How to Write Dates in English
Writing dates in English can vary depending on the style (formal, informal), region (American English vs. British English), and context. Here’s a clear guide to help you write dates correctly:
1. Common Date Formats
American English (Month-Day-Year)
- Example: May 19, 2025
- Format: Month Day, Year
- Usage: Commonly used in the United States.
- Example sentence: The meeting is scheduled for May 19, 2025.
British English (Day-Month-Year)
- Example: 19 May 2025
- Format: Day Month Year (no comma)
- Usage: Commonly used in the UK and many other English-speaking countries.
- Example sentence: The meeting is scheduled for 19 May 2025.
2. Writing Dates in Full (Formal Writing)
- Use the ordinal form for the day (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc.) when writing dates in full.
- Example:
- American English: May 19th, 2025
- British English: 19th May 2025
Note: In very formal writing, the ordinal suffix (st, nd, rd, th) is sometimes omitted.
3. Abbreviated Date Formats
- Numeric format (common in forms, official documents):
- American: 05/19/2025
- British: 19/05/2025
- Be cautious with numeric formats since they can cause confusion internationally.
4. Additional Tips
- Always capitalize the month name.
- When writing the day as a number, you can use either cardinal (19) or ordinal (19th), but ordinals are more common in spoken and informal English.
- When writing dates in sentences, you usually don’t need to include the year unless it’s necessary for clarity.
Summary Table
Style| Format Example| Usage Region
---|---|---
American English| May 19, 2025| USA
British English| 19 May 2025| UK, Australia, Canada
Numeric (US)| 05/19/2025| USA
Numeric (UK)| 19/05/2025| UK, Europe
If you want, I can also provide examples of how to say dates aloud or how to write dates in different contexts like invitations, letters, or reports!
