month
A1Neutral (used across all registers)
Definition
Meaning
A unit of time approximately equal to the period of the moon's revolution around the Earth, typically one of the twelve named divisions of the year.
A period of about four weeks or thirty days. Can refer to a recurring monthly cycle (e.g., a subscription, a menstrual period). Used informally to mean a very long time.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Refers to a calendar month (named like January) or a lunar month (~29.5 days). Also used in financial/administrative contexts (e.g., 'calendar month', 'billing month'). Plural form 'months' is phonologically tricky (/mʌnθs/).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant semantic differences. Minor spelling differences only appear in compounds (e.g., month-long/monthlong). Date formatting differs (UK: day/month/year; US: month/day/year).
Connotations
Identical.
Frequency
Equally high frequency in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[PREP] in/during/for/within + a/the + month[QUANTIFIER] a couple of/six/several + months[VERB] spend/take/last + a monthVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “a month of Sundays (a very long time)”
- “flavour of the month (temporarily popular)”
- “make a month of it (extend a visit/activity)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to accounting periods, reporting cycles, and monthly targets. 'The fiscal month ends on the 25th.'
Academic
Used in historical, scientific, and demographic studies to measure time. 'Data was collected over a 24-month period.'
Everyday
Used for planning, appointments, and discussing age. 'We're going on holiday next month.'
Technical
In astronomy, denotes lunar cycles (synodic, sidereal months). In finance, denotes accrual periods.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- (Not standard as a verb)
American English
- (Not standard as a verb)
adverb
British English
- (Rare) He gets paid monthly.
American English
- (Rare) She visits monthly.
adjective
British English
- month-long strike
- month-end report
American English
- monthlong strike
- month-end report
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My birthday is next month.
- February is a short month.
- I go to the cinema once a month.
- It took them over six months to complete the renovation.
- The project must be finished within the current month.
- Rent is due on the first of every month.
- The contract includes a three-month notice period.
- Sales have fluctuated on a month-by-month basis.
- After a month of deliberation, they reached a verdict.
- The data shows a month-on-month increase of 2.3%.
- Her dissertation explores the concept of the fiscal month versus the calendar month.
- The satellite completes its orbit in just under a sidereal month.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: A 'MONTh' has the 'MOoN' in it, reminding you it's based on the moon's cycle.
Conceptual Metaphor
TIME IS MONEY (e.g., 'spend a month', 'save time'); TIME IS A MOVING OBJECT (e.g., 'the month flew by').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid using 'месяц' for 'moon' (celestial body). The English word is 'moon'.
- The preposition pairing differs. Russian 'в + месяц' often maps to English 'in + a/the month' (e.g., 'в прошлом месяце' = 'last month' or 'in the last month').
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect plural pronunciation: adding an extra vowel /mʌnθɪz/ instead of /mʌnθs/.
- Incorrect article: 'in next month' (correct: 'next month' or 'in the next month').
- Confusion with 'moon' spelling.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following best describes a 'calendar month'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
The correct pronunciation is /mʌnθs/. It is a single syllable. Avoid pronouncing it as /mʌnθɪz/.
In meaning, no. 'One month' is slightly more emphatic on the number ('exactly one'), while 'a month' is more general. 'One month' is often used after other numbers (e.g., 'six months, one week').
Common patterns: 'in + [month name]' (in July), 'for + a month' (duration), 'within a month' (deadline), 'by + end of + month' (deadline). Avoid 'on a month'.
The combination of the nasal /n/ followed immediately by the unvoiced dental fricative /θ/ is phonologically complex and does not occur in many languages. The plural form /mʌnθs/ adds another consonant cluster.
Collections
Part of a collection
Numbers and Time
A1 · 50 words · Numbers, dates, days and expressions of time.