How to read 10:40 on an analog clock
At 10:40, the minute hand points at the 8, which represents the 40th minute. The hour hand is between the 10 and the 11, but closer to the 11. This means we are 20 minutes away from eleven o’clock.
In English, when the minute hand is on the 8, we say phrases like: It’s 20 to 11.
It’s twenty to eleven.
This is a common way of expressing time in spoken English. These expressions sound more natural in everyday conversation.
It’s important to understand that we often refer to the next hour when using “to”, even if the hour hand hasn’t reached it yet.
Example sentences with 10:40
- Her dance class begins precisely at 10:40.
- My alarm goes off at 10:40 every morning.
- Don’t forget our call is scheduled for it’s twenty to eleven!
- They left the house at it’s twenty to eleven. to catch the train.
- We usually go for a walk around 10:40.