Vocabulary · Basics
Months of the year in English
A1
Months of the year in English: the twelve months, their short forms, useful phrases like “last month”, and how to write a date the UK way and the US way. With British pronunciation (IPA) and examples.
Quick answer
The 12 months
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| January(n.)“My birthday is in January.” | the first month of the year | /ˈdʒænjuəri/ |
| February(n.)“Valentine's Day is in February.” | the second month of the year | /ˈfebruəri/ |
| March(n.) | the third month of the year | /mɑːtʃ/ |
| April(n.) | the fourth month of the year | /ˈeɪprəl/ |
| May(n.) | the fifth month of the year | /meɪ/ |
| June(n.) | the sixth month of the year | /dʒuːn/ |
| July(n.) | the seventh month of the year | /dʒuˈlaɪ/ |
| August(n.) | the eighth month of the year | /ˈɔːɡəst/ |
| September(n.) | the ninth month of the year | /sepˈtembə/ |
| October(n.) | the tenth month of the year | /ɒkˈtəʊbə/ |
| November(n.) | the eleventh month of the year | /nəʊˈvembə/ |
| December(n.)“Christmas is in December.” | the last month of the year | /dɪˈsembə/ |
Common short forms
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Jan.(n.) | short for January | /ˈdʒænjuəri/ |
| Feb.(n.) | short for February | /ˈfebruəri/ |
| Mar.(n.) | short for March | /mɑːtʃ/ |
| Apr.(n.) | short for April | /ˈeɪprəl/ |
| Aug.(n.) | short for August | /ˈɔːɡəst/ |
| Sept.(n.) | short for September | /sepˈtembə/ |
| Oct.(n.) | short for October | /ɒkˈtəʊbə/ |
| Nov.(n.) | short for November | /nəʊˈvembə/ |
| Dec.(n.)“May, June, July are not abbreviated.” | short for December | /dɪˈsembə/ |
Useful phrases
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| in January(prep.)“School starts in September.” | during the first month of the year | /ɪn ˈdʒænjuəri/ |
| last month(phrase)“I went there last month.” | the month before this one | /lɑːst mʌnθ/ |
| next month(phrase) | the month after this one | /nekst mʌnθ/ |
| this month(phrase) | the month we are in now | /ðɪs mʌnθ/ |
| every month(phrase) | once in each month, all year | /ˈevri mʌnθ/ |
| a month ago(phrase) | one month before now | /ə mʌnθ əˈɡəʊ/ |
Common mistakes to avoid
january ❌: months need a capital letter
Months always start with a capital letter in English: January, March, December. Days do too. ❌ january. ✅ January.
On May ❌: use in + month
To say when something happens in a month, use in: in January, in May, in December. Do not use on: it is for days and exact dates (on Friday, on 5 May).
Dates: the UK order or the US order?
UK: 12 March 2026 (day, month, year). US: March 12, 2026 (month, day, year). In numbers: 12/03/2026 (UK) and 03/12/2026 (US). The same numbers can mean two different dates, so be careful!
The September ❌: no article before a month
Do not put the before a month. Say January, not the January: School starts in September, not in the September.
Practice quiz
Related pages: Months of the year
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
Going further
The “Months of the year” topic is part of the contest vocabulary
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Practise on PLAYMonths of the year: learn these words for good
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Frequently asked questions
What are the months of the year in English?+
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December. They always start with a capital letter.
Why do months have a capital letter in English?+
It is a spelling rule of English: months are names, and names take a capital letter. Days, languages and nationalities follow the same rule: Monday, English, Dutch. Seasons are different: spring and summer have no capital.
Do you say in January or on January?+
Say in January: use in + month. It is the same for every month: in February, in March, in December. Never say on January: on is for days and exact dates (on Monday, on 12 March).
How do you write the date in English?+
In the UK: 12 March 2026 (day, month, year). In the US: March 12, 2026 (month, day, year). In numbers, the order changes too: 12/03/2026 (UK) and 03/12/2026 (US). When it matters, write the month as a word to avoid mistakes.
How do you say the date in English?+
In the UK, say the twelfth of March and write on 12 March or on the 12th of March. In the US, say March twelfth and write on March 12. You say the day as an ordinal number (12th = twelfth). Use on before an exact date.
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/months
© 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.