We spend most of our time in the day doing things. That’s why we need to know what are the times of day called. Although we all have different words for the various phases of a day, the names of the other parts of the day differ from culture to culture. In Europe, for example, “morning” is the term used to describe any time between sunrise and sunset. In India, on the other hand, “morning” means dawn or first light.
We can divide a day into four different parts, which don’t tell us the exact time; instead, they refer to an interval of the day. Look down to those words used for different parts of the day with the exact period.
Times of the Day

List of Different Words for Times of the Day
Part | Time | Greeting |
---|---|---|
Early morning | 2:00 a.m. to 5:59 a.m. | Good morning |
Dawn | around sunrise | Good morning |
Morning | 6:00 a.m to 8:59 a.m | Good morning |
Late morning | 9:00 a.m to 11:59 a.m | Good morning |
Noon/ midday | 12:00 p.m. | Good afternoon |
Afternoon | 12:01 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. | Good afternoon |
Late afternoon | 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm. | Good afternoon |
Early evening | 5:01 pm to 7:00 pm. | Good evening |
Dusk | around sunset | Good evening |
Evening | 5:01 pm to 9:00 pm. | Good evening |
Late evening | 9:01 p.m. to 10:59 p.m. | Good evening |
Night | 11:00 pm till sunrise | Good evening for the night |
Midnight | 12:00 a.m. | – |
Middle of the night | 1:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. | – |
Different Times of the Day Names

Keep in mind! “good night” is not a welcome Salutation; instead, it is used when you leave someone. So it’s okay to say good evening when you meet someone in the last part of the day.
FAQS related to times of the day
the late afternoon is a time of the day from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm
The afternoon is the time of the day from 12:01 pm to 5:00 pm. However, the early afternoon is from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm, and the late afternoon is from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm.
The afternoon starts from 12:01 pm to 5:00 pm and the evening starts from 5:01 pm to 11:00 pm, yes you can say that 4:00 pm is afternoon.
The afternoon is from 12:01 pm to 5:00 pm, so the late afternoon is from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm.
Technically, midday is the 12o clock in the noon, Though that’s not correct. Midday is when the sun is absolutely on overhead, so that’s why midday doesn’t happen at noon everywhere, but it varies from place to place.
Here is a breakdown of the different times. These are just average times what most people would think of.
Sunrise / Dawn – sun comes up
Day – sunrise to sunset
Early Morning – 5 am to 7 am
Mid Morning – 7 am to 10 am
Late Morning – 10 am to noon
Noon – 12 pm
Early Afternoon – noon to 2 pm
Mid Afternoon – 2 pm to 4 pm
Late Afternoon – 4 pm to 5 pm
Sunset / Dusk – sun goes down
Night – sunset to sunrise
Early Evening – 5 pm to 7 pm
Mid Evening – 7 pm to 8 pm
Late Evening – 8 pm to 10 pm
Early Overnight – 10 pm to 1 am
Midnight – 12 am
Mid Overnight – 1 am to 4 am
Late Overnight – 4 am to 5 am