George Boyle
When it comes to wedding invitations and timing, it's essential to communicate the hour clearly to ensure guests' punctuality. The 12-hour clock, dividing the day into two periods, is commonly used, with the first half denoted as AM (ante meridiem) and the second as PM (post meridiem). While the traditional format uses capital letters with periods (A.M. and P.M.), modern usage has evolved to accept lowercase letters with or without periods (a.m. and p.m.) as well as small caps. Noon, however, is neither AM nor PM, and it is best to use the word noon or midday instead of 12 PM to avoid confusion. Ultimately, the choice of format is a matter of preference, but consistency is key.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Official Spelling | A.M. and P.M. (with periods) |
| Commonly Used Spelling | am and pm (without periods) |
| Usage | Formal and casual settings |
| Usage in Formal Settings | Business meetings, official communication |
| Usage in Casual Settings | Text messages to friends |
| Example in Formal Setting | "The meeting starts at 9 A.M." |
| Example in Casual Setting | "I'll be home by 6 P.M." |
| 12-hour clock | Numbers 1 to 12 to indicate hours |
| Day Start and End | 12:00 A.M. (midnight) to 11:59 P.M. |
| 24-hour clock | Military time, no A.M. or P.M. |
| Day Start and End in 24-hour clock | 00:00 (midnight) to 23:59 (11:59 P.M.) |
| Punctuation with Capital Letters | Unusual |
| Punctuation with Lowercase Letters | Common |
| Space between Time and AM/PM | Matter of preference |
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What You'll Learn
AM and PM are Latin abbreviations
There are different ways to write these abbreviations. The most common way is in lowercase with periods: 'a.m.' and 'p.m.'. They can also be written using capital letters with a smaller font size, with or without periods: 'A.M.' and 'P.M.' or 'AM' and 'PM'. Using all capital letters or all lowercase letters without periods, as in 'AM' and 'PM' or 'am' and 'pm', is also acceptable. Ultimately, the choice of style depends on preference or a client's chosen style guide, and the most important rule is to be consistent throughout a piece of writing.
When using AM and PM, it is generally recommended to insert a space after the numerals used to denote the time, regardless of the capitalization used. For example, "The ceremony will begin at 5 PM." or "Please arrive by 7 pm." However, some style guides suggest that it is acceptable to close the gap when using the unpunctuated forms of these terms, resulting in phrases like "I have a class at 2PM today." It is worth noting that the use of AM and PM is typically omitted in informal contexts or when the specific time is not important. In these cases, phrases like "o'clock", "half past", or "in the morning" may be used instead.
In the context of a wedding, you may choose to use AM and PM on your invitations, schedules, or other written materials. For example, "The wedding ceremony will begin at 4 PM, followed by a reception at 6 PM." If you prefer a more informal tone, you could omit the AM or PM and use descriptive phrases instead, such as "The wedding ceremony will take place in the late afternoon, followed by an evening reception." Ultimately, the use of AM and PM in your wedding grammar is a matter of style and preference.
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Capitalisation and punctuation
When it comes to the capitalisation and punctuation of "AM" and "PM", there are several acceptable ways to write them, and your choice will depend on the style guide you are adhering to.
Firstly, you can write them with capital letters, with or without periods: 11 AM, 3 PM; or 11 A.M., 3 P.M. It is unusual to punctuate these terms when using standard capital letters.
Secondly, you can write them with lowercase letters, with or without periods: 11 am, 3 pm; or 11 a.m., 3 p.m. Using lowercase letters with or without periods is actually more commonly used today.
Thirdly, you can write them using small caps, again with or without periods: 11 AM PM; or 11 A.M. P.M. Small caps are simply uppercase letters that are the same height and weight as lowercase letters.
In terms of spacing, it is more common to add a space between the time and AM/PM: for example, "I have a class at 2 PM today". However, when using the unpunctuated forms of these terms, you can close the gap: "I have a class at 2PM today". This does not apply when using the punctuated forms, so take care not to mix up these styles.
Finally, when writing out times in this format, always use numerals or figures instead of words. For example, write "8:00 AM" instead of "eight AM".
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Spacing between time and AM/PM
When it comes to spacing between the time and AM/PM, there are a few different conventions to consider. Firstly, it's important to note that the use of AM and PM is primarily prevalent in the Americas, with other countries often opting for a 24-hour format when writing time.
In general, when writing out the time using AM or PM, it is common to insert a space between the time and AM/PM. For example, "I have a class at 2 PM today" or "The meeting ended at 11 AM." This convention is also supported by the MLA style guide, which dictates that there should always be a space between the time and AM/PM.
However, it is also acceptable to omit the space when using the unpunctuated forms of AM/PM. For example, "I have a class at 2PM today." This style is commonly used in British English, as evident from examples in the British National Corpus.
Ultimately, the decision to include or omit the space is largely a matter of preference or style guide choice. As a proofreader, the main priority should be to ensure consistency in the usage of AM/PM throughout the text.
It's worth noting that when using lowercase letters with periods for AM/PM (a.m./p.m.), it is standard to include a space, as in "You need to be there by 9:00 a.m." Omitting the space in this case would be incorrect: "You need to be there by 9:00a.m."
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Using AM/PM in formal and casual settings
AM and PM are used to indicate whether a time is in the morning or afternoon. AM stands for "ante meridiem," meaning "before noon," and PM stands for "post meridiem," meaning "afternoon." They can be used in both formal and casual settings, depending on the context.
In a formal setting, such as a business meeting, you might say, "The meeting starts at 9 AM." In a casual setting, like texting a friend, you could write, "I'll be home by 6 PM."
When writing, you can use different cases for AM and PM. The traditional style uses capital letters with periods: A.M. and P.M. However, modern usage has evolved, and it is now common to use lowercase letters with or without periods: am and pm. For example, "The event will begin at 11 am." You can also use small caps, which are uppercase letters at the height and weight of lowercase letters: AM PM. Ultimately, the choice comes down to preference or a specific style guide.
When using AM and PM, it is generally recommended to insert a space between the time and the abbreviation. For example, "I have a class at 2 PM today." However, when using the unpunctuated forms, you can close the gap: "I have a class at 2PM today."
It is important to note that AM and PM are not used with a 24-hour clock, which is commonly known as military time. This system divides the day into 24 equal hours, starting at 00:00 (midnight) and ending at 23:59 (11:59 PM). It eliminates the need for the AM/PM distinction and is less prone to confusion.
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Noon and midnight
Technically, noon is neither AM nor PM. However, in informal or conversational writing, noon is often referred to as 12:00 PM. This is because, on a 12-hour clock, the hour succeeding 12:00 noon is PM, so it makes sense to refer to noon as 12:00 PM. However, to avoid any ambiguity, it is best to simply use “noon" or "12 noon" without any abbreviations. This is because saying "12:00 noon" is considered redundant, as "noon" already implies that it is 12 o'clock.
Similarly, midnight is neither AM nor PM. It is the precise moment one day ends and the next day begins. While some people refer to midnight as 12:00 AM, this is also technically incorrect. To avoid confusion, it is recommended to use "midnight" or "12 midnight" without any abbreviations. Again, saying "12:00 midnight" is redundant, as "midnight" already implies that it is 12 o'clock.
If you want to be absolutely clear, you can use the 24-hour clock format, where 12:00 is noon and 00:00 (or 24:00) is midnight.
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Frequently asked questions
AM and PM are terms used when writing times. AM (ante meridiem) means 'before noon', so it refers to the morning. PM (post meridiem) means 'after noon', so it refers to any time after midday.
There are a few different ways to write them, and it ultimately comes down to preference or your client’s chosen style guide. You can write them in all caps with periods (10 A.M., 10 P.M.), all caps without periods (10 AM, 10 PM), small caps with periods (10 A.M., 10 P.M.), small caps without periods (10 AM, 10 PM), lowercase with periods (10 a.m., 10 p.m.), or lowercase without periods (10 am, 10 pm).
It is more common to add a space between the time and AM/PM. However, when using the unpunctuated forms of these terms, you can close the gap. For example: "I have a class at 2 PM today." or "I have a class at 2PM today."
