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"Everyday" (one word) is an adjective meaning ordinary or daily; "every day" (two words) means each day.
Side-by-side comparison
"Everyday" (one word) is an adjective meaning ordinary or belonging to daily life. It always comes before a noun: "everyday life", "everyday problems".
This is an everyday problem that most people face at some point.
She switched to more everyday clothing after leaving her corporate job.
The app is designed for everyday use, not just occasional tasks.
"Every day" (two words) means "each day". Quick test: if you can replace it with "each day" and the sentence still makes sense, you need the two-word version.
She goes to the gym every day before work.
I check my email every day, even on weekends.
The price of gasoline seems to change every day.
Common mistake
"I go to the gym everyday" is the most common slip: there it means "each day", so it should be two words. And "my every day clothes" is also wrong: there it is an adjective, so it is one word.
Trick to remember it
There are two quick tests. If you can replace it with "each day", it is two words. If you can put "an" or "a" before the noun that follows ("an everyday routine"), it is one word.
Quick rule
- •"Everyday" (one word) = adjective before a noun.
- •"Every day" (two words) = each day (substitutable with "each day").
Did you know?
"Everyday" as a compound adjective is relatively recent in English. The Oxford English Dictionary traces its use as an adjective to the 18th century. Before that it was always written as two words. This pattern of "two words becoming one word" happens regularly in English over time: "some day" → "someday", "any one" → "anyone", "any body" → "anybody". English tends to fuse into one word what is frequently used as a unit.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
She uses _____ items in her art: old spoons, newspapers, and buttons.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
She runs _____ , rain or shine. Nothing stops her.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
"Apart" = separated, at a distance; "a part" = a piece or member of something larger.
"Maybe" (one word) = perhaps, possibly; "may be" (two words) = might be, could be.
One means to receive or agree to something, the other means to exclude or not include.
'Advice' is the guidance you receive (noun); 'advise' is the act of giving that guidance (verb).
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy