What are the 12 months of the year in English?

The 12 months are: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December. They always start with a capital letter.

What are the 4 seasons in English?

The 4 seasons are: spring, summer, autumn (or fall in American English), and winter. Unlike months, seasons don't require capital letters unless at the start of a sentence.

Which preposition do you use with months and seasons?

Use 'in' with both months and seasons: 'in January', 'in summer', 'in the spring'. You can also say 'in the month of January'.

How do I write the short form of the months?

The common short forms are: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep/Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec. They are often used on forms and calendars.

How do I say a date with the month?

Use the format: 'the' + number + 'of' + month. Example: 'the 1st of January' or 'January the 1st'. In American English, you often say 'January 1st'.

Do we say 'in the summer' or 'in summer'?

Both are correct. 'In summer' is more general. 'In the summer' can be more specific, like talking about a particular year.

What months are in each season?

In the Northern Hemisphere: Spring (Mar, Apr, May), Summer (Jun, Jul, Aug), Autumn/Fall (Sep, Oct, Nov), Winter (Dec, Jan, Feb). This can be different in other parts of the world.

What does 'this', 'next', and 'last' mean with months?

'This December' means the coming December. 'Next December' means December of the next year. 'Last December' means the December that happened before now. No preposition is used.

CEFR A1

Months and Seasons

Learn the 12 months of the year and 4 seasons in English. Practice saying and writing January through December and spring, summer, autumn, winter for your calendar conversations and planning.

What You'll Learn About Months and Seasons

Master all twelve months of the year - from January to December with correct spelling and order

Understand the four seasons - spring, summer, autumn/fall, winter and their characteristics

Use correct prepositions - "in" for months and seasons, "on" for specific dates

Talk about weather and activities - describe seasonal changes and yearly routines naturally

What Are Months and Seasons?

The 12 months are always capitalised. Use IN with months.

in Januaryin Marchin Julyin Octoberin December

Dates

For specific dates use ON: 'on 15th March', 'on the first of January'. Month + year uses IN: 'in March 2024'.

Months and seasons help us organize time throughout the year. There are twelve months divided into four seasons, each with its own weather patterns and activities. Learning these helps you talk about dates, holidays, and yearly routines.

Time Organization

✓ 12 months = 1 year

✓ 4 seasons = yearly cycle

✓ 3 months per season

✓ Fixed order: always the same sequence

Why They Matter

✓ Plan events and holidays

✓ Talk about weather changes

✓ Describe seasonal activities

✓ Understand yearly routines

Key Rule to Remember

Months and seasons always start with capital letters in English. Use the preposition "in" with both months and seasons.

✓ Correct: My birthday is in July. (capital J, preposition "in")

✓ Correct: We swim in summer. (capital S, preposition "in")

A Year Through the Seasons

Imagine you start your year in January. It is cold outside and you wear a warm coat. This is winter.

Then March arrives. The flowers begin to bloom and the birds return. Spring has come!

In July, the sun is hot and you go to the beach. You eat ice cream in the summer.

By October, the leaves turn orange and red. You feel the cool autumn breeze.

Every year follows this cycle — winter, spring, summer, autumn — and then it starts again in January!

The Twelve Months of the Year

Learn the twelve months in order, with their correct spelling, pronunciation, and seasonal associations. Remember - they always start with capital letters!

January

1st month • Winter

• New Year begins

• Cold weather

February

2nd month • Winter

• Valentine's Day

• Shortest month

March

3rd month • Spring begins

• Spring starts

• Weather warms

April

4th month • Spring

• April showers

• Flowers bloom

May

5th month • Spring

• Beautiful weather

• Flowers everywhere

June

6th month • Summer begins

• Summer starts

• School ends

July

7th month • Summer

• Hot weather

• Vacation time

August

8th month • Summer

• Beach season

• Hot days

September

9th month • Autumn begins

• School starts

• Leaves change

October

10th month • Autumn

• Halloween

• Cool weather

November

11th month • Autumn

• Thanksgiving

• Getting colder

December

12th month • Winter begins

• Christmas

• Snow season

Quick Practice

Complete these sentences with the correct month:

