Knowing the days of the week and the months of the year is one of the first things every English learner needs to master. You will use these words every single day — for scheduling appointments, making plans, talking about the weather, and understanding dates. 📅
This guide covers everything: the seven days of the week in English, all twelve months of the year, their abbreviations, their origins, and tips for kids and adult learners alike. It also answers a question that surprises many learners: which day actually comes first in the English week?
For a broader foundation in everyday English, essential basic English phrases covers calendar vocabulary alongside greetings, directions, and more.
Understanding the Days of the Week in English
There are seven days in a week. In English, all seven day names are capitalized because they come from the names of gods and celestial bodies. The order of the days is fixed, but the question of which day comes first depends on where you are in the world.
In the United States, calendars traditionally start with Sunday as the first day of the week.
In the UK and in most other countries, and according to the international standard (ISO 8601), Monday is the first day of the week.
Both conventions are correct — it depends on cultural tradition. American English speakers consider the week to run Sunday through Saturday.
The 'working week' or 'weekdays' always run Monday through Friday, regardless of which day the calendar starts on.
#1
☀️Sun
Sunday
#2
🌙Mon
Monday
#3
⚔️Tue
Tuesday
#4
🌩️Wed
Wednesday
#5
⚡Thu
Thursday
#6
💫Fri
Friday
#7
🪐Sat
Saturday
| Day | Code (Abbreviation) | Position | Type | Named After |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday | Sun. | 1st (US) / 7th (international) | Weekend | Sun (Sol) |
| Monday | Mon. | 2nd (US) / 1st (international) | Weekday | Moon (Luna) |
| Tuesday | Tue. | 3rd (US) / 2nd (international) | Weekday | Tiw / Tyr (Norse god) |
| Wednesday | Wed. | 4th (US) / 3rd (international) | Weekday | Woden / Odin (Norse god) |
| Thursday | Thu. | 5th (US) / 4th (international) | Weekday | Thor (Norse god of thunder) |
| Friday | Fri. | 6th (US) / 5th (international) | Weekday | Frigg / Freya (Norse goddess) |
| Saturday | Sat. | 7th (US) / 6th (international) | Weekend | Saturn (Roman god) |
Weekdays vs. the Weekend
The seven days divide into two groups: the five weekdays and the two weekend days. In English, "weekday" strictly means Monday through Friday. Saturday and Sunday are the weekend — the free days when most schools and many businesses are closed.
📋 Weekdays (Mon–Fri)
- Monday
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
🎉 Weekend (Free Days)
- Saturday
- Sunday
- Note: Most people have Saturday and Sunday as free days from work and school.
Common Phrases Using the Days of the Week
| Phrase | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| on Monday / on Tuesdays | A specific day or every week on that day | I have a class on Monday. / She swims on Wednesdays. |
| this Monday | The Monday of the current or next week | Let's meet this Monday at 10 AM. |
| last Friday | The Friday that just passed | I saw the movie last Friday. |
| next Thursday | The Thursday of the following week | The exam is next Thursday. |
| the weekend | Saturday and Sunday | What are you doing this weekend? |
| on weekdays | Monday through Friday | The office is open on weekdays only. |
| every day | All seven days | I practice English every day. |
| day off | A free day from work or school | I have a day off on Friday this week. |
Knowing how to use days of the week in conversation is especially useful when greeting colleagues and making social plans. For the greetings themselves, 30 essential English greetings shows you how native speakers open conversations at the start of every day and week.
What Are the Months of the Year in English
There are twelve months in a year. Like the days of the week, every month name in English is capitalized. Knowing the months of the year in English is essential for understanding dates, making appointments, talking about seasons, and filling out any form or document.
#1
❄️January
#2
❄️February
#3
🌱March
#4
🌱April
#5
🌱May
#6
☀️June
#7
☀️July
#8
☀️August
#9
🍂September
#10
🍂October
#11
🍂November
#12
❄️December
| Month | Code | Number | Season | Days | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Jan. | 1 | Winter | 31 | Janus — Roman god of beginnings |
| February | Feb. | 2 | Winter | 28/29 | Februum — Roman purification festival |
| March | Mar. | 3 | Spring | 31 | Mars — Roman god of war |
| April | Apr. | 4 | Spring | 30 | Aperire (Latin: to open) / Aphrodite |
| May | May | 5 | Spring | 31 | Maia — Roman goddess of growth |
| June | Jun. | 6 | Summer | 30 | Juno — Roman queen of the gods |
| July | Jul. | 7 | Summer | 31 | Julius Caesar |
| August | Aug. | 8 | Summer | 31 | Augustus Caesar |
| September | Sep. | 9 | Fall | 30 | Septem — Latin for seven (was 7th month) |
| October | Oct. | 10 | Fall | 31 | Octo — Latin for eight (was 8th month) |
| November | Nov. | 11 | Fall | 30 | Novem — Latin for nine (was 9th month) |
| December | Dec. | 12 | Winter | 31 | Decem — Latin for ten (was 10th month) |
All twelve month names are capitalized in English — always write January, not january.
February is the only month with 28 days (29 in a leap year, which happens every 4 years).
April, June, September, and November have 30 days. All other months have 31 days.
A helpful rhyme for remembering: '30 days has September, April, June, and November.'
September, October, November, and December sound like they should be the 7th through 10th months. They were — before January and February were added to the Roman calendar.
