Read an Analog Clock to the Minute

Read the clock hands

An analog clock has two main hands:

1. Short hand = hour hand.
2. Long hand = minute hand.

How to tell the time to the minute

1. Find the hour hand first. Decide which hour number it is pointing to or has just passed.
2. Read the minute hand. Each number on the clock stands for 5 minutes. For example, 1 = 5 minutes, 2 = 10 minutes, 3 = 15 minutes, and so on.
3. Count the small tick marks if the minute hand is between numbers. Each small mark usually adds 1 minute.
4. Combine the hour and minute. Write the time in the correct order, using a colon such as 3:17.

Helpful checks

• Make sure the minute hand is read from 12 onward, not like an hour number.
• If the minute hand is close to the next number, count the exact tick marks to avoid off-by-one mistakes.
• Check that the hour hand is between two numbers if the minutes are past the hour.

Practice habit

Say the time out loud: “It is 4:28,” not just “4 and 28.” This helps connect the picture of the clock to the written time.