Military Time Converter

Convert between 12-hour and 24-hour (military) time.

Two ways to tell the time

The 24-hour clock, often called military time, counts the hours from zero to twenty-three, avoiding the a.m. and p.m. of the 12-hour clock. This converts between the two formats in both directions.

Enter a time in either format to convert it.

Why the 24-hour clock avoids confusion

The 24-hour clock exists because the 12-hour clock is genuinely ambiguous — the same number appears twice a day, and the a.m./p.m. distinction is easy to get wrong, with midnight and noon being especially confusing (is 12 a.m. midnight or noon?). The 24-hour format removes all of that: every time has one unambiguous number, which is exactly why it is standard in the military, medicine, aviation, transport and computing, where a mistake between morning and evening could be serious. The conversion is straightforward once you know the trick — for afternoon and evening times, add twelve to the hour — but the confusing cases around midnight and noon are where people slip, which is precisely where an unambiguous format earns its place.

Common questions

How do I convert to 24-hour time?

For afternoon and evening times, add twelve to the hour — so 3 p.m. becomes 15:00. Morning times stay the same, with midnight as 00:00.

Why is the 24-hour clock used in critical fields?

Because it is unambiguous — every time has one number, avoiding the a.m./p.m. confusion that could cause serious errors in medicine, aviation or transport.

Is anything uploaded?

No. The conversion happens in your browser.

More Time & Date tools