Clocks tell us what time it is, so we know when to eat, play, and sleep. A clock face can look confusing with its two hands and twelve numbers, but there is a simple system behind it. This lesson shows what each hand does and how to read o'clock and half past.
The two hands
A clock face has the numbers 1 to 12 around it and two hands that point to them. The short, thick hand is the hour hand — it tells you the hour. The long, thin hand is the minute hand — it tells you the minutes. The minute hand moves faster and goes all the way round in one hour.
A good way to remember: the short hand is small like the word 'hour', and the long hand travels a long way to count the minutes.
The short hand points to 3 and the long hand points to 12 — it is 3 o'clock.
Reading o'clock
When the minute hand points straight up to the 12, it is exactly on the hour — we say o'clock. To read it, just look at where the hour hand points. If the hour hand is on the 3 and the minute hand is on the 12, it is 3 o'clock.
So the two-step rule for o'clock is: check the long hand is on 12, then read the number the short hand points to.
Worked example
The long hand points to 12 and the short hand points to 8. What time is it?
The long (minute) hand is on 12, so it is exactly o'clock.
Read where the short (hour) hand points: the 8.
So the time is 8 o'clock.
Answer: 8 o'clock
Half past
When the minute hand points straight down to the 6, half an hour has passed — we say half past. The hour hand will be halfway between two numbers. If the minute hand is on 6 and the hour hand is between 3 and 4, it is half past 3.
Later you'll learn quarter past and quarter to, and how each number the minute hand passes counts 5 minutes. But o'clock and half past are the two most important times to know first, and they cover a big part of the day.
Check yourself
Try these. Pick an answer to see whether it's right and why.
Which hand is the hour hand?
The short, thick hand shows the hour; the long, thin hand shows the minutes.
When the minute hand points straight up to 12, the time is:
Minute hand on 12 means it is exactly on the hour — o'clock.
The long hand is on 12 and the short hand is on 8. What time is it?
Minute hand on 12 means o'clock, and the hour hand on 8 makes it 8 o'clock.
When the minute hand points to 6, the time is:
The minute hand on 6 means half an hour has passed — half past.
The minute hand is on 6 and the hour hand is between 3 and 4. What time is it?
Minute hand on 6 means half past, and the hour hand just past 3 makes it half past 3.
In a nutshell
A clock has numbers 1–12 and two hands: the short hand shows the hour, the long hand shows the minutes.
When the minute hand points to 12, it is o'clock — read the hour the short hand points to.
When the minute hand points to 6, it is half past the hour.
O'clock and half past are the first two times to learn.
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