Telling Time in English for Kids with Pronunciation: The Clock and Times of Day
What time is it? Here your child learns to read a clock in English and to say Good morning and Good evening at the right times. Tap a word to hear it.
In This Lesson
- How to say the time: It’s … o’clock
- Morning, afternoon, evening and night
- The hours 1 to 12 in a chart
Telling Time in English with Audio
Tap a card to hear the word. Its Arabic meaning is underneath.
Game: Listen and Touch
Listen to the word, then touch its picture.
This Lesson in the App
A big clock appears above the page, and Karim moves its hands and asks: What time is it?
- Your child moves the hands with a finger and hears the time.
- They hear a time and set the clock to it.
- They say the time aloud, and Sara corrects them.
- They earn a star for every correct time.
Open the book to The Time page in the Level 1 extras and point your phone at the page.
Telling Time in English and Arabic
| English | Arabic |
|---|---|
| clock | ساعة حائط |
| watch | ساعة يد |
| morning | الصباح |
| afternoon | بعد الظهر |
| evening | المساء |
| night | الليل |
| one o’clock | الساعة الواحدة |
| three o’clock | الساعة الثالثة |
| six o’clock | الساعة السادسة |
| half past two | الثانية والنصف |
| hour | ساعة (60 دقيقة) |
| minute | دقيقة |
Sentences Your Child Can Use
- What time is it?كم الساعة؟
- It’s three o’clock.الساعة الثالثة.
- Good morning!صباح الخير!
Parents’ Corner
- Make a paper clock with two hands, move the short hand and ask: What time is it?
- Link times to the day: Breakfast at seven o’clock, School at eight o’clock.
- o’clock means the long hand is on 12. Say the number, then o’clock.
Common Mistakes: Telling Time
Some English sounds don’t exist in Arabic, so children often get them wrong. Here’s how to help:
o’clock only when the long hand is on 12. Half past three is: half past three.
The h is silent: “our”.
Start with It’s: It’s three o’clock.
Good night is for bedtime or goodbye. To greet, say Good evening.
The Hours 1 to 12 in English
| Time | In English |
|---|---|
| 1:00 | It’s one o’clock. |
| 2:00 | It’s two o’clock. |
| 3:00 | It’s three o’clock. |
| 4:00 | It’s four o’clock. |
| 5:00 | It’s five o’clock. |
| 6:00 | It’s six o’clock. |
| 7:00 | It’s seven o’clock. |
| 8:00 | It’s eight o’clock. |
| 9:00 | It’s nine o’clock. |
| 10:00 | It’s ten o’clock. |
| 11:00 | It’s eleven o’clock. |
| 12:00 | It’s twelve o’clock. |
| 2:30 | It’s half past two. |
A 5-Day Plan for Parents
Ten minutes a day is enough. Review yesterday’s words before new ones.
- Day 1: morning, afternoon, evening and night, with the greeting for each.
- Day 2: clock and watch, and make a paper clock.
- Day 3: the hours 1 to 6: It’s one o’clock…
- Day 4: 7 to 12, and ask all day: What time is it?
- Day 5: half past, then the worksheet.
Printable Telling Time Worksheets (PDF)
Ten different sheets: trace, match, write, word search, unscramble and cut-out cards. The full lesson is in Extra material for Level 1 (not in the book) of the free book.
Frequently Asked Questions: Telling Time
How do we tell the time in English?
Say It’s, then the number, then o’clock: It’s five o’clock. For half past: It’s half past five.
What’s the difference between clock and watch?
A clock hangs on a wall or stands on a table; a watch is worn on the wrist.
When do we say Good evening and when Good night?
Good evening is a greeting in the evening; Good night is for going to bed or saying goodbye at night.
