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!