Everyday vs. Every day – What’s the Gist?
These two similar terms are often confused and mistakenly interchanged. Since each one is a different part of speech; they’re not interchangeable.
- Everyday is an adjective.
- Every day is an adverbial phrase.
Adjectives only modify nouns and pronouns. Adverbs, on the other hand, modify verbs, adjectives, other adverbs, and verbals.
How to Use Everyday in a Sentence
Everyday definition: The adjective everyday means to encounter or to use routinely, or to be ordinary.
For example:
- For most mealtimes, the family used its everyday dishes. (Adjective)
- Knowing several tricks and many words, she wasn’t your average, everyday dog. (Adjective)
Note in the above examples that the word everyday comes before the noun it modifies.
How to Use Every day in a Sentence
Every day definition: The phrase every day is an adverb, which is likely telling when something occurred. Adverbs answer questions like How? When? Where? To what extent/degree? of the words they describe.
For example:
- To maintain good health, the man took a walk every day. (Adverb)
- Every day the toddler looked forward to the video call from her grandmother. (Adverb)
In the examples above, the adverb phrase every day is not in front of the word it modifies. In the first sentence, every day describes the verb took by saying when he walks. The second sentence, the phrase every day modifies the predicate looked also by saying when she looks.
By the way, a phrase is when you have two or more words but don’t have a subject and a predicate. Any group of words that has a subject and a predicate is called a clause.
Outside Examples of Everyday vs. Every day
- With its menagerie of adorable anthropomorphic neighbors, its stubbornly sunshiny aesthetic (even when it rains) and its strangely seductive mimicry of everyday life, the Animal Crossing experience is an irresistible mix of distraction, diversion and what sure feels like productivity. –The Washington Post
- Exploring diverse stories featuring underrepresented children while “Together at Home” contributes to a future where all kids can imagine themselves as the everyday superheroes we need. –Chicago Tribune
- Annamaria Iakovou is a pulmonary and critical care doctor for Northwell Health fighting the coronavirus pandemic every day at the North Shore University Hospital in New York. –USA Today
- “For the first couple of weeks, we cooked every single night. But now we mix in support for our diners and restaurants to keep our sanity from cooking every day, while we support the economy with the places that need the help,” Longstreet said. –Houston Chronicle
Phrases That Use Everyday and Every day
There are a few phrases and idioms that use the word everyday or every day, including:
Everyday clothes: Ordinary clothes that are worn around the house.
- After he got home from school, his mother reminded him to change into his everyday clothes.
Everyday English: Words that are used in typical, daily conversation in the English language.
- Native speakers are unaware how often idioms are used in everyday English.
All day and every day: An action or event that occurs frequently.
- She played the game Animal Crossing all day and every day.
Make every day count: To make each day have meaning and purpose.
- After his near-death experience, he vowed to make every day count.
How to Remember These Words
These two terms are easily confused because they are spelled exactly the same way. It boils down to what part of speech you want to use. To help you remember, try these suggestions.
With the adjective everyday describing something routinely encountered, think of the phrase close encounter. In a sense, the word everyday is a close encounter since there is no space separating the two words.
On the other hand, think of the adverbial phrase every day in terms of each day. You would never put “eachday” together, so don’t put every day together when it is an adverb describing when.
Quiz: Everyday or Every day
- She woke up _______ with a happy attitude.
- During the lockdown, he developed an _______ routine.
- It rained _______ for a week.
- Because of much use, the _______ dishes needed to be replaced.
Article Summary
Is everyday or every day correct? Knowing the part of speech you want will make the right choice easier.
If you are looking for an adjective describing something routine or ordinary, pick everyday. If you are looking for an adverb that answers the question when, choose every day.
Getting up every day is an everyday event.
- Everyday is an adjective.
- Every day is an adverb.
Quiz Answers
- Every day.
- Everyday.
- Every day.
- Everyday.