How to Read Military Time (Simple Guide with Examples)?
Are you looking at times like 1730 or 2100 and wondering what they mean or how to read military time? You’re not alone — many people know what military time is but still find it tricky to read at first. Don’t worry, I’ll walk you through it step by step so you can read it instantly.
If you ever get stuck, you can also use our free Military Time Converter to check or convert any time quickly. But after reading this guide, you might not even need it — you’ll understand the logic behind every number.
Quick Answer:
To know how to read military time, just split the four digits into hours and minutes.
- If the number is between 0000 and 1159, it’s morning.
- If it’s 1200 or more, subtract 12 from the first two digits to get the afternoon or evening time.
Example:
1400 → 14 − 12 = 2:00 p.m.
0930 → stays as 9:30 a.m.
Simple, right? Let’s go deeper so it sticks forever.
Military Time Conversion Table
Here’s a simple table you can use as a quick reference. It shows how military time lines up with standard (12-hour) time.
| Military Time | Regular Time | How to Say It |
|---|---|---|
| 0000 | 12:00 a.m. | Zero hundred hours |
| 0730 | 7:30 a.m. | Zero seven thirty hours |
| 1200 | 12:00 p.m. | Twelve hundred hours |
| 1500 | 3:00 p.m. | Fifteen hundred hours |
| 1830 | 6:30 p.m. | Eighteen thirty hours |
| 2100 | 9:00 p.m. | Twenty-one hundred hours |
| 2359 | 11:59 p.m. | Twenty-three fifty-nine hours |
Step-by-Step: How to Read Military Time
Military time always uses four digits and runs from 0000 (midnight) to 2359 (one minute before the next midnight). There’s no colon, and you don’t use AM or PM. Here’s how to read it the right way:
- Look at the first two digits — that’s your hour.
- If it’s less than 12, you’re in the morning.
- If it’s 13 or higher, subtract 12 to find the regular hour.
- The last two digits show the minutes.
So when you see 1730, split it: 17 is the hour → 17 − 12 = 5 → 5:30 p.m. Or 0700 means 7 in the morning.
Morning (0000–1159)
These hours are simple because they match regular morning times.
0100 → “zero one hundred hours” → 1:00 a.m.
0845 → “zero eight forty-five hours” → 8:45 a.m.
1130 → “eleven thirty hours” → 11:30 a.m.
Afternoon and Evening (1200–2359)
After noon, the hours continue upward. To read them, subtract 12 and say “hundred” at the end if it’s an even hour.
1300 → “thirteen hundred hours” → 1:00 p.m.
1530 → “fifteen thirty hours” → 3:30 p.m.
2200 → “twenty-two hundred hours” → 10:00 p.m.
Once you get used to it, you won’t even think about converting.
Midnight and Noon Explained Clearly
Midnight is written as 0000 at the start of the day. Some systems also show 2400 for the end of the day, but both mean midnight.
Noon is 1200, and it’s the one time that looks the same in both civilian and military formats — no conversion needed.
How to Say Military Time Correctly?
When you read military time aloud, you use all four digits. You say the hour first and the minutes second. For full hours like 1400, you say “fourteen hundred hours.”
Examples:
0900 → zero nine hundred hours
1800 → eighteen hundred hours
1630 → sixteen thirty hours
This form avoids confusion, which is why military and aviation systems rely on it.
Easy Rule to Remember Forever
Here’s the single rule that solves everything:
If the first two digits are 13 or higher, subtract 12 to get PM time.
Examples:
1700 → 5:00 p.m.
1930 → 7:30 p.m.
2200 → 10:00 p.m.
If you’re unsure, check using our Military Time Converter.
Practice Checking with These Times
The best way to get comfortable reading military time is to practice with real examples. Change your phone or laptop to the 24-hour format for a few days. Soon, 1400 will instantly mean 2 p.m. to you — no thinking required.
You can also test yourself using a few random times: 0915, 1230, 1710, 2035 and 2245.
Once you can read all of these instantly, you’ve mastered it.
Common Reading Mistakes to Avoid
A few simple mistakes are common when people start reading military time:
- Forgetting to subtract 12 for afternoon times.
- Saying “fifteen three zero” instead of “fifteen thirty.”
- Mixing up 0000 and 2400, both are midnight.
To stay accurate, follow the “subtract 12” rule and keep the four-digit structure. It’s always written in full — for example, 0500, not 5:00.
Key Takeaways:
Let’s sum it up quickly:
- Military time has four digits, from 0000 to 2359.
- First two digits = hour, last two = minutes.
- For hours after 1200, subtract 12 to find standard time.
- Midnight = 0000, noon = 1200.
- Always say times with “hundred hours” when reading aloud.
You can always check your answers with our Military Time Converter if you want to confirm a time fast.
Conclusion
Reading military time isn’t complicated once you get the hang of it. Even if you don’t work in the military, learning to read this format makes life easier. You’ll see it on flight schedules, digital clocks, and international time systems.
You only need one rule — subtract 12 for any time over 1200.
So next time you see 1545, you’ll know it’s 3:45 p.m.
If you want to double-check or convert times in both formats, our Military Time Converter is the easiest tool to use.