“Every day” vs. “everyday”: How to use them correctly

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Have you ever been confused about when to use “every day” and “everyday”? Don’t worry—you’re not alone. Many people mix them up because they sound the same. But, they have different meanings and uses.

In today’s NRTC English, I have explained the difference between “every day” and “everyday” with simple examples to make it clear.

What does “every day” (written separately) mean?

“Every day” is a phrase that means “each day.” It talks about something that happens daily or on a regular basis. When you can replace “every day” with “each day” in a sentence, you know you’re using it correctly.

Examples:

• I walk my dog every day.
  (I walk my dog each day.)
• She practices the piano every day.
  (She practices the piano each day.)

You can see that “every day” is about things we do regularly, one day at a time. Think of it as two separate words—”every” and “day”—which work together to describe a daily routine or habit.

What does “everyday” mean?

“Everyday,” on the other hand, is an adjective. It describes something ordinary or common, something that is a normal part of life. It’s used to talk about things that aren’t special—they’re just part of the routine.

Examples:

• This is my everyday bag.
  (This is my ordinary or regular bag.)
• Cooking dinner has become an everyday task for me.
  (Cooking dinner is now a regular, routine part of my life.)

When we use “everyday,” we’re talking about things that blend into the background because they happen so often or are so ordinary that they don’t stand out.

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Quick tip to remember

A good way to remember the difference is to test if “each day” makes sense in the sentence. If it does, you need to use “every day.” If not, go for “everyday” to describe something common.

• “I wear my everyday shoes to work” wouldn’t make sense if you said, “I wear my each day shoes to work.” That’s how you know “everyday” is the right choice.
• “I drink coffee every day” makes perfect sense when replaced with, “I drink coffee each day,” so “every day” is correct here.

Let me create a scenario to illustrate the difference between “every day” and “everyday”

Imagine you’re a student. You go to school every day (each day of the week, except weekends, of course). But, there’s nothing special about the bag you carry—it’s just your everyday backpack, the one you use for school all the time.

Or think about how you might watch TV in the evening. You watch your favorite show every day after work because it’s your routine. But, that comfortable pair of sweatpants you always wear? Those are your everyday clothes for lounging around the house.

“I’d not like to produce brilliant students without moral integrity” – Oluwaseun Ajewumi, Founder of TBOSE Tutorial

Final thoughts on “every day” and “everyday”

“Every day” (adverbial phrase) talks about frequency—how often something happens. “Everyday” (adjective) talks about regularity—something that’s normal or typical in your routine. When in doubt, just replace “every day” with “each day” to check if it fits. If it does, you’ve got the right one!

Remembering their word classes, you’ll never mix them up again!