August 12th or 12nd?
The correct way to write the date is August 12th.
While it's tempting to use "12nd" for consistency, it's not grammatically correct. The ordinal numbers (first, second, third, etc.) are only used for the day of the month when it's written out in words.
Here's why:
- Ordinal numbers are used for ranking: When we say "first," "second," or "third," we are indicating an order or position in a sequence. For example, the first day of the month, the second person in line, or the third prize in a competition.
- Numerals are used for specific dates: When we use numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.) for dates, we are simply indicating a specific day within the month.
Here's a breakdown:
- Correct: August 12th
- Correct: August twelfth
- Incorrect: August 12nd
- Incorrect: August twelth
Remember: Always use "th" after numerals when writing dates, except for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.
