There are a few ways to say the date in English, and the preferred format can vary slightly depending on whether you’re in the United States or another part of the world (like the UK or Canada).
American English
- Month-day-year: This is the most common format in the US.
- Example: July 4th, 2024 (spoken as “July fourth, two thousand twenty-four” or sometimes “July fourth, twenty twenty-four”)
- You can also say: “The fourth of July, two thousand twenty-four”. Please note that we would capitalize “Fourth” here when the sentence is related to the Independence Day holiday in America. If speaking in general, we would not. Example: The Fourth of July is a big holiday in America.
British English (and many other countries)
- Day-month-year: This is the more common format outside the US.
- Example: 4th July 2024 (spoken as “the fourth of July, two thousand twenty-four” or “the fourth of July, twenty twenty-four”)
- You can also say: “July the fourth, two thousand twenty-four”
General points
- Ordinal numbers: When writing the day, we often use ordinal numbers (first, second, third, fourth, etc.). While you often say the ordinal, it’s becoming more common to just write the cardinal number (4 instead of 4th). Both are acceptable.
- Saying the year: For years in the 2000s, it’s common to say “twenty twenty-four” rather than “two thousand twenty-four,” though both are correct. For years like 1999, you’d usually say “nineteen ninety-nine.”
- Writing the year: When writing the year, you generally use all four digits.
- Prepositions: We often use the prepositions “on” or “in” with dates. “The meeting is on July 4th” or “My birthday is in July.”
More examples
| Date | American English (spoken) | British English (spoken) |
|---|---|---|
| January 1st | January first | January the first |
| February 14th | February fourteenth | February the fourteenth |
| March 22nd | March twenty-second | March the twenty-second |
| April 3rd | April third | April the third |
| May 5th | May fifth | May the fifth |
| June 10th | June tenth | June the tenth |
| July 4th | July fourth | July the fourth |
| August 15th | August fifteenth | August the fifteenth |
| September 2nd | September second | September the second |
| October 31st | October thirty-first | October the thirty-first |
| November 11th | November eleventh | November the eleventh |
| December 25th | December twenty-fifth | December the twenty-fifth |
No matter which format you use, clarity is key. If you’re unsure if your audience will understand, you might want to spell out the month. Also, make note that just because one way is British or American — it is a rule but not necessarily the norm. English rules and styles blur together and vary from one area to the next. People in the military in America often use different forms.
