What Time is 16 in Military Time? & How to Convert?

Written by

John Cotton

FACT-CHECKED BY

Logan Miller

what time is 16 in military time

What time is 16 in military time? If you grow up used to the standard 12-hour time, it can be confusing to instantly convert military time to regular time.

Unlike standard time that most homes are used to, military time runs on a 24-hour clock. As such, the day begins at 0000 and ends at 2400. 16 in army time is 4:00 pm in 12-hour standard time.

To familiarize yourself with army time, there are several methods you can memorize.

2 Ways to Convert 16 in Military Time to Standard

military-time-converter

Contrary to popular belief, the military format isn’t just exclusive to the military. Many institutions like hospitals and emergency services use this system for smoother communication and time accuracy.

Military time removes possible confusion that occurs when differentiating between morning (AM) and afternoon/evening (PM) hours.

1. Compute 16 Military Time to Standard Manually

Converting 1600 military to standard time is simple if you follow this simple subtraction formula.

Determine if the number you’re converting is greater or lesser than 12.

Ways to convert 16 in military time to standard
When the number >12 When the number <12
Since we’re converting military hour “16” in this post, and it is indeed greater than 12, it would mean the time is afternoon, and it is appended by PM.

  • Subtract using this formula: “Military time” – 12 = standard time.
  • 16 – 12 = 4
  • To make 16h regular time, just add “PM” to your difference.
  • Your standard time in this scenario is 4 PM.
In military hours that are less than 12 (or equal to 12), it would mean the time is before noon, and it is appended by AM.

  • There is no formula needed to convert military time to standard time.
  • You just add a colon and AM to the time.
  • For example, converting 3:12 would end up at 3:12 am.

2. Master the Military Time Chart

For visual learners who want to see 16 o’clock military time on a chart, print this out to help you memorize.

You can always refer to this table as your military time converter.

Regular Time AM/PM 24-hour Military Time
12:00 a.m.

(midnight)

00:00

24:00

0000, Zero-zero-zero-zero (Zero hundred hours)

2400, (Twenty-four hundred hours)

1:00 a.m. 01:00 0100 or Zero one hundred hours
2:00 a.m. 02:00 0200 or Zero two hundred hours
3:00 a.m. 03:00 0300 or Zero three hundred hours
4:00 a.m. 04:00 0400 or Zero four hundred hours
5:00 a.m. 05:00 0500 or Zero five hundred hours
6:00 a.m. 06:00 0600 or Zero six hundred hours
7:00 a.m. 07:00 0700 or Zero seven hundred hours
8:00 a.m. 08:00 0800 or Zero eight hundred hours
9:00 a.m. 09:00 0900 or Zero nine hundred hours
10:00 a.m. 10:00 1000 or Ten hundred hours
11:00 a.m. 11:00 1100 or Eleven hundred hours
12:00 p.m. (noon) 12:00 1200 or Twelve hundred hours
1:00 p.m. 13:00 1300 or Thirteen hundred hours
2:00 p.m. 14:00 1400 or Fourteen hundred hours
3:00 p.m. 15:00 1500 or Fifteen hundred hours
4:00 p.m. 16:00 1600 or Sixteen hundred hours
5:00 p.m. 17:00 1700 or Seventeen hundred hours
6:00 p.m. 18:00 1800 or Eighteen hundred hours
7:00 p.m. 19:00 1900 or Nineteen hundred hours
8:00 p.m. 20:00 2000 or Twenty hundred hours
9:00 p.m. 21:00 2100 or Twenty-one hundred hours
10:00 p.m. 22:00 2200 or Twenty-two hundred hours
11:00 p.m. 23:00 2300 or Twenty-three hundred hours

Frequently Asked Questions

military-time-to-regular-time

What does 16 00 hours mean?

In military time, 16 00 is referred to as “sixteen hundred hours.” In layman’s terms (or the 12-hour clock), 1600 refers to 4 o’clock in the afternoon.

How to memorize military time?

If you grew up with a family member who introduced you to military time early, converting between 12-hour and 24-hour clocks should be natural for you.

If not, don’t worry. Even military time can be learned.

Converting military time to normal 12-hour time gets easier with practice. If you’re getting ready to enlist in the military, here are some tips for memorizing military time faster:

  • Switch to a digital wristwatch. Most digital watches let users choose to set 12-hour or 24-hour clocks. Be sure to ask or look for this specific setting before buying a new one.
  • Write military time under any regular wall clock. Yes, you can buy wall clocks with numbers from 0 to 23, but if you don’t want to buy, you can simply use what you have. Just match the existing numbers 1 to 12 that came with your regular clock, then add military hours 13 to 24.
    • 1 – 13
    • 2 – 14
    • 3 – 15
    • 4 – 16
    • 5 – 17
    • 6 – 18
    • 7 – 19
    • 8 – 20
    • 9 – 21
    • 10 – 22
    • 11 – 23
    • 12 – 24
  • Watch military TV shows and movies, where you can hear military time regularly. This trains your brain to recognize military time a lot faster.

What time is 16 o’clock?

16:00 in regular time is 4pm. Sometimes, but very rarely, people jumble it up and use 16 o’clock. This also refers to 4 o’clock in the afternoon.

Conclusion

By now, you should be able to answer “what time is 16 in military time?” without effort.

Reading military time is a cool skill to have, whether you’re joining the military or not. It would take some time to memorize all the military time combinations, but it is definitely possible.

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