You can tell time to five minutes by counting by 5s. Now we read the clock to the exact minute, using the small marks between the numbers.
Why it works
The minute hand goes all the way around in 60 minutes. The clock has 60 small marks, one for each minute, and a number every 5 marks. So count by 5s to the last number the minute hand passed, then count on by 1s. The short hour hand moves slowly all hour long: at 7:43 it has gone most of the way from 7 toward 8, but it is still 7 o'clock until it reaches 8.
Key idea
Hour: the last number the short hand has passed. Minutes: count by 5s to the last number the long hand passed, then count on by 1s.
Worked example: Count on
The long hand is 3 marks past the 8, and the short hand is between 7 and 8. What time is it?
- Hour: the short hand has passed 7 but not 8. The hour is 7.
- Minutes: count by 5s to the 8: 5, 10, …, 40. Then 41, 42, 43.
Answer: 7:43
Worked example: Close to the hour
The long hand is 2 marks before the 12, and the short hand is almost at 5. What time is it?
- The short hand has not reached 5 yet, so the hour is 4.
- 2 marks before the 12 is 58 minutes.
Answer: 4:58
Common mistake
Reading the next hour too soon. At 4:55 the short hand is very close to the 5, so it is tempting to say 5:55. But the hour changes only when the hand reaches the next number, at the same moment the minute hand reaches 12. Until then, it is still 4 o'clock.