now a days (nowadays)

Nowadays is one word. Writing it as now a days or now-a-days is nonstandard. Below is a concise, example-rich set of fixes and templates so you can replace the error quickly and keep the right tone for work, school, or casual writing.

Quick answer

Use nowadays (one word). The variants now a days, now-a-days, and now a-days are incorrect. Choose alternatives like these days (casual) or at present (formal) when tone or precision requires it.

Correct: nowadays.
Incorrect: now a days, now-a-days, now a-days.
When a direct swap sounds awkward, rewrite using a time frame (e.g., over the past year).
Use find-and-replace for common variants, then skim each change for tone.

Core explanation: one word and why

Nowadays is a single-word adverb meaning "at the present time." Splitting it into separate words breaks the lexical unit and yields a phrase that standard English treats as incorrect.

Part of speech: adverb (modifies a verb or an entire clause).
Correct form: nowadays. Wrong forms: now a days, now-a-days, now a-days.

Wrong: Now a days people prefer online banking.
Right: Nowadays people prefer online banking.

Spacing: why "now a days" fails

In modern spelling the adverb is one unit: nowadays. Breaking it into three words or inserting hyphens changes its form and marks it as an error.

Search targets: "now a days", "now-a-days", "now a-days".
Replace with: nowadays, these days, at present, or a precise time phrase.

Wrong: I used to drive; now a days I bike to work.
Right: I used to drive; nowadays I bike to work.

Hyphenation: "now-a-days" is not a fix

Hyphens don't correct the error. Older texts or dialectal uses might show hyphenation, but standard English treats now-a-days as nonstandard. Remove hyphens and spaces, or rewrite.

Wrong: now-a-days, now a-days.
Right: nowadays or these days (if a casual tone fits).

Wrong: Now-a-days, people upload documents to the cloud.
Right: Nowadays, people upload documents to the cloud.

Grammar: function and punctuation

As an adverb, nowadays can open a sentence (often followed by a comma for a pause) or appear later without a comma. It modifies the whole clause rather than a single noun.

Initial: Nowadays, companies are more flexible. (comma common)
Medial/final: Companies are more flexible nowadays. (no comma)
Don't form plurals or possessives like *nowadayses* or *nowadays'.*

Usage: Nowadays, managers expect clear written updates.
Usage: Managers expect clear written updates nowadays.

Real usage: copyable work, school and casual examples

Below are realistic before → after pairs across three contexts. Copy the corrected lines directly into emails, essays, or messages.

Work: use nowadays for broad trends; use precise time frames in reports.
School: nowadays works for general claims; prefer dates or data for research.
Casual: nowadays and these days both feel natural.

Work - Wrong: Now a days our team uses a shared task board.
Work - Right: Nowadays our team uses a shared task board.
Work - Wrong: Now a days the onboarding process has changed a lot.
Work - Right: Nowadays the onboarding process has changed a lot.
Work - Wrong: Now a days many companies allow four-day workweeks.
Work - Right: Nowadays many companies allow four-day workweeks.
School - Wrong: Now a days students prefer digital course materials.
School - Right: Nowadays students prefer digital course materials.
School - Wrong: Now a days fewer people visit the library for research.
School - Right: Nowadays fewer people visit the library for research.
School - Wrong: Now a days professors share lecture recordings online.
School - Right: Nowadays professors share lecture recordings online.
Casual - Wrong: Now a days I stream music instead of buying CDs.
Casual - Right: Nowadays I stream music instead of buying CDs.
Casual - Wrong: Now a days we meet less often in person.
Casual - Right: These days we meet less often in person.
Casual - Wrong: Now a days I cook more at home.
Casual - Right: Nowadays I cook more at home.

Try your own sentence

Read the whole sentence out loud after replacing the phrase; context shows whether nowadays or a different phrase fits better.

Examples: copyable wrong→right pairs and quick alternatives

If you find now a days, swap it immediately with one of these options. If the line feels off, use the provided rewrite.

Direct swap: nowadays.
Tone alternatives: these days (casual), at present (formal), over the past [time period] (precise).

Wrong: Now a days people read news mostly on their phones.
Right: Nowadays people read news mostly on their phones.
Wrong: Now a days I prefer staying at home rather than going to the movies.
Right: Nowadays I prefer staying at home rather than going to the movies.
Wrong: Now a days remote interviews are common.
Right: Nowadays remote interviews are common.
Wrong: Now a days I am working on several side projects.
Right: These days I'm working on several side projects.
Wrong: Now a days our meetings are over Zoom.
Right: Nowadays our meetings take place over Zoom.
Wrong: Now a days the policy changes often.
Right: Policy changes occur frequently these days.

Fix your sentence: quick templates and a 3-step check

Choose a template, replace or rewrite, then run the simple check: find → replace → read aloud.

Template A - Formal/report: Nowadays, [subject] [verb]. (e.g., Nowadays, audits include digital logs.)
Template B - Casual: These days, I [verb]. (e.g., These days, I take short walks during lunch.)
Template C - Precise: Over the past [time period], [subject] have [verb]. (e.g., Over the past year, our team has adopted agile tools.)

Rewrite: Before: Now a days our sales are higher. After: Nowadays our sales are higher.
Alternative: Over the past quarter, sales have increased by 12%.
Rewrite: Before: Now a days I don't check voicemail. After: These days I don't check voicemail.
Rewrite: Before: Now a days students prefer remote labs. After: Nowadays students prefer remote labs.

Memory trick and practice

Mnemonic: glue now to adays - now + adays → nowadays. Treat it as one tile, not three words.

Practice: scan your last three messages for "now a" and fix any occurrences. Changing it once in real writing makes the correct form stick.

Memory drill: find "now a days" → replace with "nowadays" → read aloud.

Similar mistakes to watch for

Other common compound errors follow the same pattern. When in doubt, treat likely compounds as one word or verify their correct split.

everyday (adjective) vs every day (each day) - correct: I practice every day.
altogether (completely) vs all together (in a group) - correct: They were all together in the room.
anyway (preferred) vs anyways (informal or nonstandard in many varieties).

Wrong: I wear everyday clothes. (If you mean each day, write every day.)
Right: I wear casual clothes every day.

FAQ

Is "nowadays" one word or two?

One word. The split and hyphenated forms are nonstandard and should be avoided.

Can I use "nowadays" in formal or academic writing?

Yes for general statements. For academic precision, prefer explicit time frames (e.g., since 2015; over the last decade).

What should I use instead for a different tone?

Use these days for conversational tone, at present for slightly formal tone, or a precise phrase such as over the past year for reporting.

How do I fix many occurrences in a long document quickly?

Run find/replace for "now a days", "now-a-days", and "now a-days", swapping in "nowadays" or a tone-appropriate alternative. Then skim each replacement.

Will grammar checkers catch "now a days"?

Most modern grammar tools will flag it and suggest "nowadays" or alternatives. Use the suggestion, then confirm the tone by reading the sentence aloud.

Want to check a sentence now?

Paste a sentence with "now a days" into your editor or a grammar tool and try these swaps: nowadays; these days; over the past [time period]. If you paste one sentence here, you can get a corrected version plus alternate rewrites for work, school, and casual tones.