Military Time
Convert between standard 12-hour time and military (24-hour) time instantly. Free online army time converter with pronunciation guide for aviation, healthcare, and military use.
About This Calculator
The Military Time Converter (also known as an army time converter) lets you instantly convert between the standard 12-hour clock (AM/PM) and military 24-hour time. Whether you need to read a flight schedule, understand hospital shift timings, decode military communication, or simply avoid AM/PM confusion, this tool provides fast and accurate conversions with correct military time pronunciation.
How it works: Military time (also called the 24-hour clock) counts hours from 00 (midnight) to 23 (11 PM). To convert 12-hour time to military time: for AM hours (1–11), add a leading zero (e.g., 3 AM → 0300); for PM hours, add 12 to the hour (e.g., 3 PM → 1500). The only exceptions are 12 AM (midnight) which becomes 0000, and 12 PM (noon) which stays 1200. Converting back is just as simple: hours 00–11 are AM (00 = 12 AM), hours 12–23 are PM (subtract 12 to get the PM hour).
Regional Notes
United States: Military time is the standard format used by the US military, aviation, hospitals, law enforcement, and emergency services. It is also commonly used in computer system logs and scientific data recording.
United Kingdom: The 24-hour clock (called "railway time" or "continental time") is the standard for all public transportation timetables, television schedules, and digital displays. Most Britons use the 12-hour clock in casual speech but read 24-hour times without difficulty.
India: The Indian Armed Forces, Indian Railways, Air India, and most government organizations use the 24-hour clock. Indian Railways timetables exclusively use 24-hour time (e.g., a train departing at 7:30 PM is listed as 19:30). Digital watches and mobile phones in India commonly offer both 12-hour and 24-hour display options.
Pronunciation rules: Leading zeros are always pronounced (0835 is "zero eight thirty-five"). Round hours use "hundred" (0800 is "zero eight hundred hours", 1700 is "seventeen hundred hours"). The word "hours" is often appended but can be omitted in casual use. Military time zones are denoted by letters (Z for Zulu/UTC, J for local time, etc.).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is military time?
Military time is a way to express time using a 24-hour clock instead of a 12-hour clock. It eliminates confusion between AM and PM by using hours from 00:00 to 23:59. The format is hhmm or hh:mm where hh is the number of hours passed since midnight (00–23) and mm is the number of minutes (00–59). In military applications, the colon is typically omitted.
How do I convert standard time to military time?
To convert standard time to military time, check if the hour is AM or PM. If the hour is AM and is a single digit (1–9 AM), simply add a leading zero (e.g., 3 AM becomes 0300). If the hour is PM, add 12 to the hour number (e.g., 3 PM becomes 3 + 12 = 15, or 1500). Exceptions: 12 AM (midnight) becomes 0000, and 12 PM (noon) remains 1200.
How do I convert military time to standard time?
To convert military time to standard time, check if the hour is less than 12. If it is 00:00–11:59, it is AM; 00:00 is 12:00 AM (midnight). If the hour is 12:00 or greater, subtract 12 to get the PM hour (e.g., 13:00 becomes 1:00 PM, 23:00 becomes 11:00 PM). Minutes stay the same in both systems.
What is 12 AM and 12 PM in military time?
12 AM (midnight) in military time is 0000 (or 2400 for the end of the day). 12 PM (noon) in military time is 1200. Midnight is commonly expressed as 0000 (zero hundred hours), and noon is expressed as 1200 (twelve hundred hours).
How do you read 0835 in military time?
0835 in military time is read as zero eight thirty-five. Leading zeros must always be pronounced. For round hours like 0800, it is read as zero eight hundred hours. For non-round hours, you say the hour (with leading zeros) followed by the minute number.
Where is military time commonly used?
Military time is widely used in aviation, healthcare, emergency services, the military, and public transportation worldwide. In the US, it is the standard time format for hospitals, flight schedules, and police dispatchers. In the UK and Europe, the 24-hour clock is the standard format used in everyday life, train schedules, and digital displays. In India, military time is used by the Indian Armed Forces, Indian Railways, and airlines.
Is 2400 or 0000 correct for midnight?
Both are used but for different purposes. 0000 (zero hundred hours) refers to the start of a day, while 2400 (twenty-four hundred hours) refers to the end of a day. For example, a shop open until midnight may list hours as 16:00–24:00, while a train departing just after midnight leaves at 00:00. 0000 is more commonly used in digital clocks and military communication.
How do I say 1300 in military time?
1300 in military time is read as thirteen hundred hours. For hours 10–23, you say the hour number followed by 'hundred hours' for round times (e.g., 1000 is ten hundred hours, 1700 is seventeen hundred hours). For times with minutes, you continue with the minute number (e.g., 1345 is thirteen forty-five).