1. "New Year begins in __________." (1st month)

2. "Summer vacation often starts in __________." (6th month)

3. "Christmas is in __________." (12th month)

Check your answers

1. January (1st month)

2. June (6th month, summer begins)

3. December (12th month)

The Four Seasons

The year is divided into four seasons, each lasting about three months. Each season has its own weather, activities, and characteristics.

spring

March, April, May

• Weather: Warming up

• Flowers bloom

• Animals wake up

• Rain showers

summer

June, July, August

• Weather: Hot and sunny

• Vacation time

• Beach days

• Ice cream season

autumn/fall

September, October, November

• Weather: Cooling down

• Leaves change color

• School begins

• Harvest time

winter

December, January, February

• Weather: Cold and snowy

• Christmas holidays

• Snow activities

• Warm clothes

Want to try a Months and Seasons quiz?

Practice with multiple choice questions

Using Months and Seasons in Sentences

Learn the correct way to talk about months and seasons in different types of sentences, from discussing birthdays to describing seasonal activities.

The Preposition Rule

Always use "in" with months and seasons. This is different from days where we use "on".

With Months

in January

in July

in December

With Seasons

in spring

in summer

in winter

Good Examples

My birthday is in August

We swim in summer

It snows in winter

Common Mistakes

❌ My birthday is on January (wrong preposition)

❌ I like summer (no capital letter)

❌ We travel in july (small letter)

Ready to test your Months and Seasons knowledge?

Challenge yourself with fill-in-the-blank exercises

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Using wrong preposition with months

❌ Wrong: My birthday is on July.

✓ Correct: My birthday is in July.

Use 'in' with months, not 'on'

Forgetting capital letters

❌ Wrong: I love summer.

✓ Correct: I love summer.

Seasons do NOT use capital letters (unlike months)

Confusing month capitalization

❌ Wrong: my birthday is in july.

✓ Correct: My birthday is in July.

Months always start with capital letters

Wrong preposition with seasons

❌ Wrong: We travel on summer.

✓ Correct: We travel in summer.

Use 'in' with seasons, not 'on'

Incorrect month order or spelling

❌ Wrong: Febuary, Wensday

✓ Correct: February, Wednesday

Pay attention to correct spelling of months

Master Months and Seasons sentence building!

Drag and drop words to form correct sentences

Quick Comparison Chart

Category	Capitalization	Preposition	Example
Months	Always capital	in	in January, in July
Seasons	No capital*	in	in spring, in winter
Days	Always capital	on	on Monday, on Friday

*Note: Seasons only use capitals when they start a sentence

Seasonal Activities Guide

Spring Activities

• Planting flowers
• Spring cleaning
• Outdoor walks
• Easter celebrations

Summer Activities

• Swimming and beaches
• Summer vacations
• Barbecues
• Ice cream

Autumn Activities

• Leaf watching
• Halloween
• Thanksgiving
• School starting

Winter Activities

• Snow sports
• Christmas holidays
• Hot chocolate
• Indoor games

Tips to help you learn the Months and Seasons

Learn in groups of three - practice months by season (Jan-Feb-Mar = winter)

Use a calendar - mark important dates and see the months visually

Remember capitalization rules - months: always capital, seasons: no capital

Practice with "in" - always use "in" before months and seasons

Talk about your year - describe birthdays, holidays, and favorite seasons

Associate with weather - connect months with typical weather patterns

Speaking Practice

To practice your pronunciation, listen to the native speaker audio first. Then 'Record' yourself repeating what you heard, then use the 'Playback' button to compare your pronunciation with the native speaker. If you want to record yourself again, simply click 'Delete'!

My birthday is in January and we usually have snow in winter.

We go to the beach in July and August during summer vacation.

The leaves change color in October during autumn season.

Spring begins in March and the flowers bloom in April.

December is very cold but we love Christmas in winter.

School starts in September after the long summer holidays.

I like February because it is short and spring is coming soon.

November is a cold, rainy month at the end of autumn.

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