How Do You Spell Everyday — a Quick Spelling Guide

You must have heard the phrase “the total is greater than the sum of its parts.” That is the case with words like ‘everyday’ and ‘every day.’ These compound words in English sound the same and even spell the same but don’t always convey the same meaning. So, how do you spell everyday in the right context?

This article will help you spell everyday correctly and understand the difference between the two confusing terms.

Everyday Vs. Every Day — What Is the Difference?

“Everyday” is a single word without a space. It’s also not the same as “every day” with a space, which is a two-word expression. They have the same phonetic sound yet mean two different things. It’s no wonder that they’re so easily misunderstood and misused.

The difference between ‘everyday’ and ‘every day’ is determined by how it is used. Here’s what they mean and how to keep each phrase separate:

Everyday is an adjective that refers to describing something that’s seen or used daily. It also means “ordinary” or “typical.” Because everyday is an adjective, it is always used before a noun when describing something.

I can’t find my everyday gym shoes.

Every day is an adverb that means “daily, every weekday, or day by day.”

I take her to school every day.

One trick to remembering the two-word adverb form is to see if you can put another word between ‘every’ and ‘day.’ If yes, you need to use ‘every day’ with a space in between. For example, I saw her doing the laundry every single day.

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How Do You Spell Everyday?

‘Everyday’ is an 8-lettered word spelled as E-V-E-R-Y-D-A-Y. It contains 3 vowels and 5 consonants. ‘Everyday’ is a 3-syllable word, eve-ry-day, with the primary stress on the first syllable as underlined. However, it could also be pronounced with secondary emphasis on the third syllable as in eve-ry-day.

According to the dictionary, the phonetic transcription of ‘everyday’ is /ˈɛvrɪdeɪ, ɛvrɪˈdeɪ/. The American and British accent makes the pronunciation vary slightly. In the US, the word sounds like a 4-syllable word [eh·vr·ee·day], while the UK people prefer [eh·vree·day]/

Spelling ‘everyday’ becomes easier if you split the compound word:

EVERY + DAY = EVERYDAY

If you hear a space or pause after ‘every,’ then write ‘every day.’

Definition of Everyday With Example Sentences

‘Everyday’ functions as an adjective in the parts of speech. It can also function as a noun in rare cases. Following are its dictionary definitions with example sentences;

As an Adjective: of or relating to something typical or happening daily.

My everyday clothes are in the left closet.
She is late to class is an everyday occurrence.
Where are my everyday jeans?

As a Noun: the routine or ordinary occasion.

I don’t need expensive clothes for everyday.
We use traditional wooden plates for everyday.

Wrapping Up

‘Everyday’ and ‘every day’ sounds the same and have the exact letter orders. However, the only difference is the space in between, which makes them two separate words.

How do you spell everyday when you mean to describe a noun? If you’re using the term as an adjective, it should be ‘everyday.’

English grammar and spelling rules have always been tricky if not understood properly. This article explains the difference between ‘everyday’ and ‘every day’ to use them in the correct context.