The short answer to how to say dates in English is “the + the day (ordinal number) + of + the month”
Table of Contents
Ordinal Numbers
The first thing you should know is that we usually use ordinal numbers (e.g. first, second, third, etc.) instead of cardinal numbers (e.g. one, two, three, etc.) when talking about days.
| Number | Cardinal Number | Ordinal Number |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | one | first |
| 2 | two | second |
| 3 | three | third |
| 4 | four | fourth |
| 5 | five | fifth |
| 6 | six | sixth |
| 7 | seven | seventh |
| 8 | eight | eighth |
| 9 | nine | ninth |
| 10 | ten | tenth |
| 11 | eleven | eleventh |
| 12 | twelve | twelfth |
| 13 | thirteen | thirteenth |
| 14 | fourteen | fourteenth |
| 15 | fifteen | fifteenth |
| 16 | sixteen | sixteenth |
| 17 | seventeen | seventeenth |
| 18 | eighteen | eighteenth |
| 19 | nineteen | nineteenth |
| 20 | twenty | twentieth |
| 21 | twenty-one | twenty-first |
Months
The second thing to look at is the correct pronunciation of the months:
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Years
The third thing to look at is the correct pronunciation of the years. We usually group the numbers together in pairs:
1982: nineteen eighty-two
1328: thirteen twenty-eight
1632: sixteen thirty-two
1999: nineteen ninety-nine
2020: twenty twenty
2023: twenty twenty-three
Some exceptions after 2000 (2000 to 2009) in American English. We usually say two-thousand one for 2001, two thousand two for 2002, and so on. And the years between 2010-2019, we use both “two-thousand ten” and “twenty ten” for 2010, etc. Both are correct.
How to say dates
Please note that in American English, we write Month/Day/Year. Let’s get down to saying some dates:
the + the day (ordinal number) + of + the month
Example: May 1, 1980 or May 1st, 1980 (both are correct)
Written: My brother was born on May 1, 1980
Written: My brother was born on the 1st of May, 1980
Spoken: My brother was born on the first of May, nineteen eighty.
Written: She left the US on January 20, 2023 (or 20 January, 2023, outside the US)
Spoken: She left the US on the twentieth of January, twenty twenty-three.
Written: I was born on May 1 or I was born on May 1st.
Spoken: I was born on the first of May
More examples below:
I was born in 1980.
I was born in May.
I was born in May 1980.
I was born on May 1, 1980.
I was born on the 1st.
I was born at 5:00 a.m. on May 1, 1980.
I was born at 5:00 a.m. on May 1st, 1980.
FAQs
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How do you say dates in American?
In American English, dates are typically said with the month first, followed by the ordinal number of the day and then the year, e.g., “January 1st, 2023” is said as “January first, twenty-twenty-three.”
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How do English people say dates?
In British English, dates are commonly read with the day first, followed by the month and then the year, e.g., “1st January 2023” is said as “the first of January, twenty-twenty-three.”
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Is it January 1 or January 1st?
While “January 1” is understood and acceptable, “January 1st” is more grammatically correct when speaking.
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Do you say on 1st or on the 1st?
Typically, you would say “on the 1st.”
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How do you write the date on an invitation?
Depending on the formality, in American English, you might write: “Saturday, January 1, 2023.” In British English: “Saturday, 1 January 2023.” For formal occasions, you might spell out the date: “the first of January, two thousand twenty-three.”
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