February might be the trickiest month to spell correctly. The correct spelling is "F-e-b-r-u-a-r-y," with the first letter always capitalized.
🗓️ My birthday falls in February, making it a special month for me.
🗓️ Forgetting the silent "r," I misspelled "February" as "Febuary."
What does "February" mean?
"February" is the name for the second month of the Gregorian calendar. February typically has 28 days, but once every four years, we add an extra day to make 29 days. This kind of year is called a "leap year," and it makes sure the calendar stays aligned with the Earth's revolution around the sun.
How to use "February" in a sentence
Since February is a proper noun, it's always capitalized. The singular form is "February," and the plural form, though rarely used, can be spelled as "Februaries" or "Februarys." In certain cases, "February" can be abbreviated to "Feb."
Example sentences with "February"
- In February, we often experience cold temperatures and occasional snowfall.
- My birthday falls in February, making it a special month for me.
- Many people celebrate Valentine's Day on the 14th of February.
- The shortest month of the year, February, has 28 or 29 days.
- February marks the transition from winter to early spring in many regions.
- The conference is scheduled for the second week of February.
- This year, the holiday falls on a Friday in February, allowing for a long weekend.
- The flowers started to bloom in the garden as we entered February.
- The team had a challenging schedule in February, with several important matches.
- Students eagerly await the mid-term break in February to relax and recharge.
Examples from the web
"However, the second with a 0.5% formulation was supported by the results, published in February, of a smaller trial run by the HIV Prevention Trials Network." - The Economist
"Gisby was earmarked to receive a bonus of up to £371,000, but Network Rail said he would be leaving in February without any additional payment beyond that stipulated in his contract." - The Guardian
The Ngram graph below shows how often "February" has been used from the 1800s to the 2000s. "February" was used most frequently in the 1940s and has declined in usage in recent years.
Common misspellings of "February"
"February" is often misspelled because it's commonly pronounced with the first 'r' silent or because of the tricky vowel sounds. People might attempt to spell it based on how they hear it, resulting in variations that include extra letters or substitutions.
- Febuary
- Feburary
- Febraury
How to pronounce "February"
There are two common pronunciations of "February" in American English and one main pronunciation in British English.
American English:
1. More formal: FEB-roo-air-ee
- FEB: Pronounced like "feb," rhyming with "web."
- roo: Pronounced like "ru," as in "rude."
- air: Pronounced like "air."
- ee: Pronounced like "ee," as in "see."
2. More casual: FEB-yoo-air-ee
- FEB: Pronounced like "feb," with a softer "e" sound.
- yoo: Pronounced like "you."
- air: Pronounced like "air."
- ee: Pronounced like "ee," as in "see."
British English:
- Phonetic Pronunciation: FEB-roo-uh-ree
- FEB: Pronounced like "feb," rhyming with "web."
- roo: Pronounced like "roo," rhyming with "blue."
- uh: Pronounced like the "uh" in "duh."
- ree: Pronounced like "ree," rhyming with "tree."
The origin of "February"
The name comes from the Roman festival of purification called Februa that took place during this time of the year. Interestingly, February wasn't always the second month; in the ancient Roman calendar, it was the final month! Later, in 153 BCE, the beginning of the year was moved to January 1, and February became the second month that we know now.
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