How to Write Dates in English: Complete Format Guide (2026)

How to write dates in English — British vs American format, commas, ordinals, and date formats by country. Clear rules and examples for every situation.

December 1, 2024

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Writing dates in English can be surprisingly confusing. Should you write "February 1st" or "1st February"? Is it month-day-year or day-month-year? The answer depends on whether you're writing in American English or British English — and the context you're writing in.

This guide covers every date format you'll encounter in English, from casual texts to formal business letters. Whether you're a non-native English speaker, a student, or just someone who wants to get dates right, you'll find clear rules and examples for every situation.

In this guide:

British vs American Date Formats
How to Write Dates in British English
How to Write Dates in American English
Ordinal Numbers in Dates
Commas and Punctuation in Dates
Writing Dates in Formal Documents
Writing Dates in Sentences
How to Write Date of Birth
Date Formats by Country
Date Abbreviations
Common Date Mistakes by ESL Learners
How Dates Sound in Spoken English

British vs American Date Formats

The biggest source of confusion with English dates is that British English and American English use opposite orders:

Format	Order	Example	Numeric
British English	Day – Month – Year	13 April 2026	13/04/2026
American English	Month – Day – Year	April 13, 2026	04/13/2026
ISO 8601 (International)	Year – Month – Day	2026-04-13	2026-04-13

Key rule: In British English, the day always comes before the month. In American English, the month comes first. This applies to both written-out and numeric formats.

Why it matters: The date "03/04/2026" means 3 April in British English but March 4 in American English. Always write dates clearly to avoid ambiguity, especially in international communication.

How to Write Dates in British English

In British English (used in the UK, Australia, and most of the world), the day comes first:

Formal: 13 April 2026
With ordinal: 13th April 2026 (acceptable but less common in modern writing)
Numeric: 13/04/2026
With day of week: Sunday, 13 April 2026

Note: British English does not use a comma between the month and year. Writing "13 April, 2026" with a comma is incorrect in British English.

How to Write Dates in American English

In American English, the month comes first, and a comma separates the day from the year:

Formal: April 13, 2026
With ordinal: April 13th, 2026 (common in casual writing)
Numeric: 04/13/2026
With day of week: Sunday, April 13, 2026

Important comma rule: In American English, always place a comma between the day and the year: "April 13, 2026." If the date appears mid-sentence, add a comma after the year too: "On April 13, 2026, the event took place."

Ordinal Numbers in Dates: 1st, 2nd, 3rd

A common question is whether to use ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th) or plain numbers (1, 2, 3, 4) when writing dates.

Is it "February 1st" or "1st February"?

Both can be correct — it depends on the variety of English:

American English: "February 1st" or simply "February 1" (ordinal optional)
British English: "1st February" or "1 February" (ordinal optional)

In modern formal writing, the trend is to drop the ordinal suffix entirely. "February 1" and "1 February" are now preferred in most style guides. However, when speaking, we always say the ordinal: "February the first" or "the first of February."

Commas and Punctuation in Dates

Punctuation rules for dates differ between British and American English:

American English Comma Rules

Month Day, Year: Use a comma between day and year — "April 13, 2026"
Mid-sentence: Add a comma after the year — "On April 13, 2026, we launched."
Month and year only: No comma — "April 2026" (not "April, 2026")
Day of week: Comma after the day name — "Sunday, April 13, 2026"

British English Comma Rules

Day Month Year: No commas at all — "13 April 2026"
Mid-sentence: No comma after the year — "On 13 April 2026 we launched."
Day of week: Comma after the day name only — "Sunday, 13 April 2026"

Writing Dates in Formal Documents

For formal writing — business letters, essays, legal documents, and invitations — follow these guidelines:

Always write the month name in full — "April" not "Apr" or "4"
Avoid purely numeric formats — "04/13/2026" is ambiguous internationally
Include the full year — "2026" not "26"
Drop ordinal suffixes — "13 April 2026" is preferred over "13th April 2026" in formal contexts

Example for a business letter:
British English: "13 April 2026"
American English: "April 13, 2026"

Writing Dates in Sentences

How you incorporate dates into sentences affects punctuation and readability:

American English:

"The meeting is scheduled for April 13, 2026, at 3 PM."

"She arrived on April 13, 2026."

British English:

"The meeting is scheduled for 13 April 2026 at 3 PM."

"She arrived on 13 April 2026."

Notice how American English requires a comma after the year when the date appears mid-sentence, while British English does not.

How to Write Date of Birth

Date of birth formats follow the same British/American conventions:

British: Date of Birth: 15 March 1990
American: Date of Birth: March 15, 1990
On forms: Follow the format shown (DD/MM/YYYY or MM/DD/YYYY)

Tip: On international forms, look for the label. "DD/MM/YYYY" means day first (British order). "MM/DD/YYYY" means month first (American order).

