Dates may seem like a minor detail, but they can make a big impact on the overall impression of your work. Writing dates correctly shows attention to detail and professionalism. With different formats and languages to consider, it’s easy to get confused. But fear not, we’re here to simplify the process for you.
Have you ever struggled with writing dates correctly in various formats? Whether it’s for an English essay, a formal letter, or just everyday use, getting the date wrong can be embarrassing and confusing. But fear not, because in this blog post, we will guide you through the correct way to write dates in English, Spanish, MLA format, and formal letters. Say goodbye to date-related errors and confusion, and impress your readers with your date-writing skills!
How To Write The Date In English
Here are the few most common ways to write the date in English:
American English
The date format in American English is Month-Day-Year. Similar to British English, the month is written in words, and the day and year with numbers. Unlike British English, there is a comma used before listing the year.
When using only numbers to write the date, it’s written as MM-DD-YYYY.
- February 1, 2023
- Feb. 1, 2023
- 2/1/23 or 2-1-23
- Wednesday, February 1, 2023
- February 1st
- 1st of February
Did you notice how, when writing the date in numbers in American English, the month comes before the day?
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British English
The date order in British English is Day-Month-Year. More specifically, the month is usually written in words, and the day and year are written with numbers. The date can also be represented using only numbers such as DD-MM-YYYY.
- 1 Feb.
- 1 February 2023
- 1/2/23 or 1-2-23
- Wednesday, 1 February 2023
- 1st February 2023
- 1st of February, 2023
Australian English date format
Just like British English, the date format in Australia follows the Day-Month-Year order.
Examples:
- 7 May 2020
- 7-5-2020
Canadian English date format
According to the Standard Council of Canada, YYYY-MM-DD is the official date format in Canada. However, be prepared to encounter variations of other date formats, as some employ the British (DD-MM-YYYY) and American (MM-DD-YY) styles.
Examples:
- 2013-09-17
- 09-17-13
- 17-09-2013
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How To Write The Year In A Date
Years should be written in numbers except at the beginning of a sentence. Most style guides agree that beginning a sentence with a numeral is poor style, so years placed at the beginning of a sentence should be written out as words.
While it is popular in British English, American writers rarely use after thousand when indicating a year after 2000 in words. Both are true.
Here are examples to guide you:
The year 1900 brought the Great Depression, the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, and an influenza epidemic.
Nineteen hundred brought the Great Depression, the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, and an influenza epidemic.
Much happened in the political arena in 2016.
Two thousand and sixteen was an eventful year in politics.
Two thousand sixteen was an eventful year in politics.
How To Write The Month And Day In A Date
Use cardinal numerals (one, two, three) instead of ordinal numbers (first, second, third) when referring to a specific date in the month-day date format. Given that we typically “speak” about dates using ordinal numbers, this may seem contradictory. For instance, January 1, 2017, would be written instead of January 1, 2017. Ordinals are sometimes used in British English. As our example illustrates, they are acceptable to use when writing dates, although they are not necessary.
Paul was born on May 13.
Here’s a general rule of thumb for writing dates with commas: in the month-day-year format (common in the US), commas should be placed after the day and year. There should be no commas at all when using the day-month-year format (used in the UK and other nations).
On May 13th, 2007 Paul was born.
On May 13, 2007, Paul was born.
On 13 May, 2007, Paul was born.
On 13 May 2007, Paul was born.
If you use a construction using of, it is fine to use an ordinal number. It is also fine to use an ordinal number when referring to a specific day without reference to the month.
Paul was born on the 13th of May.
Paul was born on the thirteenth.
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How To Write Dates With Days Of The Week
When writing a long-form date, use a comma after the days of the week to ensure readability.
How fortunate that the world did not end on Friday, December 21, 2012!
Monday, May 5, is my last day of work.
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How To Write The Date In MLA Format
In your MLA Works Cited list, dates are always written in day-month-year order, with the month abbreviated if it’s five or more letters long. Here’s a good example 5 Mar. 2018.
