Days, months and seasons in English
Learn the days, months and seasons in English, with short forms, prepositions (on Monday, in May) and the monsoon and dry seasons.
In this lesson
Days, months and seasons in English help you talk about time and plans. There are seven days in a week, from Monday to Sunday, and twelve months in a year, from January to December. Days and months always start with a capital letter. We say on Monday, in May and in the monsoon.
Key point
Write days and months with a capital letter (Monday, May), but seasons with a small letter (summer, the monsoon). Use on with days and in with months and seasons.
What are the days of the week in English?
The English week has seven days. In Britain, most calendars start the week on Monday. Monday to Friday are weekdays, and Saturday and Sunday are the weekend.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | The day after Sunday. Short form: Mon. | I go back to work on Monday. |
| Tuesday | The day after Monday. Short form: Tue or Tues. | We have an English class on Tuesday. |
| Wednesday | The day after Tuesday. Short form: Wed. | The shop closes early on Wednesday. |
| Thursday | The day after Wednesday. Short form: Thu or Thurs. | My exam is on Thursday. |
| Friday | The day after Thursday. Short form: Fri. | We play cricket every Friday afternoon. |
| Saturday | The day after Friday. Short form: Sat. | We visit my grandparents on Saturday. |
| Sunday | The day after Saturday. Short form: Sun. | The market is busy on Sunday morning. |
Tip
Wednesday has a silent d. Say wenz-day, not wed-nes-day. Many people remember the spelling by saying Wed-nes-day in their head when they write it.
Useful words about the week
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| week | A period of seven days. | I study English three times a week. |
| weekday | Any day from Monday to Friday. | The library is open on weekdays. |
| weekend | Saturday and Sunday. | What are you doing at the weekend? |
| today | This day. | Today is Friday. |
| tomorrow | The day after today. | See you tomorrow. |
| yesterday | The day before today. | It rained all day yesterday. |
| the day after tomorrow | Two days after today. | The exam is the day after tomorrow. |
| the day before yesterday | Two days before today. | I saw him the day before yesterday. |
| fortnight | A period of two weeks. | We are going on holiday for a fortnight. |
What are the months of the year in English?
There are twelve months in a year. Like days, months always start with a capital letter, even in the middle of a sentence: We met in July.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| January | The first month of the year. Short form: Jan. | My birthday is in January. |
| February | The second month of the year. Short form: Feb. | February usually has 28 days. |
| March | The third month of the year. Short form: Mar. | We have exams in March. |
| April | The fourth month of the year. Short form: Apr. | Sinhala and Tamil New Year is in April. |
| May | The fifth month of the year. It has no short form. | Vesak is usually in May. |
| June | The sixth month of the year. Short form: Jun. | Poson is celebrated in June. |
| July | The seventh month of the year. Short form: Jul. | The Kandy Esala Perahera is usually in July or August. |
| August | The eighth month of the year. Short form: Aug. | August has thirty-one days. |
| September | The ninth month of the year. Short form: Sept or Sep. | In the UK, the new school year starts in September. |
| October | The tenth month of the year. Short form: Oct. | October is often a rainy month in Colombo. |
| November | The eleventh month of the year. Short form: Nov. | Deepavali is often in October or November. |
| December | The twelfth month of the year. Short form: Dec. | Christmas is in December. |
Tip
This old rhyme helps you remember how many days each month has: Thirty days has September, April, June and November. All the rest have thirty-one, except February alone. February has 28 days, or 29 in a leap year.
Common mistake
We met in july on a monday. → We met in July on a Monday.
How do you write short forms of days and months?
Use the short forms in calendars, timetables, forms and text messages, but write the full word in normal sentences. British English often writes short forms without a full stop (Mon, Jan). American English often adds one (Mon., Jan.). May is already short, so we do not shorten it.
Examples
- Open Mon to Fri, 9 am to 5 pm
- Date of birth: 3 Aug 2008
- Meeting: Thurs 12 Feb, 10 am
- Offer ends Sun 31 Dec
Which prepositions do you use with days, months and seasons?
Use on for days and dates, in for longer periods such as months, seasons and years, and at for the weekend, night and holiday periods. You can learn more in our lesson on prepositions of time: in, on and at.
| Preposition | Use it with | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| on | days, dates and special days | on Monday, on 5 June, on my birthday, on Christmas Day |
| in | months, seasons, years and parts of the day | in May, in summer, in the monsoon, in 2026, in the morning |
| at | the weekend (British English), night and holiday periods | at the weekend, at night, at Christmas, at New Year |
Examples
- I have a dentist appointment on Tuesday.
- Vesak is in May.
- Many people travel to the hill country in April.
- The roads are busy in the monsoon.
