Days of the week in English: names, abbreviations and memorization tips

If you already speak the days of the week in English, that's great - but do you have any doubts when it comes to writing, abbreviating or using them in emails? This practical guide reviews spelling, pronunciation, common abbreviations and ways of indicating date + day in English (US/UK). It also includes memorization tips - music, associations with planets and little tricks for remembering each day.

List of days of the week and pronunciation

Here is the list of days in English, with the Portuguese form in brackets. Remember: in English, days start with a capital letter.

• Monday (Monday)
• Tuesday (Tuesday)
• Wednesday (Wednesday)
• Thursday (Thursday)
• Friday (Friday)
• Saturday (Saturday)
• Sunday (Sunday)

Approximate transcriptions (use them as a guide):

Common abbreviations

In calendars and emails, days are often abbreviated. Use a period when showing the abbreviated form (especially in formal texts):

• Monday: Mon. / Mo.
• Tuesday: Tues. / Tue. / Tu.
• Wednesday: Wed. / We.
• Thursday: Thurs. / Thu. / Th.
• Friday: Fri.
• Saturday: Sat. / Sa.
• Sunday: Sun. / Su.

How to write date + day (USA vs. UK)

Basic format

Pay attention to the order: in the United States we usually write month before day; in the United Kingdom, day before month.

Format in emails and invitations

In invitations, it is common to indicate the date with the abbreviation of the day in brackets:

Tips for memorizing the days

Association with planets

The names of the days come from celestial bodies and gods: Sunday = Sun, Monday = Moon, Tuesday ≈ Mars, Wednesday ≈ Mercury, Thursday ≈ Jupiter, Friday ≈ Venus, Saturday = Saturn. Associating each day with a planet helps with memorization.

Mythological origin (summarized)

Some days derive from the names of Nordic/Roman deities - for example, Tuesday comes from Týr (associated with Mars), Wednesday comes from Woden/Odin, Thursday from Thor and Friday from Freyja/Freya. These connections are historical and serve as a mnemonic curiosity.

Memorization with music and puns

Singing a simple song (for example, "Sunday, Monday, Tuesday...") or creating rhymes and puns in Portuguese with the endings can make learning more fun and effective.

How to speak correctly about days (practical grammar)

Use of "on"

To say that something happens on a specific day, we usually use the preposition "on":

To talk about recurring events ("every Wednesday"), use "every" instead of "on":

This / next / last (without "on")

When we specify "this"/"next"/"last" week, we usually omit "on":

By vs. until

"By" indicates time (up to a point in time). "Until" indicates duration (over a period up to that point).

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

How should I abbreviate the days in a formal email?

Use standardized abbreviations with a period: Mon., Tue., Wed., Thu., Fri., Sat., Sun. If the audience is international, prefer the full form to avoid ambiguity.

Should I use a comma between day and date?

In American English, it's common to use a comma after the day and after the day number when the date includes the year (for example, Monday, August 25, 2021). In British English, the comma after the day number is less common.

How can you avoid confusion with date formats (8/3 could be March 8 or August 3)?

To avoid ambiguity, write the month in full (25 August 2021) or use the ISO format (2021-08-25) in formal contexts.

Summary

Review quickly: memorize the list (Sunday to Saturday), use initial capital letters, prefer abbreviations with periods in formal texts and pay attention to the date format (USA vs. UK). Practice using songs, associations with planets or short rhymes to fix the sequence.