Days and months are among the first words learners study, but many still mispronounce them years later. This guide ensures you say each one correctly with natural American English pronunciation.
Days of the Week
Note that in natural speech, the "day" ending often reduces to /di/ or even /deɪ/ depending on context.
Common Day Pronunciation Mistakes
| Day | Wrong | Correct | Key Point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | /ˈtjuːzdeɪ/ | /ˈtuːzdeɪ/ | No "y" sound in American English |
| Wednesday | /wɛdˈnɛzdeɪ/ | /ˈwɛnzdeɪ/ | The first D is SILENT! |
| Thursday | /ˈtɜːrzdeɪ/ | /ˈθɜːrzdeɪ/ | Starts with TH /θ/, not T |
| Saturday | /ˈsætʊrdeɪ/ | /ˈsætərdeɪ/ | Schwa /ə/ in middle syllable |
Months of the Year
Common Month Pronunciation Mistakes
| Month | Wrong | Correct | Key Point |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | /ˈdʒænjuæri/ | /ˈdʒænjueri/ | Last syllable is /i/, not /æri/ |
| February | /ˈfɛbjueri/ | /ˈfɛbrueri/ or /ˈfɛbjueri/ | First R often dropped in casual speech |
| April | /əˈprɪl/ | /ˈeɪprəl/ | Stress on first syllable, long A |
| August | /ɔːˈɡʌst/ | /ˈɔːɡəst/ | Stress on FIRST syllable |
| October | /ɒkˈtoʊbɛr/ | /ɒkˈtoʊbər/ | Schwa in final syllable |
Seasons
While we're discussing time, here are the seasons:
Useful Phrases
Practice these common expressions with days and months:
- "See you on Monday." /siː juː ɒn ˈmʌndeɪ/
- "My birthday is in February." /maɪ ˈbɜːrθdeɪ ɪz ɪn ˈfɛbrueri/
- "Wednesday works for me." /ˈwɛnzdeɪ wɜːrks fɔːr miː/
- "The meeting is next Thursday." /ðə ˈmiːtɪŋ ɪz nɛkst ˈθɜːrzdeɪ/
- "We're closed on Sundays." /wɪər kloʊzd ɒn ˈsʌndeɪz/
Quick Tips
- Wednesday: Always remember the D is silent! Say "WENZ-day"
- Thursday: Don't forget the TH sound at the start
- February: It's okay to drop the first R in casual speech
- Stress patterns: Most days and months have stress on the first syllable