Discussing the duration of time is a critical step on the path to English fluency. Which is why learning the months of the year in English is an important foundational lesson for ESL students.
List of months: what are the names of months in English?
The names of months in English are:
- January
- February
- March
- April
- May
- June
- July
- August
- September
- October
- November
- December
Say this list out loud several times to learn the months in sequence.
Do you capitalize names for months in English?
Yes, months of the year always start with a capital letter in English. For example:
- Dan’s birthday is in December.
- I can’t wait for our next holiday. We’re going to Japan in January!
- My favorite month is April because that’s when the spring flowers start to bloom.
How to abbreviate month names in English
Months of the year are abbreviated in English as follows:
- January: Jan.
- February: Feb.
- March: Mar.
- April: Apr.
- May: May
- June: Jun.
- July: Jul.
- August: Aug.
- September: Sep.
- October: Oct.
- November: Nov.
- December: Dec.
Although these abbreviations are usually seen in written English, you might also hear an English speaker use these abbreviations in informal conversation (for example: “I can’t believe it’s nearly the first of Jan!”).
Do you spell months of the year differently in American English and British English?
No, months of the year are not spelled differently in American English and British English.
What English prepositions do you use with months of the year?
We use the prepositions ‘in’ and ‘on’ with months of the year in English.
The preposition ‘in’ is used when speaking about whole months:
- The new Prime Minister was elected in June.
- I’m having a party at my house in December. Please come!
The preposition ‘on’ is used when referring to specific days in a month:
- My graduation is on the fifteenth of July.
- We pay rent on the first of every month.
Example sentences with months of the year in English
- I prefer the hotter months of the year, so I’m usually at my happiest in July and August.
- In Canada, July and August are the hottest months of the year.
- Remember it’s “February” not “february.” In English, month names are always capitalized!
- The tax deadline is sometime in March, but I can never remember the exact date.
- Isn’t your birthday in November? That means it’s soon!
- I love January because I am a huge fan of winter sports.
- Native speakers always seem to forget that there are two Rs in February.
- My brother’s birthday is in August.
- School starts in July.
- I’m taking four weeks of vacation in April.
- I booked us a trip to Morocco in September.
- We’re flying to Morocco on the 15th of September.
- My sister was born in January 1990.
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Adding the months of the year to your growing list of vocabulary and English phrases will help you have conversations in English around the duration of time.
Want to practice using your new English vocabulary right now? Tell us in the comments: What is your favorite month of the year? And what questions do you have about using months of the year in English?