AM/PM to 24‑Hour Time Converter

Military time, also called the 24‑hour clock, is a timekeeping system where the day runs from midnight to midnight and is divided into 24 hours. Hours are numbered from 00 to 23, eliminating the need for AM and PM designations. For example, 2:00 PM becomes 14:00 in the 24‑hour format. The military often writes it without a colon — "1400 hrs." This system is widely used by armed forces, aviation, hospitals, and in many countries around the world.

For AM times: Keep the hour as-is, but use 00 for 12:00 AM (midnight). So 1:00 AM = 01:00, 11:00 AM = 11:00.
For PM times: Add 12 to the hour (except 12:00 PM = 12:00). So 1:00 PM = 13:00, 11:00 PM = 23:00.
Quick rule: If it's PM and the hour is not 12, add 12. If it's AM and the hour is 12, use 00.

12:00 AM (midnight) is 00:00 in 24‑hour format and 0000 hrs in military time. This marks the beginning of a new day. In some contexts, midnight may also be written as 24:00 to denote the end of the previous day, but 00:00 is the standard.

12:00 PM (noon) is 12:00 in 24‑hour format and 1200 hrs in military time. Noon is the only PM time where you do not add 12 to the hour — it stays as 12.

In military time, each digit is typically spoken individually. For example, "1400" is pronounced "fourteen hundred hours," and "0830" is "zero eight thirty hours." Leading zeros are always pronounced. "0001" would be "zero zero zero one hours." Civilian 24‑hour usage often reads it simply as "fourteen o'clock" or "fourteen thirty."

Most countries outside North America use the 24‑hour clock as the standard, especially in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. It's the predominant format for written time in countries like Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, and many others. The United States, Canada, and Australia commonly use the 12‑hour AM/PM system in daily life, though 24‑hour time is used in military, healthcare, and transportation.

Both 2400 and 0000 can represent midnight, but they have slightly different meanings. 0000 marks the start of a new day (00:00), while 2400 marks the end of the current day. In practice, 0000 is the standard military notation for midnight at the beginning of the day. Some schedules use 2400 to avoid ambiguity when referring to the day's close.

The term "military time" comes from its widespread adoption by armed forces worldwide. Militaries use the 24‑hour clock to prevent confusion between AM and PM during critical operations, as misreading a time like "6:00" could mean morning or evening — a potentially dangerous ambiguity. The format's clarity and precision led to its adoption in aviation, emergency services, hospitals, and global logistics.