Why does English switch the day and the month?

Question

Why is it in English we say, "Today's April 6, 2011" while the rest of the world says, "Today's the 6th of April of 2011"? Why does the English language switch the day and month? Wouldn't it make more sense to say, "6th of April of 2011" instead of "April 6, 2011"? Because the day is the smallest, so it goes first, the month is the next biggest, so it's next, and the year is the biggest so it goes last.

Answer 1

We are cool, that's why.

Answer 2

The rest of the world puts the day before the month? Says who? I can tell you in Korea it's not that way. April 6th is "4월 6일".



And it's not a language-specific thing for English. British people tend to say "6th of April," Americans tend to say "April 6th." In English, "April 6th" is quicker to say (one less word/syllable). I don't think the Americans care if it's not a consistent order from smallest to biggest, it's just the way that's ended up becoming the most natural way for them to say it. Month-day and day-month are both typical ways of saying the date cross-linguistically.



Additionally, the year doesn't have to go at the end. It can be a consistent order from biggest to smallest. Again, Korean: 2011년 4월 6일.

Answer 3

It's only Americans who say it like that. The English say 6 April, 2011.

Answer 4

it is probably a matter of taste, style and tradition.



And be careful to separate out how one WRITES the dates from how on SAYS the dates.



I, for one as a native speaker of American English, would say either April seventeenth or the seventeenth of April. But unless I'm being European / International, I'd write April 17, 2011.

Answer 5

The English in fact do say "Today is the 6th of April" as do we here in New Zealand.

Answer 6

Why ? Because it's like that. In some asian (and other) countries they start with the year first.

Answer 7

Looking forward to an answer, I have also wondered why.

Answer 8

To make you ask questions.