How To Guides: Read an Analogue Clock

Do you know how to tell the time on an analogue clock?

Being able to tell the time on an analogue clock is a useful skill to have for those times when you don't have your phone with you or when there may not be a digital clock around.

This is the face, and parts, of an analogue clock.

The long hand is the minute hand and the short hand is the hour hand. Sometimes there is also a third hand, which counts the seconds.

As you know there are 24 hours in a day, however an analogue clock only shows us 12 hours. The numbers 1 – 12 on the clock face represent the hours. (It's assumed you can work out for yourself whether it is day time or night time - just look outside).

When the long hand is pointing to the twelve it is zero minutes past the hour, also known as o’clock.

In the example below the time is 1 o’clock, because the small hand is pointing to the one.

As you know there are 60 minutes in one hour. The image above shows numbers from 0 – 55, around the outside of the clock face. These numbers are shown to help you, as they represent the number of minutes past the hour.

For example, when the big hand is on the number 3, it is 15 minutes past the hour (also known as a quarter past). 

When the big hand is on the 6, it is thirty minutes past the hour (also known as half past).

When the big hand is on the 9, it is forty-five minutes past the hour (this is also known as a quarter to).

Watch the Lifehacker video for another explanation.