You can write the date in English in lots of different ways, depending on the situation. This guide will show you the key differences between formal and informal styles, help you understand the British and American date formats, and explain what’s expected in IELTS Writing.
Follow this guide and soon you’ll be able to write dates clearly and confidently — whether you're preparing for the British Council IELTS, writing a letter, or simply texting a friend.
Why does writing the date correctly matter?
Writing the date correctly in English is more important than you might think. In the IELTS test and many real-world situations, writing the date correctly (and in a consistent way) helps avoid confusion.
Whether you're taking IELTS, filling out a form, booking a ticket, writing a formal letter, or putting a report together, the way you write the date can affect how clear and professional your message is.
How to write the date top tip:
Knowing how to write dates correctly will make your writing more accurate and easier to understand. It’s also important for your IELTS band score. Mixing styles may lower your marks for accuracy in the Academic Writing test.
Dates and ordinal numbers
When you are writing the date or telling someone what the date is, you’ll need to use ordinal numbers (up to 31st) to do so.
|
Ordinal (written) |
Ordinal (numbers) |
British date format |
|
First |
1st |
|
|
Second |
2nd |
|
|
Third |
3rd |
|
|
Fourth |
4th |
|
|
… |
… |
|
|
Twenty-first |
21st |
|
|
Twenty-second |
22nd |
|
|
Twenty-third |
23rd |
British and American date formats
It’s especially important to realise that there are different ways of writing the date in different English-speaking countries. While the British and American date formats are very common, there are others you should know about too.
How to write the date correctly in the UK
The British English date format follows the Day/Month/Year format. That means 03/04/2025 refers to the 3rd of April 2025. Here are some other examples:
- 10th July 2025
- 31st December 1999
- 30/02/2018
How to write the date correctly in the U.S.
The U.S. English date format follows the Month/Day/Year structure. Therefore, 03/04/2025 would be read as March 4th. You’ll often see the American English date format in online forms, in Excel spreadsheets, etc.
Saying the date in English
Even when speaking, someone from the U.S. might say 'April 13', while someone from the UK might say 'the 13th of April'. Both are correct, but it’s better to be consistent.
Table of international date formats
|
Date format |
English-speaking country |
|
Day/Month/Year |
UK, Australia, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand |
|
Month/Day/Year |
U.S. |
|
Year/Month/Day (YYYY - MM - DD)
|
Officially, Canada follows the year, month, day format. However, people often follow or write day/month/year in less formal situations.
If you find yourself in Canada and are unsure which format is being used, make sure to confirm! |
Top tips:
Note that the difference in international, British and American date formats can lead to some confusion – even among native speakers of English. For example, if a British person writes to someone in the U.S. and explains that an event is taking place on 12/02/25 (12th February 20, 2025), the person in the U.S. may interpret it as December 2nd, 2025. If they don’t confirm that they have correctly understood, they will arrive about 10 months late to the party.
In writing, when in doubt, write out the date in long form. Before filling out a form, be sure to confirm that you know which date format is being used.
In British English, dates are typically written as day–month–year, while in American English the format is month–day–year. For the IELTS test, both formats are acceptable, so you may use either one - just be consistent throughout your writing.
How to write the date: Formal versus informal English
How you write the date will depend on how formal the situation is. If a person needs to be in a specific place on a particular day and time, it always helps to be more formal and accurate.
Formal date formats
Use a formal date format when writing business letters or emails, academic essays or reports, or official documents and forms. Here are some examples of formal date formats in British English:
- 13 April 2025
- 13th April 2025
- Sunday 13 April 2025 (for more specific contexts)
The first two examples do not use commas and the day comes before the month.
Informal British and American date formats
Informal date writing is fine for personal letters or emails, text messages, social media posts, etc. Examples of informal date formats are:
- We’ll meet next week, on the 13th (British English).
- Let’s do it on Friday 12 (AmericanEnglish).
These are more relaxed and often used in conversation or casual writing.
Other more casual ways of using the date in English
In everyday (non-academic) writing, dates are often shortened or written in different ways. In the IELTS test, you can use informal ways to refer to dates:
- Next Monday
- A week from today/tomorrow/Friday
- In two weeks’ time
- In a fortnight (in two weeks)
- On the 13th of April
- The day before yesterday
- The day after tomorrow
These are also completely acceptable and natural in spoken English. Practice using them so you sound more fluent and confident.
Examples of informal dates and time phrases:
- ‘I saw Tina the day before yesterday and she told me she’d be here.’
- ‘We’ll set the meeting up a week from tomorrow, does that work for you?’
- ‘See you in two weeks’time. I can’t wait!’
- ‘Your uncle is coming to visit the day after tomorrow.’
- ‘We’ll be ready to receive the delivery in about a fortnight.’
- ‘See you at the weekend!’
If you’re less clear about when something happened (or will happen), you can use looser language.
- In a few days/couple of days: about two days in the future
- In the near future – soon
- A while ago – a short time in the past
- In the long run – looking far ahead
Know IELTS date formatting
If you’re preparing for the IELTS exam, it’s important to know how to write the date correctly in both formal and informal contexts.
How to write dates correctly for academic writing
In IELTS Academic Writing, it’s a good idea to use a formal style:
- April 13 2025
- 13th April 2025
Punctuation and capitalisation
- Capitals: Always capitalise the name of the month (e.g. ‘April’, not ‘april’). See our blog on Capital Letters in English: Common Errors and How to Fix Them for more.
- Spacing: Leave a space between the day and month (e.g. 13 April, not 13April).
- No comma in formal British English dates.
How to write dates correctly: tips for IELTS test takers
- Avoid mixing date format styles
- Double-check for capital letters and correct spacing
- In the speaking section, focus more on natural expressions than on formal language
Knowing how to write the date in English can help you sound more professional, score higher in exams like the IELTS, and avoid confusion (e.g. getting the day or month wrong) in different countries. When in doubt, use the formal British English date format: day first, then month, then year — for example, 13th April 2025.
In informal situations make sure you're still clear and consistent. If you’re unsure about how to write dates correctly, write the whole date out, including the day and month.