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").