Vocabulary · Basics
Days of the week in English
A1
Days of the week in English: the seven days and their short forms, weekdays and the weekend, useful phrases like “on Mondays” or “next Monday”, and the day the week starts in the UK and the US. With British pronunciation (IPA) and examples.
Quick answer
The seven days
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Monday(n.)“I work on Monday.” | the first day of the school week | /ˈmʌndeɪ/ |
| Tuesday(n.) | the day after Monday | /ˈtjuːzdeɪ/ |
| Wednesday(n.)“My birthday is on Wednesday.” | the day in the middle of the week | /ˈwenzdeɪ/ |
| Thursday(n.) | the day before Friday | /ˈθɜːzdeɪ/ |
| Friday(n.) | the last day of the school week | /ˈfraɪdeɪ/ |
| Saturday(n.) | the first day of the weekend | /ˈsætədeɪ/ |
| Sunday(n.)“Sunday is a day off.” | the last day of the weekend | /ˈsʌndeɪ/ |
Short forms
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Mon.(n.) | short for Monday | /ˈmʌndeɪ/ |
| Tue. / Tues.(n.) | short for Tuesday | /ˈtjuːzdeɪ/ |
| Wed.(n.) | short for Wednesday | /ˈwenzdeɪ/ |
| Thu. / Thur.(n.) | short for Thursday | /ˈθɜːzdeɪ/ |
| Fri.(n.) | short for Friday | /ˈfraɪdeɪ/ |
| Sat.(n.) | short for Saturday | /ˈsætədeɪ/ |
| Sun.(n.) | short for Sunday | /ˈsʌndeɪ/ |
Weekdays and the weekend
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| weekend(n.)“I love weekends.” | Saturday and Sunday | /ˌwiːkˈend/ |
| weekday(n.) | any day from Monday to Friday | /ˈwiːkdeɪ/ |
| workday(n.) | a day when you go to your job | /ˈwɜːkdeɪ/ |
| week(n.) | seven days, from Monday to Sunday | /wiːk/ |
| day(n.) | 24 hours | /deɪ/ |
| today(adv.) | this day | /təˈdeɪ/ |
| yesterday(adv.) | the day before today | /ˈjestədeɪ/ |
| tomorrow(adv.) | the day after today | /təˈmɒrəʊ/ |
Useful phrases
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| on Monday(prep.)“See you on Monday.” | one particular Monday | /ɒn ˈmʌndeɪ/ |
| on Mondays(prep.)“I have piano on Mondays.” | every Monday, as a habit | /ɒn ˈmʌndeɪz/ |
| last Monday(phrase) | the Monday before this one | /lɑːst ˈmʌndeɪ/ |
| next Monday(phrase) | the Monday after this one | /nekst ˈmʌndeɪ/ |
| every Monday(phrase) | each week, on that day | /ˈevri ˈmʌndeɪ/ |
Common mistakes to avoid
monday ❌: always a capital letter
Days of the week always take a capital letter in English: Monday, Wednesday, Sunday. ✗ monday. ✓ Monday.
In Monday ❌: use on
For one day, say on Monday. For every week (all Mondays), say on Mondays, in the plural. Never in Monday or at Monday.
Wed-nes-day ❌: say /ˈwenzdeɪ/
A classic trap: the first d and the middle e are silent. Say “wenz-day”, not “wed-nes-day”.
Does the week start on Sunday (US) or Monday (UK)?
In the United States, calendars usually start on Sunday. In the UK and in Europe, the week starts on Monday. Remember it when you read a calendar or make an appointment.
Practice quiz
Related pages: Days of the week
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
Going further
The “Days of the week” topic is part of the contest vocabulary
Every year, the English contest uses a wide range of cultural topics. Register your students so they can see what they really remember.
Register my students5,000 students every year · Primary and secondary
Practise on PLAYDays of the week: learn these words for good
Learning a long list by heart and forgetting it a few days later? With PLAY, you review the words at the right moment (spaced repetition), so they stay in your head.
Review “Days of the week” on PLAYFree · No sign-up · 3 minutes
For teachers“Days of the week” vocabulary, ready for your lessons
The Academy groups these words into topic-based sequences, with quizzes and practice in context: your students remember the words, and you have nothing to mark.
Discover the Academy30-day free trial · No bank card needed
Frequently asked questions
What are the days of the week in English?+
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. They always start with a capital letter.
Do days of the week have a capital letter in English?+
Yes, always. In English, days, months, languages and nationalities are names, so they take a capital letter: Monday, June, English, Dutch. Seasons do not: summer, winter. Writing monday is a mistake.
Is it on Monday or on Mondays?+
On Monday is one Monday: See you on Monday. On Mondays means every Monday: I have piano on Mondays. Always use on with days, never in or at.
How do you pronounce Wednesday?+
Wednesday is pronounced /ˈwenzdeɪ/, like “wenz-day”. You do not say the first d or the middle e. The spelling is tricky: it is the hardest day of the week to spell.
Does the week start on Sunday or Monday?+
In the UK and in most of Europe, the week starts on Monday. This is also the international standard (ISO). In the US, calendars often start on Sunday. Check the calendar when you make plans with someone from another country.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/vocabulary/days-of-the-week
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.