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february

Medium-High
UK/ˈfɛbrʊəri/US/ˈfɛbruˌɛri/ or /ˈfɛbjuˌɛri/

Formal, Neutral, and Informal. Widely used across all registers.

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Definition

Meaning

The second month of the Gregorian calendar, containing 28 days in common years and 29 in leap years.

The period or season associated with late winter in the Northern Hemisphere; often characterized by cold weather and historical festivals such as Valentine's Day.

Linguistics

Semantic Notes

Primarily a proper noun (name of a month). The concept is concrete and temporal. It is part of a fixed, sequential list (calendar months).

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

No significant semantic differences. Spelling is identical. The primary distinction is in pronunciation.

Connotations

Identical connotations of winter, cold, and Valentine's Day in both cultures.

Frequency

Equally frequent in both varieties.

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong
in Februaryearly Februarylate Februarymid-February
medium
February morningFebruary snowFebruary holidayFebruary deadline
weak
chilly Februarybleak FebruaryFebruary skiesFebruary blues

Grammar

Valency Patterns

in + Februaryduring + Februaryby + Februaryuntil + February

Vocabulary

Synonyms

Neutral

the second monthmonth two

Weak

FEB (abbreviation)

Usage

Context Usage

Business

'The Q1 report is due by the end of February.'

Academic

'The semester typically commences in early February.'

Everyday

'My birthday is on the 14th of February.'

Technical

'The mean temperature for February 2023 was recorded at 4.2°C.'

Examples

By Part of Speech

adjective

British English

  • We had a typical February chill.
  • The February sales are on now.

American English

  • We're expecting February-like weather.
  • The February budget is tight.

Examples

By CEFR Level

A2
  • My holiday is in February.
  • February is a short month.
  • It is cold in February.
B1
  • Valentine's Day is celebrated on the 14th of February.
  • We usually go skiing in February.
  • The project will start in late February.
B2
  • Despite the bleak February weather, the conference was well-attended.
  • The committee agreed to postpone the decision until February.
  • Historically, February has been a month of significant political change.
C1
  • The interim figures for February indicate a surprising uptick in consumer confidence.
  • His tenure, which began inauspiciously that February, was to last less than a year.
  • The February edition of the journal features a seminal paper on climate modelling.

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Think: 'FEB' is cold, 'BRR' (the sound of shivering), then 'ARY' to finish. 'FEB-BRR-ARY' reminds you it's a cold month.

Conceptual Metaphor

TIME IS A RESOURCE: 'We've lost most of February already.'

Watch out

Common Pitfalls

Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)

  • Do not confuse with 'ферварь' which is a transliteration; the correct Russian equivalent is 'февраль'.
  • Capitalisation: In English, months are capitalised ('February'), unlike in Russian.

Common Mistakes

  • Misspelling as 'Febuary' (dropping the first 'r').
  • Incorrect pronunciation: /ˈfɛbjuˌɛri/ is common but /ˈfɛbruˌɛri/ is also standard.

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap
The annual general meeting is scheduled for the third week of .
Multiple Choice

What is a common challenge for English learners regarding the word 'February'?

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

It comes from Latin 'Februarius', named after the februa purification festival. The spelling preserves the Latin root.

Yes, the standard pronunciation includes the first 'r' (/ˈfɛbruˌɛri/), though the common pronunciation /ˈfɛbjuˌɛri/ (dropping that 'r') is widely accepted.

The most common abbreviation is 'Feb.' (with a period).

In a leap year, February has 29 days instead of 28, with the extra day being February 29th, known as Leap Day.

Collections

Part of a collection

Numbers and Time

A1 · 50 words · Numbers, dates, days and expressions of time.

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