Military Time Converter - 24-Hour and 12-Hour Time

Convert between regular AM/PM time and 24-hour military time in both directions as you type. Free, instant, and browser-based, with a full reference chart and spoken military phrases.

1330=1:30 PM

Spoken: "13 30 (1330 hours)"

Military12-hourSpoken as
000012:00 AMzero hundred (midnight)
01001:00 AMzero one hundred
02002:00 AMzero two hundred
03003:00 AMzero three hundred
04004:00 AMzero four hundred
05005:00 AMzero five hundred
06006:00 AMzero six hundred
07007:00 AMzero seven hundred
08008:00 AMzero eight hundred
09009:00 AMzero nine hundred
100010:00 AMten hundred
110011:00 AMeleven hundred
120012:00 PMtwelve hundred (noon)
13001:00 PMthirteen hundred
14002:00 PMfourteen hundred
15003:00 PMfifteen hundred
16004:00 PMsixteen hundred
17005:00 PMseventeen hundred
18006:00 PMeighteen hundred
19007:00 PMnineteen hundred
20008:00 PMtwenty hundred
21009:00 PMtwenty-one hundred
220010:00 PMtwenty-two hundred
230011:00 PMtwenty-three hundred

How Military Time Works

Military time runs on a 24-hour clock: the day starts at 0000 (midnight) and ends at 2359. The first twelve hours match the AM clock, so 0900 is simply 9:00 AM. From 1:00 PM onward you add 12, which makes 1:00 PM into 1300, 5:30 PM into 1730, and 11:45 PM into 2345. Going the other way, subtract 12 from anything at 1300 or later: 2100 minus 12 gives 9:00 PM. The two times people trip over are midnight (0000, sometimes written 2400 for the end of a day) and noon (1200), because 12 AM and 12 PM are the ambiguous spots on a 12-hour clock.

The armed forces, hospitals, aviation, emergency services, and most of the world outside the United States use the 24-hour clock because it removes AM/PM mistakes entirely. A medication ordered for 0800 cannot be given twelve hours late the way an ambiguous "8 o'clock" can. In spoken military usage, times are read as hundreds: 1300 is "thirteen hundred", 0700 is "zero seven hundred" (often "oh seven hundred" informally), and 1530 is "fifteen thirty". NATO forces append a timezone letter, so 1300Z means 1300 Zulu time, which is UTC.

Note a small difference between military style and ordinary 24-hour notation: military time is written without a colon and always with four digits (0630), while civilian 24-hour time usually keeps the colon (06:30). This converter accepts both, plus compact entries like 630 or 130pm, and converts live in whichever direction you type. The reference table covers all 24 hours with the standard spoken phrase for each.

Working across countries? Most of Europe, Latin America, and Asia write timetables in 24-hour format, so a Dutch train at 17:12 is 5:12 PM. If you also need to shift a meeting across time zones, the Timezone Converter on ToolForte handles that, and the Date Calculator helps when you are counting days rather than hours. All tools run free in your browser.

How the Military Time Converter Works

  1. 01Type a 12-hour time like 1:30 PM in the left field, or a 24-hour time like 1330 in the right field.
  2. 02The other field converts instantly as you type, in either direction.
  3. 03Read the spoken military phrase, such as thirteen thirty for 1330.
  4. 04Check the full 24-hour reference chart or your current time in both formats.

Reading and Writing Military Time

Military time uses a 24-hour clock written as four digits without a colon: 0000 is midnight, 1200 is noon, and 2359 is one minute before the next midnight. Morning hours match the AM clock (0900 is 9:00 AM); from 1:00 PM you add 12, so 5:30 PM becomes 1730. Spoken, whole hours are read as hundreds: 1300 is thirteen hundred and 0700 is zero seven hundred. The converter accepts flexible input like 130pm, 13:00, or 730 and converts live in both directions.

When to Use This Tool

Use it when reading military or NATO documents, hospital shift schedules, flight plans, European timetables, or emergency services logs, all of which use the 24-hour clock. It is equally useful going the other way: writing AM/PM times for an American audience when you are used to 24-hour notation. The live current-time display doubles as a quick reference during a conversation or briefing.

Common Use Cases

  • Read a hospital roster or military document written in 24-hour time
  • Convert meeting times across time zones after converting the format Time Zone Converter - World Clock Free
  • Write AM/PM times correctly for an American audience

Tips

  • For PM to military: add 12 to the hour. For military to PM: subtract 12 from 1300 or later.
  • Remember the two odd ones: 12:00 AM (midnight) is 0000 and 12:00 PM (noon) is 1200.
  • The converter accepts compact input like 730, 1330, or 130pm; no colon needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I convert PM times to military time?→
Add 12 to the hour for any time from 1:00 PM to 11:59 PM. So 3:45 PM becomes 1545 and 11:00 PM becomes 2300. Noon stays 1200, and midnight becomes 0000. Morning times just get a leading zero: 7:15 AM is 0715.
Is midnight 0000 or 2400?→
Both are used. 0000 marks the start of a day and is the common form; 2400 is sometimes used to mark the end of a day, so a shift ending at midnight might be written 1600-2400. Digital systems almost always use 0000.
How is military time spoken aloud?→
Whole hours are read as hundreds: 1300 is thirteen hundred, 0800 is zero eight hundred (informally oh eight hundred). Times with minutes drop the hundred: 1545 is fifteen forty-five, and 0805 is zero eight zero five in strict usage.
What is the difference between military time and 24-hour time?→
The clock is identical; only the notation differs. Military style writes four digits without a colon (0630) while civilian 24-hour notation keeps the colon (06:30). Most of Europe, Latin America, and Asia use 24-hour notation in schedules and timetables.
What does the Z in times like 1300Z mean?→
Z stands for Zulu time, the NATO letter for UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). Aviation and military operations use Zulu so units in different time zones share one clock. 1300Z is 1300 UTC, which is 1400 or 1500 in the Netherlands depending on daylight saving time.

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