Months Name in English and How to Write Dates
American English writes dates differently from most other countries. The American format puts the month before the day — so January 15, 2025 is written 1/15/2025, not 15/1/2025. This is an important detail for anyone filling out forms or reading official documents in the United States. The most common way in British English is to write the day of the month first, then the month (starting with a capital letter) and then the year.
| Date Format | Example | Used In |
|---|---|---|
| Month Day, Year (full) | January 15, 2025 | Formal writing, official documents |
| MM/DD/YYYY (numbers) | 01/15/2025 | Forms, American English standard |
| Month Day (no year) | January 15th | Casual conversation and invitations |
| Day + month (spoken) | the fifteenth of January | Formal spoken English |
| Abbreviated month | Jan. 15, 2025 | Notes, calendars, informal writing |
When talking about dates, you will need to use ordinal numbers like first, second, third, fifteenth, and twenty-first. Our guide numbers in English 1 to 100 covers both cardinal numbers and ordinal numbers so you can say and write any date correctly.
How Did the Days of the Week Get Their Names?
The names of the seven days of the week are one of the most fascinating pieces of English word history. Most come from Norse mythology, while Saturday is the only day that kept its traditional Roman name. The connection between the English day names and ancient gods shows how language carries history across thousands of years.
| Day | Meaning | Old English Name | Origin Story |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday | Sun's day | Old English Sunnandæg | Named after the Sun (Sol in Latin). The Sun was worshipped as a powerful celestial body in ancient cultures across the world. |
| Monday | Moon's day | Old English Mōnandæg | Named after the Moon (Luna in Latin). The connection between Monday and the Moon survives in many European languages — lunes in Spanish, lundi in French. |
| Tuesday | Tiw's day | Old English Tīwesdæg | Named after Tiw (also called Tyr), the Norse god of war and justice. The Roman equivalent was Mars — hence mardi in French and martes in Spanish. |
| Wednesday | Woden's day | Old English Wōdnesdæg | Named after Woden (also called Odin), the chief Norse god. The original Old English name was Wōdnesdæg — a traditional name that evolved into the spelling we use today. |
| Thursday | Thor's day | Old English Þūnresdæg | Named after Thor, the Norse god of thunder. The Roman equivalent was Jupiter — giving us jeudi in French and jueves in Spanish. The code for Thursday in many systems is Thu or Th. |
| Friday | Frigg's day | Old English Frīgedæg | Named after Frigg (or Freya), the Norse goddess of love and fertility. The Roman equivalent was Venus — giving us vendredi in French and viernes in Spanish. |
| Saturday | Saturn's day | Old English Sæternesdæg | The only day in English named directly after a Roman god rather than a Norse one. Saturn was the Roman god of agriculture and time. Saturday is the one traditional Roman name that survived directly into English. |
🌍 Why Are Most English Day Names Norse, Not Roman?
- When the Germanic peoples adopted the Roman seven-day week, they replaced the Roman planetary gods with their own Norse equivalents.
- Sun and Moon kept their Roman origins (Sol and Luna).
- Mars became Tiw (Tuesday), Jupiter became Thor (Thursday), Venus became Frigg (Friday), Mercury became Woden (Wednesday).
- Saturday is the exception — the Norse had no direct equivalent for Saturn, so the Roman name stuck. Saturday is the one day that connects directly to Roman tradition.
- This is why the code for Wednesday in Old English was Wodnesdæg, and why 'Wednesday' is spelled the way it is today — the 'd' is silent but preserves the original Woden name.
Tips for Learning the Days and Months in English
Learning 19 new vocabulary words (seven days and twelve months) can feel like a lot at first. These strategies make the process faster and more effective, especially for kids and younger learners.
Songs
For children and visual learners, a song is one of the most effective ways to learn the days of the week. Music helps the brain store sequences in long-term memory, which is why children who learn a week song often recall the order of the days faster than those who study from a list alone.
Memory Tips for Kids and Adult Learners
Here are our recommended tips to learn about the days of the week!
| Challenge | Tip | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Spelling Wednesday | Remember the silent D: Wed-nes-day | Say it as three parts: Wed / nes / day |
| Remembering the order Mon–Sun | Use the days of the week song | Sing: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday |
| Distinguishing Tuesday and Thursday | Tue = 2nd weekday / Thu = 4th weekday | Tuesday starts with T-u, Thursday with T-h |
| Months with 30 vs 31 days | Knuckle trick: knuckles = 31 days, gaps = 30 | Count across your knuckles starting from January |
| Spelling February | Remember the hidden R: Feb-rU-ary | Say it fully: Feb / roo / air / ee |
| Month number vs name | Learn them in a song or timeline | January = 1, February = 2, March = 3... |
👶 Teaching Days of the Week to Kids and Children
- Children learn the days of the week best through repetition, song, and physical activity — say the day out loud every morning as part of a routine.
- A classroom calendar where children move a marker to the current day is one of the most effective tools for kids learning days in English.
- Flashcard games work well for children: write each day on a card, shuffle, and ask kids to put them back in order.
- For very young children, focus on today, yesterday, and tomorrow first before introducing all seven day names.
- Coloring a weekly schedule with a different color for each day helps kids and visual learners remember the order.
Using Days and Months in Conversation
Once you know the names, the next step is using them naturally in conversation. Knowing how to introduce yourself and talk about your schedule is one of the most immediately practical conversation skills. Our article "How to introduce yourself" in English covers how to talk about what you do, where you are from, and how to keep a conversation going after the first exchange.
| Phrase | Example |
|---|---|
| What day is it today? | What day is it today? / It's Wednesday. |
| What month is it? | What month is it? / It's October. |
| When is your birthday? | My birthday is on March 14th. |
| What are your plans for the weekend? | I'm going hiking on Saturday. |
| I'll see you on Monday. | I'll see you on Monday at 9 AM. |
| The deadline is next Friday. | Please submit your report by next Friday. |
| I have the day off on Thursday. | I have the day off on Thursday this week. |
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