred hours
  • Twenty-four zero zero hours
  • Twenty-four hundred hours
  • Two four zero zero hours
Correct! "Twenty-four hundred hours" is the proper military pronunciation, though "Midnight" is also commonly used in less formal situations.

Military Time Communication Tips

For clear and effective communication using military time:

  • Speak clearly and deliberately when pronouncing times, especially in noisy environments or radio communications.
  • Always include the leading zero for hours 0 through 9 to avoid confusion.
  • Confirm critical times by having the recipient repeat back the time to ensure accuracy.
  • Maintain consistency in your pronunciation format within your organization.
  • When writing military time, avoid using colons or separators between hours and minutes (write 1425, not 14:25).
  • Practice regularly to develop fluency in military time pronunciation.
Colonel James Wilson

Colonel James Wilson (Ret.)

Colonel Wilson served for 28 years in the U.S. Army, where he specialized in communications and operations. He now works as a consultant teaching military protocols and standards to civilian organizations.