Enter a 12-hour time to convert it to the 24-hour format.
By following the steps below, you will be able to easily convert and understand both the standard (12-hour) time format and the military (24-hour) time format in no time.
How does 24 hour time work?
Generally speaking, 24 hour time (also known as 24 hour clock) is time expressed in 24-hour format as opposed to the 12-hour time found in everyday life. For instance, 7 AM would be 7:00 in 24 hour time, while 7 PM would be 19:00 in 24 hour time.
In accordance with ISO 8601, the 24-hour clock is the current international standard for timekeeping. A day has 24 hours starting at 0 hours and ending at 23 hours. It is particularly useful where its unambiguity is important. For example, scheduling business meetings, trips, train, bus, and plain schedules. Unlike a 12 hour clock, which has three numbers, the 24 hour clock has a single number corresponding to each time of day, making it difficult to misunderstand.
The 24-Hour Format Converter: How to Use It
Here is a step-by-step guide to using the “24-Hour Format Converter” calculator:
- Access the Calculator:
- Open the webpage or embed containing the “24-Hour Format Converter” tool in your browser. Ensure you have an internet connection to load the required styles
- Understand the Interface:
- At the top, you’ll see the title “🕒 24-Hour Format Converter” in a light gray header bar.
- Below the header, you’ll find an input section with fields for hours, minutes, seconds, milliseconds, and a dropdown for meridiem (AM/PM).
- Two buttons labeled “Convert” and “Reset” are located beneath the input fields.
- The result will appear in a card below the buttons, and an explanation will be displayed below the result card.
- Enter the Time:
- In the “Hours” field, type a number between 1 and 12 (e.g., 2). This represents the hour in 12-hour format.
- In the “Minutes” field, type a number between 0 and 59 (e.g., 3). This represents the minutes.
- In the “Seconds” field, type a number between 0 and 59 (e.g., 0). This is optional but can be included for precision.
- In the “ms” (milliseconds) field, type a number between 0 and 999 (e.g., 0). This is also optional.
- Use the “meridiem” dropdown to select either “AM” or “PM” to indicate the time of day.
- Example: To convert 2:03 PM, enter “2” in Hours, “3” in Minutes, “0” in Seconds, “0” in Milliseconds, and select “PM” from the dropdown.
- Convert the Time:
- Click the “Convert” button (blue with the color #2360E8). This will process the input and display the equivalent 24-hour format time in the result card.
- The result will be shown as “HH:MM:SS.mmm” (e.g., “14:03:00.000” for 2:03 PM).
- The explanation text below will describe the conversion in words (e.g., “To put it into words, the conversion of a 12-hour time format of 2:03:00.000 PM to a 24-hour time format is 14:03:00.000.”).
- Reset the Calculator:
- If you want to start over, click the “Reset” button. This will clear all input fields, reset the meridiem to “AM”, and restore the result to “–” with the default explanation text.
- Verify the Result:
- Check the result and explanation to ensure the conversion matches your expectations. For example, 2:03 PM should convert to 14:03:00.000, and 12:00 AM should convert to 00:00:00.000.
- Repeat as Needed:
- Enter new values and click “Convert” to perform additional conversions. Use “Reset” between different calculations to avoid confusion.
An understanding of 24 hour vs 12 hour clocks
The difference between 12-hour and 24-hour times can be visually understood using two methods. The first is to use a physical clock with hours between 1 and 12 on which full circles must be drawn to describe each time of the day. As an alternative, consider a clock with hour marks on it that start at 0 and go up to 23. The latter corresponds to the 24 hour system.
Visually comparing the two systems is by placing 24 hour times at the top of the line and AM/PM times at the bottom:
This graph can be used to convert 24 hours to 12 hours.
Time format conversion examples
In the morning and at night, it is easier to convert between 12 hour and 24 hour time since it simply takes adding twelve to the whole hour. For example, 9:30 AM is simply 9:30. When it comes to times near midnight, a 24-hour time converter comes in particularly handy since both 00:00 and 24:00 indicate midnight in the 24-hour system.
Nevertheless, our 24 hrs clock converter is capable of converting both to and from 24 hour time.
24 hour time to 12 hour time
Task example: What time is 18:00 (24 hour clock format) expressed in standard time with AM and PM?
