Missing comma between day of month and year

In American month-day-year dates, put a comma after the day: March 15, 2022. Dropping that comma makes sentences harder to read and can create grammatical errors.

Below are the single rule, clear grammar notes, quick fixes you can paste, and many ready-to-use wrong/right examples for work, school, and casual writing.

Quick answer

In month-day-year style (March 15, 2022) place a comma after the day. If the date appears inside a sentence, close it with a second comma after the year.

Correct (standalone): March 15, 2022.
Correct (mid-sentence): On March 15, 2022, we met.
No comma in day-month-year (15 March 2022) or in numeric styles (03/15/2022 or 2022-03-15).

Core explanation: the one rule to remember

Treat "Month Day" as a single unit and separate it from the year with a comma: Month Day, Year. When the date interrupts a sentence, add a second comma after the year to close the phrase.

Rule: month day, year → always comma after the day.
Mid-sentence dates need two commas: On July 4, 1776, the event happened.
Exceptions: day-month-year (15 March 2022) and ISO numeric dates (2022-03-15) do not use that comma.

Grammar details: ordinals, abbreviations, and interrupting dates

Ordinals and spelled numbers follow the same rule: July 1st, 1999 or July 1, 1999. Abbreviated months keep their periods when your style requires them and still take a comma after the day: Jan. 5, 2020.

When a date interrupts a sentence, always close it with a comma: The report dated Feb. 2, 2021, contains the changes.

Ordinals: July 1st, 1999 (comma after day).
Abbreviations: Nov. 30, 2021 (keep the period if your style uses it; comma still required).
Interrupting date: On May 5, 2019, we started - note the closing comma.

Spacing and formatting: exact placement

Put the comma immediately after the day (no space), then one space before the year. Do not insert a space before the comma.

Numeric styles (03/15/2022 or 2022-03-15) avoid the comma but can be ambiguous internationally; choose one format and use it consistently.

Correct: "June 1, 2024" (no space before comma; one after).
Incorrect: "January 10 ,2023" → fix to "January 10, 2023".
Numeric alternatives: 03/15/2022 or 2022-03-15 (no comma).

Hyphenation, ranges, and from...to phrases

When listing a day range within a month, use a dash and keep the comma after the range: June 10-12, 2023. For phrases like "from" or "between," treat each full date the same way: from May 1, 2021, to May 3, 2021.

Do not use a hyphen to separate the day and the year; that creates ambiguity.

Range: June 10-12, 2023 (comma after the year when mid-sentence).
From/to: from April 5, 2022, to April 9, 2022.
Avoid ambiguous forms like "January 102023."

Real usage: work, school, and casual examples (quick rewrites)

Here are realistic sentences with direct rewrites you can paste into emails, assignments, or messages.

Work: memos and meeting invites should use two commas when the date sits inside a sentence.
School: deadlines and headers need the comma for formal submissions.
Casual: invitations and posts benefit from the comma for clarity; numeric dates work for brevity.

Work - Wrong: Meeting on September 10 2024 at 9 a.m.
Work - Right: Meeting on September 10, 2024, at 9 a.m.
Work - Wrong: The memo dated April 1 2025 was filed
Work - Right: The memo dated April 1, 2025, was filed.
Work - Wrong: Deadline Nov 30 2021
Work - Right: Deadline: Nov. 30, 2021.
School - Wrong: Essay due March 2 2023
School - Right: Essay due March 2, 2023.
School - Wrong: Class begins September 1 2024 and enrollment closes
School - Right: Class begins September 1, 2024, and enrollment closes.
Casual - Wrong: Party: August 20 2023 7pm
Casual - Right: Party: August 20, 2023, 7 p.m.
Casual - Wrong: We met on June 10 2018 at the festival
Casual - Right: We met on June 10, 2018, at the festival.

Try your own sentence

Check the whole sentence, not just the date fragment. Context usually shows whether the date is a parenthetical element that needs commas.

