Five-minute intervals
So far you can read the o'clock (12), half past (6), quarter past (3), and quarter to (9) positions. Now let's add every other position of the minute hand.
The secret: every number = 5 minutes
Look at the clock face. Between 12 and 1 there are 5 little tick marks. Between 1 and 2 another 5. And so on.
So when the minute hand points at the number N, that's N × 5 minutes.
- Minute hand on 1 → 5 minutes
- Minute hand on 2 → 10 minutes
- Minute hand on 3 → 15 minutes (quarter past!)
- Minute hand on 4 → 20 minutes
- Minute hand on 5 → 25 minutes
- Minute hand on 6 → 30 minutes (half past)
- Minute hand on 7 → 35 minutes
- Minute hand on 8 → 40 minutes
- Minute hand on 9 → 45 minutes (quarter to)
- Minute hand on 10 → 50 minutes
- Minute hand on 11 → 55 minutes
- Minute hand on 12 → 0 minutes (or 60 = the next hour)
Trick: count in fives
If you don't know the answer, count in fives from 12:
5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60
You know that from the 5 times table! The 5 times table and the clock fit together.
Examples
The clock shows: hour hand between 4 and 5, minute hand on 7.- The hour is 4 (the hour hand hasn't reached 5 yet).
- Minutes: 7 × 5 = 35.
- Time: 4:35.
- Hour: 9.
- Minutes: 2 × 5 = 10.
- Time: 9:10.
Words for different times
- 4:05 — "five past four".
- 4:10 — "ten past four".
- 4:20 — "twenty past four".
- 4:35 — "twenty-five to five" (or "five past half four" if you prefer).
- 4:50 — "ten to five" (10 minutes to 5).
Summary
- Every number on the clock face = 5 minutes. Number × 5 = the minutes.
- The 5 times table is your friend — you know it already.
- Five-minute times after 30 are usually said as "... to" the next hour (e.g. 4:50 = "ten to five").