Telling time · Five minutes

4:50 on a Clock

Four fifty. The long hand points to 10 and the short hand is between 4 and 5.

A clock showing 4:50123456789101112

4:50

ten to five

How to read 4:50

  • The short hour hand is nearly at the 5, but it hasn't reached it, so the hour is still 4.
  • The long minute hand points at the 10. Count by 5s from the 12: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50. That's fifty minutes past the hour.

Ways to say it

  • ten to five
  • four fifty

Where children slip

Swapping the hands

If you mix up the hands, this clock looks like 10:20. The short hand always gives the hour.

Reading the number under the long hand

The long hand is on the 10, but that means 50 minutes, not 10. The time is 4:50, not 4:10.

Reading the hour too late

The short hand looks close to the 5, so it's tempting to say 5:50. It hasn't reached the 5 yet, so the hour is still 4.

What comes after 4:50

WhenTime
5 minutes later4:55
15 minutes later5:05
Half an hour later5:20
One hour later5:50
Minutes until 5 o'clock10

Morning or afternoon?

A clock with hands looks the same twice a day. 4:50 a.m. is the middle of the night. 4:50 p.m. is the afternoon. There's more in the guide to a.m. and p.m.

Play with 4:50

Every question in this game has this time in it, as the answer or as one of the choices.

4:50 comes up in every question

Free to play · no signup · works on phones, tablets and computers

Open the game full screen

Quick quiz: no game, just clocks

4:50 questions

What does 4:50 look like on a clock?

The long hand points to 10 and the short hand is between 4 and 5.

How do you say 4:50?

Most people say ten to five. You'll also hear four fifty.

Is the telling time game really free?

Yes. The whole game plays free in your browser, with no signup, no ads and no time limit. An iPhone app is on the way with offline play, a forest trail and a parent view, but the web game stays free.

Coming soon to iPhone

We're building a Clockwood app with what needs a real app: every time read aloud, offline play, and a parent view of which times have stuck and which are still tricky. The full game stays free here on the web.

Coming soon on theApp Store