Writing dates in English usually follows a standard format that begins with the month, followed by the day, and then the year. The month is typically written in full and is followed by the day of the month and a comma. The year is usually written in four digits, although it can also be written in two digits.
For example, if today’s date is March 25, 2023, then it would be written as “March 25, 2023.” Another example would be “July 4, 1776,” which is the date that the United States declared its independence from Great Britain.
Sometimes, the day of the month is written with an ordinal number, such as “1st,” “2nd,” “3rd,” “4th,” and so on. In this case, the date would be written as “April 1st, 2023,” for example.
It’s important to note that in some countries, the format of writing dates may be different. For example, in many parts of Europe, the day of the month is written before the month, so the same date would be written as “25th March 2023” instead of “March 25, 2023.” Additionally, in some cases, the year may be written before the month and day, especially in formal or legal documents.
The difference between American and British date formats
Did you know that the way we write and say dates is different in America and Britain? In America, we usually write the month first, then the day, and then the year. But in Britain, they write the day first, then the month, and then the year.
This can be confusing because if you just see a date written with numbers like 05/12/1996, you might not know if it means May 12 or December 5, depending on which way it was written.
There are also some differences in how we write dates in sentences. In America, we use a comma between the day and the year, like July 4, 1776. But in Britain, they don’t use a comma, like 4 July 1776.
We also don’t usually use the words like “st,” “nd,” “rd,” or “th” after the number in dates in America, but in Britain, they sometimes do. For example, they might write “1st April” instead of just “April 1.”
When we say dates out loud, we also say them differently. In America, we usually say the month first, like “It’s May 16th today.” But in Britain, they usually say the day first, like “It’s 16 May today.”
These differences show how language can be different in different places, and it might sound more formal or informal depending on where you are.
Here’s a table summarizing the main differences between American and British date formats:
| Element | American English | British English |
|---|---|---|
| Order | Month, day, year | Day, month, year |
| Example | 01/01/2022 | 01/01/2022 |
| Confusion | 05/12/1996 could mean either May 12 or December 5 | 05/12/1996 could mean either December 5 or May 12 |
| Commas | Used to separate the day and the year in a sentence | Not necessary |
| Example | On July 4, 1776, America declared its independence from Britain | On 4 July 1776 America declared its independence from Britain |
| Ordinals | Usually omitted when writing dates with numerals | Sometimes used informally when writing dates with numerals |
| Example | May 29 | 29th May or 29 May |
| Speaking | Month mentioned before the day when saying a date out loud | Day mentioned before the month when saying a date out loud |
How to write ordinal numbers for dates (e.g., 1st, 2nd, 3rd)
Ordinal numbers are special numbers that show the order of things in a list, like first, second, and third. We can write ordinal numbers as words or figures with a suffix like -st, -nd, -rd, or -th. For example, we can write 1st as first, 2nd as second, and so on.
When we write dates in English, we often use ordinal numbers for the day of the month. In American English, we write the date as month-day-year, like January 1, 2022. We don’t use a suffix like -st, -nd, -rd, or -th when we write the day of the month as a figure. But when we say the date out loud, we use an ordinal number for the day. So, we say January first.
In British English, we usually write the date as day-month-year, like 1 January 2022. We may or may not use a suffix like -st, -nd, -rd, or -th when we write the day of the month as a figure. For example, 1 January or 1st January are both okay. But when we say the date out loud, we always use an ordinal number for the day. So, we say the first of January.
To make sure there’s no confusion when we write dates with only figures, it’s best to use an international standard format like YYYY-MM-DD, for example, 2022-01-01. This way, we know which figure represents the day and which represents the month.
Here’s a table summarizing the differences between American and British English when using ordinal numbers for dates:
| Element | American English | British English |
|---|---|---|
| Date Format | Month-Day-Year | Day-Month-Year |
| Writing | Do not use suffix for the day | May or may not use suffix for the day |
| Example | January 1, 2022 | 1 January or 1st January are both acceptable |
| Speaking | Use ordinal number for the day | Always use ordinal number for the day |
| Example | January first | The first of January |
| International Standard Format | YYYY-MM-DD | YYYY-MM-DD |
How to abbreviate months and days of the week
Here are the standard abbreviations for months and days of the week:
Months:
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Days of the week:
- Mon
- Tue
- Wed
- Thu
- Fri
- Sat
- Sun
How to use commas and punctuation when writing dates
Writing dates correctly depends on the format and where the date is in a sentence. There are two common formats: month-day-year and day-month-year.
In the month-day-year format (more common in the US), a comma is used to separate the day and the year. If the date is in the middle of a sentence, another comma is used after the year. For example: “I was born on July 4, 1776,” or “On July 4, 1776, a historic event took place.”
In the day-month-year format (more common in the UK), no commas are needed, and the month is usually spelled out. For example: “I was born on 4 July 1776” or “On 4 July 1776, a historic event took place.”
Some exceptions to these rules are:
- If only a month and year are given, no commas are needed. For example: “I graduated in June 2019.”