Using the 12-hour format, 18:00 equals 6 PM (6:00 PM) in the 12-hour format since it’s 18 hours and zero minutes long. Because 18 is greater than 12 in the 12-hour format, it’s a PM time. Subtract 12 from 18 to get 6. Therefore, 18:00 corresponds to 6 PM (6:00 PM) in the 12-hour format.
12 hour to 24 hour time conversion
Task example: Using 24 hour clocks, how do you express 3 PM?
Adding 12 to 3 gives you 15 hours, then adding the minutes (“00”) gives you 15:00 o’clock in 12-hour time.
24 hour clock conversion chart
Here are the steps to convert 24 hrs clock to 12 hrs clock:
| 24 hour time | 12 hour time | 24 hour time | 12 hour time |
| 00:00 | 12:00 AM (midnight) | 12:00 | 12:00 PM (noon) |
| 00:30 | 12:30 AM | 12:30 | 12:30 PM |
| 01:00 | 1:00 AM | 13:00 | 1:00 PM |
| 01:30 | 1:30 AM | 13:30 | 1:30 PM |
| 02:00 | 2:00 AM | 14:00 | 2:00 PM |
| 02:30 | 2:30 AM | 14:30 | 2:30 PM |
| 03:00 | 3:00 AM | 15:00 | 3:00 PM |
| 03:30 | 3:30 AM | 15:30 | 03:30 PM |
| 04:00 | 4:00 AM | 16:00 | 4:00 PM |
| 04:30 | 4:30 AM | 16:30 | 04:30 PM |
| 05:00 | 5:00 AM | 17:00 | 5:00 PM |
| 05:30 | 5:30 AM | 17:30 | 5:30 PM |
| 06:00 | 6:00 AM | 18:00 | 6:00 PM |
| 06:30 | 6:30 AM | 14:30 | 2:30 PM |
| 07:00 | 7:00 AM | 19:00 | 7:00 PM |
| 07:30 | 7:30 AM | 19:30 | 7:30 PM |
| 08:00 | 8:00 AM | 20:00 | 8:00 PM |
| 08:30 | 8:30 AM | 20:30 | 8:30 PM |
| 09:00 | 9:00 AM | 21:00 | 9:00 PM |
| 09:30 | 9:30 AM | 21:30 | 9:30 PM |
| 10:00 | 10:00 AM | 22:00 | 10:00 PM |
| 10:30 | 10:30 AM | 22:30 | 10:30 PM |
| 11:00 | 11:00 AM | 23:00 | 11:00 PM |
| 11:30 | 11:30 AM | 23:30 | 11:30 PM |
| 12:00 | 12:00 PM (noon) | 24:00 | 12:00 AM (midnight) |
You can use the table to find the standard time equivalent of a 24 hour time, by checking the value to its right on the same row. For example, find 21:00, then look to the right to see that it is 9 PM.
Using the online 24 hour format converter, you can obtain precise timings.
What is the purpose of a 24-hour clock?
It is the international standard notation of time, primarily used in Europe, and it is the most commonly used time clock system in the world.
There is still a preference for the 12-hour AM/PM format in the United States, Great Britain, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The 24-hour format is sometimes referred to as military time in these countries.
Do you think “AM” should be “ante meridiem” or “ante meridian” (equally for PM)?
According to American, Australian, and British dictionaries, AM is spelled “ante meridiem,” a Latin expression.
It is also common for people to use the expression “ante meridian” (a meridian refers to an imaginary line in the sky at the height of the sun).
To avoid confusion, the 24-hour clock is commonly used in transportation, medical, and military industries. It is also known as railway/railroad time, military time, and continental time.
In what ways can the 24 hour format be effectively used?
In addition to the time format, there are some other aspects that you need to consider. For instance, you might want to schedule a call with someone in another part of the world. And this calculator can help you.
- There is a 6 hour difference between New York and Paris if you want to speak to someone from Paris (Central European Time).
- Daylight Saving Time (DST). Many countries adjust their clocks in the spring and fall, usually from late March to early April and late October to early November. The Northern Hemisphere starts spring in March, and the Southern Hemisphere starts fall in March, since certain marketing content is seasonal
- Depending on the country, date formats can differ. In the US, we use MM-DD-YYYY, but in Europe, we use DD-MM-YYYY, with MM indicating the month, DD indicating the day, and YYYY indicating the year.
- The more you move from one country to another, the more diverse are the traditions, cultural norms, religions, and holidays. Before you schedule your call, check the national holidays of your target audience’s country.