Time — Hours, Minutes, and Military Time
Numbers
Rulebase Summary
When time is expressed in hours and minutes and can be written in only two words, it may be spelled out; if three or more words are needed, use figures. Even hours in running text do not take ciphers (use 3 p.m., not 3:00 p.m.). On the title page of a transcript, use a concise format with the hour, minutes, and a.m. or p.m. — avoid wordy time expressions there.
Examples
A. The meeting started at 3:00 p.m.
A. The meeting started at 3 p.m.
Ciphers are not used with even hours in running text.
A. He reported for duty at fifteen hundred hours.
A. He reported for duty at 1500 hours.
Military time is written in figures without punctuation.
Transcript Notes
When the speaker uses military time, use figures and no punctuation unless seconds are designated, in which case use colons. Military time is spoken as the full number (1500 hours = 'fifteen hundred'). When a speaker uses a colloquialism involving hours and days, use figures and a slant (24/7). If a speaker uses a wordy time expression in running text, the reporter has no choice but to write it.
Style Guide References (5)
Morson's
Morson's
Morson's
BGGP
BGGP