- If only a day and month are given, no commas are needed. For example: “I have an appointment on 10 June.“
- If a date is used as an adjective, a comma is needed after it. For example: “The July 4, 1776, declaration was signed by 56 delegates.”
Remember to use capital letters for the months and days of the week, and periods for abbreviations. For example: “Jan. 1, 2020” or “Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020.”
How to write dates with days of the week
Writing dates with days of the week can help to specify a certain event or occasion more clearly. However, there are some rules and conventions to follow when writing dates with days of the week. The most common order for writing dates with days of the week is: the day of the week, month, day, year.
For example:
- Friday, January 14, 2022
- Sunday, March 6, 2022
To make the long-form date easier to read, use a comma after the day of the week and another comma after the year if the date is in the middle of a sentence.
For example:
- On Friday, January 14, 2022, we will have a meeting at 10 a.m.
- She was born on Sunday, March 6, 2022, in New York City.
When writing dates with days of the week, always spell out the month and capitalize the first letter of the month and the day of the week. Do not use ordinal numbers (st, nd, rd, th) after the day.
For example:
- Monday, February 21, 2022 (not Monday, February 21st, 2022)
- Wednesday, April 13, 2022 (not Wednesday, April 13th, 2022)
If you are writing dates with days of the week in British English or other European languages, you may use a different order: the day of the week, day, month, year.
For example:
- Friday, 14 January 2022
- Sunday, 6 March 2022
In this case, you do not need a comma between the day and the month or between the month and the year. However, you still need a comma after the day of the week and another comma after the year if the date is in the middle of a sentence.
For example:
- On Friday, 14 January 2022, we will have a meeting at 10 a.m.
- She was born on Sunday, 6 March 2022, in London.
How to write dates using the international standard (ISO 8601)
ISO 8601 is an international standard that defines a uniform way of representing dates and times in numerical format. The purpose of this standard is to avoid confusion and ambiguity that can arise from different date formats used in different countries and contexts. ISO 8601 can be used for both calendar dates and time intervals.
According to the basic format of ISO 8601, the date “September 7, 2019” is written as follows: “20190907”, or when expressed with delimiters: “2019-09-07”. Times are divided into hours, minutes, and seconds. An ISO 8601 timestamp would therefore be: 12:07:22.
The order of the elements in ISO 8601 is always from the largest to the smallest unit of time: year, month, day, hour, minute, second, and fraction of second. This order is consistent with the common scientific notation for numbers and makes it easier to compare and sort dates.
ISO 8601 also allows for the representation of time zones, coordinated universal time (UTC), and local time with offset to UTC. For example, to indicate that a date and time is expressed in UTC, a suffix “Z” (for “zero hour”) is added at the end. To indicate that a date and time is expressed in a local time zone, a suffix with the offset from UTC is added at the end.
For example:
- 2019-09-07T12:07:22Z means September 7, 2019 at 12:07:22 UTC
- 2019-09-07T15:07:22+03:00 means September 7, 2019 at 15:07:22 local time, which is 3 hours ahead of UTC
Common mistakes to avoid when writing dates in English
Here are some common mistakes to avoid when writing dates in English:
- Confusing the order of day, month, and year: In some countries, the day comes before the month, while in others, it’s the opposite.
For example, in the US, the format is usually month/day/year (e.g. 03/25/2023), while in the UK, it’s day/month/year (e.g. 25/03/2023). Make sure to follow the correct format for your audience. - Omitting the year: When writing a date, it’s important to include the year, especially if the document or message may be read at a later time.
For example, instead of writing “I met her on January 15th,” write “I met her on January 15th, 2023.” - Using incorrect abbreviations: When abbreviating the names of months, it’s important to use the correct abbreviation.
For example, the abbreviation for January is “Jan.” (not “Ja.”), and the abbreviation for September is “Sep.” (not “Sept.”). - Using non-standard date formats: While it may be tempting to use a non-standard date format (e.g. 25-03-2023), this can be confusing to readers who are used to a different format. Stick to the standard format for your audience to avoid confusion.
- Mixing up digits and words: When writing dates, it’s important to use either all digits or all words to represent the day and year.
For example, instead of writing “March 25th, 2023,” write “March 25, 2023” or “25th March 2023.“
Writing dates in informal contexts (e.g. text messages, emails to friends)
When writing dates in informal contexts such as text messages or emails to friends, you can be more flexible with your formatting. Here are some tips:
- Use a format that is easy to understand: Instead of following a strict format, you can use a format that is easy to understand for your audience.
For example, you could write “March 25” instead of “25th March.“ - Abbreviate months and days of the week: In informal writing, it’s common to abbreviate the names of months and days of the week.
For example, you could write “Mar. 25” instead of “March 25th.” - Use emojis: Emojis can help convey the tone and context of your message. For example, you could use a calendar emoji to indicate the date, or a clock emoji to indicate the time.
- Be consistent: Even in informal writing, it’s important to be consistent with your date formatting. If you use a certain format in one message, use the same format in subsequent messages.
- Include context: In informal writing, it’s helpful to include context for the date. For example, you could write “Let’s meet up on Friday, March 31st” instead of “Let’s meet up on March 31st.”