- We play cricket on Saturdays. (every Saturday)
- I’ll see you next Monday.
Add -s to a day for something that happens every week: on Saturdays means every Saturday. Do not use on, in or at before next, last, this or every: next Monday, last May, this summer, every weekend.
Common mistake
I’ll see you on next Monday. → I’ll see you next Monday.
Note
British English usually says at the weekend. American English says on the weekend. Both are correct.
What are the four seasons in English?
Countries such as Britain, Canada and Japan have four seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter. You will read about them in many English books and films, so it is useful to know them even if your country does not have them.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| spring | The season between winter and summer, when plants start to grow. | Flowers start to bloom in spring. |
| summer | The warmest season of the year. | In Britain, summer is from June to August. |
| autumn | The season between summer and winter, when leaves fall from the trees. American English: fall. | The leaves turn red and gold in autumn. |
| winter | The coldest season of the year. | It often snows in winter in Canada. |
| season | One of the four main parts of the year, or a time with a particular kind of weather. | My favourite season is spring. |
Note
Autumn is the usual word in British English. In American English, people usually say fall: The leaves change colour in the fall.
What are the monsoon and the dry season?
Many tropical countries, such as Sri Lanka, India and Thailand, do not have four seasons. Instead, the year has a rainy season (or wet season) and a dry season. In South Asia, the rainy seasons are called the monsoon. Say in the monsoon, during the rainy season and in the dry season.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| monsoon | A season of heavy rain and strong winds in South and Southeast Asia. | The monsoon brings heavy rain to Sri Lanka. |
| rainy season | The part of the year when it rains a lot. | Roads often flood during the rainy season. |
| wet season | Another name for the rainy season. | Mosquitoes are common in the wet season. |
| dry season | The part of the year when there is very little rain. | The rivers get low in the dry season. |
| south-west monsoon | The monsoon that brings rain to the west and south of Sri Lanka, from about May to September. | The south-west monsoon brings heavy rain to Galle. |
| north-east monsoon | The monsoon that brings rain to the north and east of Sri Lanka, from about December to February. | Trincomalee gets a lot of rain during the north-east monsoon. |
Note
Sri Lanka’s weather year has four parts: the first inter-monsoon (March to April), the south-west monsoon (May to September), the second inter-monsoon (October to November) and the north-east monsoon (December to February). Farmers also talk about the Maha season and the Yala season, the two main rice-growing seasons.
Examples
- We stay indoors a lot during the monsoon.
- The dry season is the best time to visit the east coast.
- Farmers plant rice before the rainy season starts.
How do you ask about days and dates?
Examples
- What day is it today? It’s Tuesday.
- What’s the date today? It’s the sixth of November.
- When is your birthday? It’s in March. It’s on the twelfth of March.
- What’s your favourite month? I like April because of the New Year.
- Which season do you like best? I like the dry season.
Dates use ordinal numbers, such as the first and the twelfth. See our lesson on numbers in English to learn how to say them.
How can you remember days and months?
Tip
Say the day and date aloud every morning: Today is Friday, the sixth of November. Then say one thing you do on that day, for example I go to the market on Fridays.
To talk about weekly routines, use the simple present tense: I visit my aunt on Sundays. When you say goodbye on a Friday, you can use one of the friendly phrases in basic greetings and expressions, such as Have a nice weekend! You can also review every word from this lesson in our English Word Bank.
For more help, read the Cambridge Dictionary guide to writing and saying dates, explore the Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries topic list of time words, or hear the word monsoon in the Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries.
Now try the practice quiz.
Summary
- There are seven days in a week and twelve months in a year.
- Days and months start with a capital letter; seasons do not.
- Use on with days and dates, in with months, seasons and years, and at with the weekend in British English.
- Do not use a preposition before next, last, this or every.
- Tropical countries have a rainy season (the monsoon) and a dry season instead of four seasons.
Frequently asked questions
Do days of the week start with a capital letter?
Yes. Days and months always start with a capital letter in English: Monday, Friday, January. Seasons do not: spring, winter, the monsoon.
Is it on the weekend or at the weekend?
British English usually says at the weekend, and American English says on the weekend. Both are correct, so choose one and use it consistently.
What is the difference between autumn and fall?
They are the same season. Autumn is the usual word in British English, and fall is common in American English.
What are the seasons in Sri Lanka?
Sri Lanka does not have spring, summer, autumn and winter. It has two monsoon seasons, the south-west monsoon and the north-east monsoon, with inter-monsoon periods between them.
How do you say that something happens every Monday?
Say every Monday or on Mondays: I play cricket every Monday, or I play cricket on Mondays. Both mean the same thing.
Practise this lesson
12 questions