Rewrite help: quick fixes you can paste

Each fix follows a simple pattern: add a comma after the day; if the date interrupts the sentence, add a comma after the year too.

Pattern 1 (label): "Month D, YYYY" - e.g., "March 15, 2022".
Pattern 2 (in-sentence): "On Month D, YYYY, ..." - e.g., "On March 15, 2022, we..."
Pattern 3 (alternate formats): "03/15/2022" or "15 March 2022" (no comma).

Fix: Wrong: She started on May 3 2021. → She started on May 3, 2021.
Fix: Wrong: Report dated Jan 12 2020 was released. → Report dated Jan. 12, 2020, was released.
Fix: Wrong: Workshop - April 22 2024. → Workshop - April 22, 2024.
Alternate: 03/15/2022 (numeric style that avoids the comma).
Alternate: 15 March 2022 (British style; no comma).
Safe: If unsure, use both commas: "On July 4, 1776, the ...".

Examples: common wrong/right pairs (copy-paste ready)

Drop-in fixes you can paste directly into your document.

Wrong: March 15th 2022
Right: March 15th, 2022
Wrong: January 1023
Right: January 10, 2023
Wrong: She was born on July 4 1988
Right: She was born on July 4, 1988.
Wrong: Holiday starts Dec 24 2022
Right: Holiday starts Dec. 24, 2022
Wrong: Event scheduled May 1 2023 through May 4 2023
Right: Event scheduled May 1, 2023, through May 4, 2023
Wrong: Application deadline: Feb 28 2025
Right: Application deadline: Feb. 28, 2025
Wrong: Born on 04/07/1990
Right: If you mean April 7, write "April 7, 1990" (avoid ambiguous 04/07/1990).
Wrong: Her appointment is April 3 2026 at noon
Right: Her appointment is April 3, 2026, at noon.

Memory tricks and quick checks

Catch missing commas quickly with these simple tests.

Say-it-out-loud: If you pause between the day and the year, insert a comma.
Parenthesis trick: Dates inside sentences act like parenthetical clauses-set them off with commas.
Visual scan: Look for "Month Number Number" patterns (e.g., March 15 2022) and add a comma after the day.

Usage: Say "March fifteenth, twenty twenty-two" - the pause marks the comma.

Similar mistakes to watch for

Common related errors include a missing closing comma when a date interrupts a sentence, inconsistent date formats, and incorrect month abbreviations.

Missing second comma: "On May 5, 2019 we..." → "On May 5, 2019, we...".
Inconsistent formats: don't mix "March 15, 2022" with "15/03/2022" in the same document.
Abbreviation periods: follow your chosen style and apply it consistently (e.g., "Sept." vs "Sept").
Numeric ambiguity: 03/04/2022 can be March 4 or April 3-spell the month to avoid confusion.

FAQ

Do you always need a comma between the day and the year?

Yes for American month-day-year style: place a comma after the day. You do not use that comma in day-month-year formats (15 March 2022) or in ISO numeric dates (2022-03-15).

Should I add a comma after the year if the date is in the middle of a sentence?

Yes. Close the date with a second comma: "On March 15, 2022, we sent the notice."

Is "March 15 2022" ever acceptable?

Only in very informal contexts or when a house style explicitly allows it. Standard grammar and most editors expect "March 15, 2022."

Can I avoid commas by switching to numeric dates?

Yes-numeric forms like 03/15/2022 or 2022-03-15 don't use commas. They can be ambiguous internationally, so spelling the month removes that ambiguity.

How do I handle month abbreviations and commas?

Keep the period for abbreviations if your style requires it (Jan. 5, 2020). The comma-after-day rule still applies regardless of abbreviation.

Need a fast check?

Read the sentence aloud-if you naturally pause between the day and the year, add the comma. Use the copy-paste "right" examples above to fix emails, memos, and assignments quickly.