Every Day and Everyday
Every day is similar in meaning to each day. (It is an adjective and a noun.) For example:
- Every man is a damn fool for at least five minutes every day.
(Elbert Hubbard)
- These are everyday items.
Every Day or Everyday?
There is often confusion over every day and everyday.Every day
Every day (two words) can usually be substituted with each day. (In this expression, the word every is an adjective which modifies the noun day.)Try substituting the every day in these examples with each day:
- Every day is a good day to be alive, whether the sun's shining or not. (Marty Robbins)
- Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
- Start every day off with a smile and get it over with. (W C Fields)
- Every day brings new choices. (Martha Beck)
Everyday
Everyday (one word) is similar to normal, ordinary, or usual. (Everyday is an adjective.)Examples:
- Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. (Berthold Auerbach)
- The whole of science is nothing more than a refinement of everyday thinking. (Albert Einstein)
- I think it's important to find the little things in everyday life that make you happy. (Paula Cole)
A Quick Test
USE EVERY DAY IF EACH DAY WORKS
Like every, the word each is an adjective. If each works as a perfect substitute for every in your sentence, then you should be using every day not everyday. If each day does not work well (i.e., you feel normal would be a better replacement), then you should be using everyday. For example:
Like every, the word each is an adjective. If each works as a perfect substitute for every in your sentence, then you should be using every day not everyday. If each day does not work well (i.e., you feel normal would be a better replacement), then you should be using everyday. For example:
- Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practised every day. (Jim Rohn)
(As practised each day works perfectly, every day is correct.)
- Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. (Pablo Picasso)
(As dust of each day life sounds wrong, every day must be wrong. As normal sounds okay, everyday is correct.)
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