Military Time Converter
Convert 24-hour military time to regular 12-hour time — and back — instantly. Type any format: 1430, 14:30, or 2:30 PM.
Accepts 4-digit military time (1730), 24-hour time (17:30), or 12-hour time with AM/PM (5:30 PM). Seconds optional.
Full Military Time Chart
Every hour of the day in both formats, with the spoken form used over the radio. Tap any row to load it into the converter.
| Military | Standard | How to say it |
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How to Read Military Time
Military time runs on a 24-hour clock, so there's never any AM/PM confusion. The first two digits are the hour, the last two are the minutes.
Converting in your head
- 12:00 AM – 11:59 AM: the hour stays the same. 0930 → 9:30 AM (just drop the leading zero).
- 12:00 PM – 12:59 PM: stays 12. 1230 → 12:30 PM
- 1:00 PM – 11:59 PM: subtract 12 from the hour. 1900 → 7:00 PM
- Going the other way: for PM times (except 12 PM), add 12. 4:15 PM → 1615
Saying it out loud
Read the hour, then the minutes, then the word “hours.” Minutes under ten get an “oh” in front of them, and on-the-hour times end in “hundred.”
- 0800 → “zero eight hundred hours”
- 1405 → “fourteen oh five hours”
- 1730 → “seventeen thirty hours”
- 2215 → “twenty-two fifteen hours”
Midnight: 0000 or 2400?
Both exist. 0000 is midnight at the start of a day; 2400 is the same moment at the end of a day — used for end-of-shift and end-of-duty times. This converter accepts both.
What's Zulu time?
Each time zone has a letter code in the phonetic alphabet; UTC is “Z,” pronounced “Zulu.” Operations spanning multiple time zones run on Zulu time so every unit shares one clock. The live Zulu readout at the top of this page shows it now.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is 1730 in standard time?
1730 is 5:30 PM. For any time from 1300 to 2359, subtract 12 from the hour to get the PM time: 17 − 12 = 5, and the minutes stay the same.
How do you convert military time to regular time?
Hours 0000–1159 are AM (with 00 shown as 12 AM). 1200–1259 is 12 PM. For 1300–2359, subtract 12 from the hour and mark it PM. Minutes never change.
What is 2000 in military time spoken aloud?
2000 is 8:00 PM, spoken as “twenty hundred hours.” On-the-hour times always end in “hundred” — so 0900 is “zero nine hundred hours” and 1200 is “twelve hundred hours.”
Why doesn't military time use a colon?
The colon is dropped so the time is a single unambiguous four-digit block in written orders and logs — “1400” can't be misread or split across a line break. In civilian 24-hour usage (like train schedules) the colon is usually kept: 14:00.
Is midnight 0000 or 2400?
Both are used. 0000 marks the start of a new day; 2400 marks the end of the current day. They are the same instant — the choice depends on whether the time belongs to the day beginning or the day ending.
Why does the military use a 24-hour clock?
To eliminate AM/PM errors. In operations, confusing 7 AM with 7 PM can mean a missed rendezvous or worse. A 24-hour clock makes every time of day unique, and pairing it with Zulu (UTC) time keeps units in different time zones synchronized.