Clock face

An analog clock with hands you drag, a digital clock and the time in words alongside, and random times to read with the answer kept hidden.

How to use it

Drag the long hand to set the minutes (it moves the hour on when it passes 12) or the short hand to set the hour and minutes together.
Use the buttons for + or − an hour, 5 minutes or 1 minute, and choose AM or PM. The digital time and the words update as you go.
To practise reading, choose how hard the times are and press Show a time. The digital time and words stay hidden until you press Show the answer.

Ideas for class

Set 3:00 and ask what each hand is pointing at. Move the minute hand to 6 and say “half past”, and let students tell you the time.
Show a time to the half hour and have students write it on whiteboards before you reveal the digital time.
Work through the hour: step by 15 minutes and read “quarter past”, “half past”, “quarter to” each time.
Ask “what time will it be in 40 minutes?” Move the clock forward in steps of 5 and count the steps with the class.
Turn on 24-hour time and show 3:15 PM as 15:15, then ask what 20:45 is on the analog clock.
Hide the numbers on the clock (uncheck Numbers on the clock) for students who are ready to read the face without them.
Use the time in words for English learners: they see “ten minutes to four” and 3:50 together.

Questions

Which hand do I drag?

Drag whichever hand is nearer. Dragging the long hand sets the minutes and moves the hour on when it passes 12; dragging the short hand sets the hour and minutes together. You can also use the buttons or the arrow keys.

Why does the hour hand move as the minutes pass?

On a real clock the hour hand creeps from one number to the next, so at half past three it points half way between 3 and 4. The tool does the same, so students see why the hour hand is not exactly on the number.

What does Minute hand snaps to do?

It rounds the minute hand to quarter hours, five minutes or single minutes as you drag, so younger students can land on the times they are learning.

How are the words chosen?

On the hour is “o'clock”; 15, 30 and 45 minutes are “quarter past”, “half past” and “quarter to”; otherwise “10 minutes past” or “20 minutes to”, using the next hour after half past.

Can I use it for 24-hour time?

Yes. Turn on 24-hour digital time and the AM or PM choice sets whether the hour is before or after noon (so 3:15 PM reads as 15:15).

Does it use my device's time?

No. It starts at 3:00 and only shows the time you set. Nothing is sent anywhere.

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Using the clock in class

Telling time moves from reading the hour hand to reading both hands to counting minutes. A single, adjustable clock that shows the digital time and the words side by side lets students connect all three.

Hour hand first: “the short hand points to the hour”.
Then o'clock and half past, where the minute hand is at 12 or at 6.
Quarter past and quarter to, where students first see the minute hand at 3 and 9.
Five-minute skip counting around the face (the same as counting by 5).
Elapsed time: step the clock forward and count how long has passed.

Common mistakes

Reading the hour from the long hand, and the minutes from the short one.
Reading half past 3 as “half past 4” because the hour hand is closer to 4.
Confusing “quarter to 4” with 3:45 versus 4:15; show both on the clock.