DDD.1 Use abbreviations for days and months
What are abbreviations?
Abbreviations are shortened forms of words. They are used to save space and make writing quicker. Many abbreviations end with a period.
- Monday → Mon.
- January → Jan.
- September → Sept.
An abbreviation means the same thing as the full word, just written in a shorter way.
Abbreviations for days of the week
The days of the week can be written as abbreviations by shortening the word and adding a period.
- Sunday → Sun.
- Monday → Mon.
- Tuesday → Tues.
- Wednesday → Wed.
- Thursday → Thurs.
- Friday → Fri.
- Saturday → Sat.
Day abbreviations always begin with a capital letter because the full day name is a proper noun.
Abbreviations for months of the year
Months of the year can be shortened using abbreviations. Most month abbreviations end with a period.
- January → Jan.
- February → Feb.
- March → Mar.
- April → Apr.
- May → May
- June → June
- July → July
- August → Aug.
- September → Sept.
- October → Oct.
- November → Nov.
- December → Dec.
May, June, and July are not usually abbreviated because they are already short.
Using abbreviations in sentences
Abbreviations for days and months are often used in calendars, schedules, and dates.
- We have a field trip on Fri.
- My birthday is on Sept. 12.
- School starts on Mon., Aug. 21.
When writing complete sentences, make sure the abbreviation is clear and easy to understand.