Convert between the 24-hour clock and AM/PM in a blink.
Enter an AM/PM time to get 24-hour time.
Enter 24-hour time, e.g. 1730 or 17:30.
Start and end in 24-hour time, minus an unpaid break. Overnight shifts wrap past midnight automatically.
This military time calculator converts between the 24-hour clock and the familiar 12-hour AM/PM format in both directions, instantly, as you type. It also measures shift length directly in military time and shows every result in written, spoken, and time-of-day form. Like everything on Time Ledger, it runs entirely in your browser — nothing you enter is sent anywhere — and the exact rules it applies are published below, so you can verify any conversion by hand.
Only the hour changes between formats — minutes carry over untouched:
12:xx AM → 00xx 1–11 AM → same hour 12:xx PM → 12xx 1–11 PM → hour + 12
So 5:30 PM becomes 1730, and 12:15 AM becomes 0015.
The shift card subtracts start from end, then removes the break:
Length = End − Start − Break If End ≤ Start → add 24:00
The wrap rule means an overnight watch from 2200 to 0600 counts as 8 hours, never −16.
Military hours run 0000 to 2359 — no AM or PM needed:
0000 = midnight 0600 = 6 AM 1200 = noon 1800 = 6 PM
Spoken aloud, leading zeros are read out: 0730 is "zero seven thirty hours".
Military time is the 24-hour clock: instead of counting 1–12 twice with AM and PM, the hours run 0000 to 2359 through the whole day. It's used by the military, hospitals, aviation, and most of the world outside North America because a time like 0700 or 1900 can never be misread as morning versus evening.
Three simple rules cover every case:
12:xx AM → 00xx (midnight hour) 1–11 AM → same hour (7:30 AM → 0730) 12:xx PM → 12xx (noon hour) 1–11 PM → hour + 12 (5:30 PM → 1730)
Minutes never change — only the hour does.
Both are used, with a subtle difference: 0000 marks midnight at the start of a day, while 2400 marks midnight at the end of the previous day. A shift ending at 2400 on Monday and one starting at 0000 on Tuesday are the same instant. This converter uses 0000, which is the more common convention.
Read the digits as one number, followed by "hours": 0730 is "zero seven thirty hours", 1300 is "thirteen hundred hours", and 1745 is "seventeen forty-five hours". The converter above shows the spoken form for whatever time you enter.
The time card calculator uses AM/PM entry. If your schedule is written in military time, convert it here first — or use the shift-length card above for a quick single-shift total in 24-hour time.
Results are estimates for general guidance only and are not professional advice. Please double-check anything that affects pay, safety, or spending — see our full disclaimer.