Vocabulary · Basics
Telling the time in English
A1
Telling the time in English: how to ask the time, full hours, quarter past and half past, exact minutes, AM and PM, and the 12-hour and 24-hour clocks. With British pronunciation (IPA) and examples.
Quick answer
Asking the time
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| What time is it?(phrase)“A: What time is it? B: It's 3 o'clock.” | the most common way to ask | /ˈwɒt ˈtaɪm ɪz ɪt/ |
| Do you have the time?(phrase) | a polite question for a stranger | /də juː ˈhæv ðə ˈtaɪm/ |
| What's the time?(phrase) | a common question, especially in the UK | /ˈwɒts ðə ˈtaɪm/ |
Full hours
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| It's one o'clock.(phrase) | the clock shows 1:00 | /ɪts ˈwʌn əˈklɒk/ |
| It's two o'clock.(phrase) | the clock shows 2:00 | /ɪts ˈtuː əˈklɒk/ |
| It's noon / midday.(phrase) | 12:00 in the middle of the day | /ɪts ˈnuːn/ /ɪts ˌmɪdˈdeɪ/ |
| It's midnight.(phrase) | 12:00 in the middle of the night | /ɪts ˈmɪdnaɪt/ |
| twelve o'clock(phrase)“Noon (day) or midnight (night).” | 12:00, day or night | /ˈtwelv əˈklɒk/ |
Quarters and half hours
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| It's quarter past three.(phrase) | the time 3:15 | /ɪts ˈkwɔːtə pɑːst ˈθriː/ | “Quarter past = +15 min.” |
| It's half past three.(phrase) | the time 3:30 | /ɪts ˈhɑːf pɑːst ˈθriː/ | “Half past = +30 min.” |
| It's quarter to four.(phrase) | the time 3:45 | /ɪts ˈkwɔːtə tə ˈfɔː/ | “Quarter to = -15 min.” |
Exact minutes
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| five past three(phrase) | the time 3:05 | /ˈfaɪv pɑːst ˈθriː/ |
| ten past three(phrase) | the time 3:10 | /ˈten pɑːst ˈθriː/ |
| twenty past three(phrase) | the time 3:20 | /ˈtwenti pɑːst ˈθriː/ |
| twenty-five past three(phrase) | the time 3:25 | /ˌtwenti ˈfaɪv pɑːst ˈθriː/ |
| twenty-five to four(phrase) | the time 3:35 | /ˌtwenti ˈfaɪv tə ˈfɔː/ |
| ten to four(phrase) | the time 3:50 | /ˈten tə ˈfɔː/ |
AM and PM (the 12-hour clock)
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| AM (ante meridiem)(abbr.)“7 AM = 7 a.m.” | before noon, from midnight to 12:00 | /ˌeɪ ˈem/ |
| PM (post meridiem)(abbr.)“7 PM = 7 p.m.” | after noon, from 12:00 to midnight | /ˌpiː ˈem/ |
| in the morning(phrase) | between waking up and lunch | /ɪn ðə ˈmɔːnɪŋ/ |
| in the afternoon(phrase) | between lunch and about 6 PM | /ɪn ði ˌɑːftəˈnuːn/ |
| in the evening(phrase) | from about 6 PM to bedtime | /ɪn ði ˈiːvnɪŋ/ |
| at night(phrase) | when it is dark and people sleep | /ət ˈnaɪt/ |
Common mistakes to avoid
15 hours ❌: say 3 PM
In everyday English, people use the 12-hour clock with AM and PM. Train and bus timetables often use the 24-hour clock (15:30). But when you speak, say 3:30 PM or half past three. Never say 15 hours.
Quarter to three for 3:45 ❌: think of the next hour
Quarter past three = 3:15 (15 minutes after three). Quarter to four = 3:45 (15 minutes before four). Past adds minutes to the hour, and to takes minutes away from the next hour.
In three o'clock ❌: use at
To say when something happens: at three o'clock, at 7 PM, at half past two. Always at, never in or on.
3:15 o'clock ❌: only for full hours
O'clock (= of the clock) is ONLY for full hours: 3 o'clock, 10 o'clock. ✗ 3:15 o'clock. ✓ 3:15 or quarter past three.
Practice quiz
Related pages: Telling the time
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Going further
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Frequently asked questions
How do you ask the time in English?+
What time is it? is the most common question. What's the time? is also very common in the UK. Do you have the time? is more polite, for a stranger. Excuse me, could you tell me the time? is very polite.
How do you tell the time in English?+
For a full hour, say It's three o'clock. With quarters: It's quarter past three (3:15) and It's quarter to four (3:45). With half: It's half past three (3:30). With minutes: It's ten past three (3:10). You can also read the numbers: It's three fifteen.
What is the difference between AM and PM?+
AM (from Latin ante meridiem) means before noon: from midnight to 12 noon. PM (post meridiem) means after noon: from 12 noon to midnight. 7 AM is 7 in the morning, and 7 PM is 7 in the evening (19:00). People use this 12-hour clock in everyday English.
When do you use o'clock?+
Only for full hours: one o'clock, five o'clock, eleven o'clock. Never with minutes: ✗ 3:15 o'clock. O'clock is short for of the clock.
Is it at 3 o'clock or in 3 o'clock?+
It is at: at three o'clock, at 3 PM, at quarter past three. Always use at + time. Never use in or on with a time, and no the.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/vocabulary/telling-the-time
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.