In the main text, you’re free to use either a day-month-year or month-day-year order, as long as you use one or the other consistently. Don’t abbreviate months in the main text, and use numerals for dates, e.g. 5 March 2018 or March 5, 2018.
How To Write Date In A Formal Letter
The way the date is written in the U.S. is different from those in other countries around the world. For an American audience, it’s usually formatted as Month Day, Year (e.g., “August 30, 2023”), while a British audience would expect it to be written as Day Month Year (e.g., “30 August 2023”).
In Canada and the Philippines, this format is used as a secondary option. The rest of the world, including European countries, South America, Africa, Asia, Mexico, Oceania, and Central America (besides Belize), uses the day-month-year format.
Some countries have added their own rules to the date format. For example, many Asian countries write the date in what is known as the big-endian form. This means that a date for a formal letter would be written as “2019 December 12” with no punctuation.
Hungary has its own rules too. When writing the date in a formal letter in Hungary, it should be written as “2019. December 12” with a full stop after the year and the month uncapitalized.
You may want to see When to Use There and Their: Unlocking the Mystery of ‘There’ and ‘Their’
How To Write Date Correctly In Spanish
Before we go on to show you how to write dates correctly in Spanish you need to first know how to write the days of the week and months of the year in Spanish.
Days Of The Week In Spanish
Note: In most countries besides the United States, the week begins on Monday, rather than Sunday.
Monday — lunes
Tuesday — martes
Wednesday — miércoles
Thursday — jueves
Friday — viernes
Saturday — sábado
Sunday — domingo
Months Of The Year In Spanish
January — enero
February — febrero
March — marzo
April — abril
May — mayo
June — junio
July — julio
August — agosto
September — septiembre
October — octubre
November — noviembre
December — diciembre
Write The Date In Spanish
Now that you know the months and days of the week in Spanish, we can put all the pieces together. First, there’s more than one way to write the date in Spanish, as with most languages. There’s the numbers-only version and the more formal version.
Numbers-Only Version
In every Spanish speaking country, the date format is dd/mm/yyyy, which reverses the American style of putting the month first. So September 9, 2014, would be 09/09/2014.
READ ALSO: When to Use a Semicolon vs Comma: Using Semicolon vs Comma in Navigating Complex Sentences
Formal Version
Unlike in English, the days of the week and the months of the year are not capitalized. The basic format is el [day of the week] [day] de [month] de [year]. So then Sunday, September 7, 2014, would be el domingo 7 de septiembre de 2014 in Spanish.
There is also a slight difference where the de before the year can also be del. In that case it would just be el domingo 7 de septiembre del 2014.
FAQs On How To Write Dates Correctly
In an MLA Works Cited list, the names of months with five or more letters are abbreviated to the first three letters, followed by a period. For example, abbreviate Feb., Mar., Apr., but not June, July.
The way the date is written in the U.S. is different from those in other countries around the world. For an American audience, it’s usually formatted as Month Day, Year (e.g., “August 30, 2023”), while a British audience would expect it to be written as Day Month Year (e.g., “30 August 2023”).
According to the Standard Council of Canada, YYYY-MM-DD is the official date format in Canada. However, be prepared to encounter variations of other date formats, as some employ the British (DD-MM-YYYY) and American (MM-DD-YY) styles.
Conclusion
Dates play a crucial role in marking important events in history and personal milestones. Whether you are noting down a birthday, or anniversary, or recording a significant event, the way you write dates can make a difference. Understanding the correct formats and rules for writing dates in different languages is essential to ensure clarity and accuracy. Let’s explore how to write dates in English, Spanish, and various formats to help you effectively document significant moments.
References
- preply.com – How to write the date in English: Tips and techniques
- knowadays.com – A Quick Guide to Dates and Times in MLA Style
- prowritingaid.com – How to Write the Date Correctly
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