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What Time Is It?
"Learning to read the clock is your first step to navigating the world."
Reading the Clock
Master the foundational vocabulary for telling time.
Knowing how to tell time is an important daily skill. You can read the time on a wall clock or on the watch you wear on your wrist.
When the big minute hand points exactly to the 12, we use the phrase o'clock. For example, 3:00 is "three o'clock." When 15 minutes have passed, it is a quarter past the hour. At 30 minutes, it is half past the hour. And when there are 15 minutes left until the next hour, we say it is a quarter to.
To be clear about the time of day, we use AM for the morning and PM for the afternoon and evening. 12:00 during the day is called noon, and 12:00 at night is called midnight.
Are We Late?
Read the conversation between two friends checking the time.
Emma
Hi Liam! Do you have the time? I forgot to wear my watch today.
Liam
Let me check the clock on the wall. It is exactly three o'clock.
Emma
Oh no! Our train leaves at a quarter past three. We only have fifteen minutes!
Liam
Wait, are you sure? I thought the ticket said it leaves at half past three?
Emma
No, that's the later train. We need to hurry so we arrive before six PM.
Time-Telling Tips
Common questions about expressing the time in English.
What does AM and PM stand for?
How do I say "2:30"?
What's the difference between a watch and a clock?
Time Vocabulary Quiz
Choose the best answer for each question to test your knowledge.