Date Formats by Country

Date formats vary widely around the world. Most countries use day-month-year, but the separators and conventions differ. Here is a comprehensive reference:

Country / Region	Order	Format	Example
United States	Month-Day-Year	MM/DD/YYYY	04/13/2026
United Kingdom	Day-Month-Year	DD/MM/YYYY	13/04/2026
Australia	Day-Month-Year	DD/MM/YYYY	13/04/2026
Canada (English)	Month-Day-Year or Year-Month-Day	MM/DD/YYYY or YYYY-MM-DD	04/13/2026
Canada (French)	Day-Month-Year	DD/MM/YYYY	13/04/2026
India	Day-Month-Year	DD/MM/YYYY	13/04/2026
Germany	Day-Month-Year	DD.MM.YYYY	13.04.2026
France	Day-Month-Year	DD/MM/YYYY	13/04/2026
Spain	Day-Month-Year	DD/MM/YYYY	13/04/2026
Italy	Day-Month-Year	DD/MM/YYYY	13/04/2026
Japan	Year-Month-Day	YYYY/MM/DD	2026/04/13
China	Year-Month-Day	YYYY-MM-DD	2026-04-13
South Korea	Year-Month-Day	YYYY.MM.DD	2026.04.13
Brazil	Day-Month-Year	DD/MM/YYYY	13/04/2026
ISO 8601 (International)	Year-Month-Day	YYYY-MM-DD	2026-04-13

Key takeaway: The US month-day-year format is the exception, not the rule. Most of the world uses day-month-year. When communicating internationally, the safest approach is to write the month name in full (e.g., "13 April 2026") or use ISO 8601 format (2026-04-13) to eliminate ambiguity.

Date Abbreviations

Common ways to abbreviate dates in English:

Month abbreviations: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep/Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec
Day abbreviations: Mon, Tue/Tues, Wed, Thu/Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun
Year abbreviation: Use an apostrophe — '26 for 2026 (informal only)

Important: May, June, and July are typically not abbreviated because they are already short. In formal writing, avoid abbreviations entirely.

Quick Reference: Date Format Summary

Context	British English	American English
Full formal	13 April 2026	April 13, 2026
With day	Sunday, 13 April 2026	Sunday, April 13, 2026
Numeric	13/04/2026	04/13/2026
Abbreviated	13 Apr 2026	Apr 13, 2026
Month and year	April 2026	April 2026
In a sentence	on 13 April 2026	on April 13, 2026,

Related Guides

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it "February 1st" or "1st February"?

Both are correct. "February 1st" (or "February 1") follows American English convention. "1st February" (or "1 February") follows British English convention. When speaking, always use the ordinal: "February the first" or "the first of February."

Do you put a comma after the year in a date?

In American English, yes — when a full date (month, day, year) appears mid-sentence, place a comma after the year: "On April 13, 2026, the event started." In British English, no comma is needed: "On 13 April 2026 the event started."

Should I write the day or the month first?

If you're writing for a British audience, put the day first (13 April 2026). For an American audience, put the month first (April 13, 2026). For international audiences, write the month name to avoid confusion.

Are dates capitalized?

Month names and day names are always capitalized in English: "Monday," "April." This is true regardless of whether you're using British or American English.

When should I use ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, 3rd) in dates?

Modern style guides recommend using plain numbers in written dates: "April 13" rather than "April 13th." However, ordinals are always used when speaking dates aloud and are acceptable in informal writing.

Common Date Mistakes by ESL Learners

If English is not your first language, these are the date-writing mistakes you are most likely to make:

Mistake	Example	Why It Happens	Correction
Mixing US and UK order	04/13/2026 in a UK context	Many learners default to the American format from TV and movies	Check your audience — UK uses DD/MM/YYYY
Adding a comma in British dates	13 April, 2026	Applying American comma rules to British format	British English: no comma — "13 April 2026"
Forgetting the comma after year (US)	On April 13, 2026 we met.	Not knowing the paired-comma rule in American English	"On April 13, 2026, we met."
Using numeric format in formal writing	04/13/2026 in a cover letter	Numeric dates feel faster and easier	Write the month name: "April 13, 2026"
Wrong ordinal suffix	April 21th or April 22th	Irregular ordinals are hard to memorize	21st, 22nd, 23rd, then 24th-30th
Saying "February one" instead of "February first"	Using cardinal instead of ordinal when speaking	Many languages use cardinal numbers for dates	Always use ordinals in spoken dates: "first," "second," "third"
Writing the year with two digits	April 13, '26	Shorthand common in informal contexts	In formal writing, always use four digits: 2026

The most important tip for ESL learners: always write the month name in full when there is any chance of confusion. "13 April 2026" is never ambiguous, while "13/04/2026" could confuse an American reader.

How Dates Sound in Spoken English

Knowing how to write dates is only half the challenge. When you hear dates in conversation, they sound different from how they look on paper. The pronunciation changes depending on whether the speaker uses American or British English.

In American English, "February 1st" is spoken as "February first." The month name comes first, followed by the ordinal number. Americans rarely say "the" before the number.

In British English, the same date is spoken as "the first of February." British speakers add "the" before the day and "of" before the month. This structure can be confusing for learners because you hear the day number before the month name.

Here are more examples of how dates sound when spoken:

"April 15th" — American: "April fifteenth" / British: "the fifteenth of April"
"December 25th" — American: "December twenty-fifth" / British: "the twenty-fifth of December"
"March 3rd" — American: "March third" / British: "the third of March"

For English learners, hearing dates in fast speech is one of the hardest listening challenges. Numbers and months blend together, and you often only get one chance to catch them. Our date listening practice guide walks through the audio patterns you need to recognise — British and American, fast and slow, formal and casual.

Dates aren't the only spoken numbers learners struggle with. If you also need help with phone numbers, prices and money, or numbers in everyday conversation, we have dedicated practice guides for each.

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