Analog clock
A live analog clock with a smooth sweeping second hand. It shows your local time, corrected against an internet time server. Use Full screen to turn any screen into a wall clock, or switch on the digital readout to compare.
How to read an analog clock
- Hour hand (short): points to the hour. Halfway between 3 and 4 means about half past 3.
- Minute hand (long): each number is 5 minutes. On the 12 it's "o'clock", on the 3 it's quarter past, on the 6 half past, on the 9 quarter to.
- Second hand (thin, red): goes around once a minute.
| Minute hand on | Minutes | We say |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | :00 | o'clock |
| 1 | :05 | five past |
| 2 | :10 | ten past |
| 3 | :15 | quarter past |
| 4 | :20 | twenty past |
| 5 | :25 | twenty-five past |
| 6 | :30 | half past |
| 7 | :35 | twenty-five to |
| 8 | :40 | twenty to |
| 9 | :45 | quarter to |
| 10 | :50 | ten to |
| 11 | :55 | five to |
Analog or digital?
An analog face shows time as a position, so you can see at a glance how much of the hour is left, which is why many teachers and presenters prefer it. A digital clock is faster to read exactly. Prefer big digits? Try the digital online clock or the flip clock.
Clock styles: Station is modeled on the clean black-and-white faces of railway clocks, Classic on a traditional wall clock, and Dark and Teal are easy on the eyes at night.
Questions people ask
How do you read an analog clock?
Look at the short hand first: it points to the hour. Then the long hand gives the minutes. Count by fives from the 12 (each number is 5 minutes), so the long hand on the 4 means 20 minutes past the hour. The thin hand, if there is one, counts seconds.
Why do clocks go clockwise?
Clocks copied sundials. In the Northern Hemisphere, where mechanical clocks were invented, a sundial's shadow moves from left to right across the top, so clock hands do too.
Why do some clocks show IIII instead of IV?
Many clocks with Roman numerals use IIII for four. It balances the VIII on the other side of the dial, and it was common practice long before clocks; the exact origin is debated.
Can I use this as a wall clock on a spare screen?
Yes. Press Full screen and Keep screen on, and pick the Station or Classic style for a clean, readable face. The time is checked against an internet server, so it stays accurate.