How to mention a day with the date?

[Tom]

Hi

Could you please tell me if I want to add a day with the following dates, how I should I write it? Let's say Sunday!

May 12, 2006
16 May, 2006
16-May-2006

Tom

[Yankee]

Sunday, May 12, 2006

If you write the day before the month, it looks European to me. But you are often asked to use this format on forms in the US.

I'd never use hyphens in a date.

Amy

[Conchita]

Tip for learners

In spoken English, dates are not pronounced as they are written:

12th May, 2006 = the twelfth of May, two thousand and six.

January 27th, 2007 = January the twenty-seventh, two thousand and seven.

(I'd rather say 'twenty o seven' like some of my students do, but it doesn't seem to be standard)

[Yankee]

A few further tips:

May 12, 2006 is also commonly pronounced without the word 'and':
the twelfth of May, two thousand six.

When the month is said first (as in Conchita's January 27th, 2007 example), it is also common to omit the words 'the' and 'and':
January twenty-seventh, two thousand seven.

When referring to the current year in short form ('07), I hear people say "oh seven".

As yet, I have not heard anyone refer to the current year as "double oh seven". At least not seriously.

Amy

[Alan]

Seems a good idea though - I like it.