How to Read ALL DATES in English | Practical English for Days, Months & Years. Easy English

How to read ALL DATES in English

Explanations + Practice

1. The Months of the Year

There are 12 months in a year. Each month has a short form to make it easier to write or read.

Here are the full names and short forms of the months:

  • January (Jan)
  • February (Feb)
  • March (Mar)
  • April (Apr)
  • May (May) (This one stays the same!)
  • June (Jun)
  • July (Jul)
  • August (Aug)
  • September (Sep)
  • October (Oct)
  • November (Nov)
  • December (Dec)

When writing or saying dates, you can use the full name or the short form:

  • Example: January 1st or Jan 1st (both are correct).

2. Ordinal Numbers in Dates

In English, we use ordinal numbers for dates. These are numbers that tell us the position (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.).

Here is the full list of ordinal numbers from 1st to 31st:

  1. 1st – First
  2. 2nd – Second
  3. 3rd – Third
  4. 4th – Fourth
  5. 5th – Fifth
  6. 6th – Sixth
  7. 7th – Seventh
  8. 8th – Eighth
  9. 9th – Ninth
  10. 10th – Tenth
  11. 11th – Eleventh
  12. 12th – Twelfth
  13. 13th – Thirteenth
  14. 14th – Fourteenth
  15. 15th – Fifteenth
  16. 16th – Sixteenth
  17. 17th – Seventeenth
  18. 18th – Eighteenth
  19. 19th – Nineteenth
  20. 20th – Twentieth
  21. 21st – Twenty-first
  22. 22nd – Twenty-second
  23. 23rd – Twenty-third
  24. 24th – Twenty-fourth
  25. 25th – Twenty-fifth
  26. 26th – Twenty-sixth
  27. 27th – Twenty-seventh
  28. 28th – Twenty-eighth
  29. 29th – Twenty-ninth
  30. 30th – Thirtieth
  31. 31st – Thirty-first

When saying dates:

  • January 1st (Say: “January first”)
  • February 2nd (Say: “February second”).

3. Months + Ordinal Numbers = Full Date

When combining the month and the day, there are different ways to say a date. All these ways mean the same thing:

  • July 10th (Say: “July tenth”)
  • July the 10th (Say: “July the tenth”)
  • The 10th of July (Say: “The tenth of July”)
  • July 10 (This is mostly used in American English).

4. Day of the Week + Date

Often, we include the day of the week (Monday, Tuesday, etc.) before the date:

  • Friday the 13th
  • Tuesday the 5th

You can also shorten dates by removing the month:

  • Tuesday the 5th (Without saying the month).
    Or remove both the month and the day of the week:
  • Let’s meet on the 5th (This works if everyone knows the month already).

These are common ways people speak casually.

5. How to Read Years

There are different rules for reading years, depending on the number.

  1. Years before 2000:
    • Split the year into two parts.
      • 1995 → “Nineteen ninety-five”
      • 1900 → “Nineteen hundred”
  2. Years between 2000 and 2009:
    • Say it as one full number.
      • 2002 → “Two thousand two”
      • 2009 → “Two thousand nine”
  3. Years after 2010:
    • There are two ways to read them:
      • 2015 → “Twenty fifteen”
      • OR “Two thousand fifteen” (both are correct).

6. American vs. British Way of Reading Dates

There are two main ways to say dates in English:

  1. American Style:
    • Say the month first, then the day, and finally the year.
    • Example: July 4, 2025 (Say: “July fourth, twenty twenty-five”).
  2. British Style:
    • Say the day first, then the month, and finally the year.
    • Example: 4 July 2025 (Say: “The fourth of July, twenty twenty-five”).

Both styles are correct, but it’s good to know the difference!

7. How to Read a Full Date

When reading a full date (including the year), you can combine what you’ve learned:

Example: January 17, 2025

  • In American English: “January seventeenth, twenty twenty-five.”
  • In British English: “The seventeenth of January, twenty twenty-five.”

Practice time!

Speaking Quiz: Reading Dates in English

1. What is this date?

3/5/2023

Answer:
“March fifth, twenty twenty-three.”

2. How would you say this date?

1/1/2020

Answer:
“January first, twenty twenty.”

3. How would you say this date?

4/22/2015

Answer:
“April twenty-second, twenty fifteen.”

4. Say this date the British way:

5/10/1998

Answer:
“The tenth of May, nineteen ninety-eight.”

5. What is this date?

6/3/2009

Answer:
“June third, two thousand nine.”

6. Read this day and date:

2/14/2014

Answer:
“Friday, February fourteenth, twenty fourteen.”

7. How would you shorten this date?

3/9/2023

Answer:
“Thursday the ninth.”

8. How do you say this full date?

10/25/1987

Answer:
“October twenty-fifth, nineteen eighty-seven.”

9. Say this date in two different ways:

10/25/2022

Answer:

  • American: “October twenty-fifth, twenty twenty-two.”
  • British: “The twenty-fifth of October, twenty twenty-two.”

10. How would you say this full date?

7/4/2005

Answer:
“July fourth, two thousand five.”

11. Say this full date the American way:

7/4/1776

Answer:
“July fourth, seventeen seventy-six.”

12. Say this full date the British way:

12/31/1999

Answer:
“The thirty-first of December, nineteen ninety-nine.”

13. How do you say this full date?

9/2/2023

Answer:
“September second, twenty twenty-three.”

14. Say this full date:

11/6/1983

Answer:
“Sunday, November sixth, nineteen eighty-three.”

15. How do you say this full date?

8/15/1947

Answer:
“August fifteenth, nineteen forty-seven.”

16. Read this full date:

12/25/2000

Answer:
“Monday, December twenty-fifth, two thousand.”

17. How do you say this full date?

6/15/1900

Answer:
“June fifteenth, nineteen hundred.”

18. Say this full date in two ways:

5/20/2012

Answer:

  • “May twentieth, twenty twelve.”
  • “The twentieth of May, twenty twelve.”

19. How would you say this full date?

9/2/2025

Answer:
“September second, twenty twenty-five.”

20. Say this full date the British way:

1/17/2025

Answer:
“The seventeenth of January, twenty twenty-five.”

Scroll to Top