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Is a date written “Jan. 3” pronounced January third, or is it pronounced January three?

tchrist
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1 Answers1

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“Jan. 3” is pronounced January third, which is why some people write it January 3rd. You never pronounce that as three used that way.

tchrist
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    I don't want get in a huge debate, but I think there is often scant correlation between how a date is written, and how it is pronounced. I might write a date in the style 3 Jan 13 but say it as "January third twenty-thirteen." Or, I might read a date transcribed as Jan 3, 2013, but say "The third of January of this year." How dates are written, spoken, and pronounced depends largely on situational context, preferred style, and cultural nuances. – J.R. Jan 03 '13 at 23:17
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    @J.R. What's the debate about? I believe tchrist is saying that when used in a date, you pronounce it "third", never "three". – Charles Jan 03 '13 at 23:22
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    @Charles: I say "three" sometimes, as in, "My appointment is on three Jan." (That might be due in part to past service in the military; the military uses – and sometimes says – the numeral, not the ordinal). As for "debate", the last time I brought this issue up, it stirred quite a controversy (see the link in my comment to the O.P. above). – J.R. Jan 04 '13 at 00:24
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    I'd have been okay with "seldom" or "unusually", but not "never". – Mark Beadles Jan 04 '13 at 00:45