There’s only one way to spell nowadays—as one word. Even though this adverb evolved from the Middle English now adays, spelling it as more than one word today is a mistake.
When did nowadays become a word?
nowadays (adv.)
«in these times, at the present,» late 14c., contracted from Middle English nou adayes (mid-14c.), from now + adayes «during the day» (see adays).
What we can say instead of nowadays?
In this page you can discover 12 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for nowadays, like: in the present age, these-days, present, in these days, now, today, time, in-fact, commonplace, too and in this age.
Do people use nowadays?
We can use nowadays, these days or today as adverbs meaning ‘at the present time, in comparison with the past’: I don’t watch TV very much nowadays. There’s so much rubbish on. It’s not like it used to be.
Can I say nowadays in an essay?
Is it ok to start an essay with ‘nowadays’? The quick answer is yes. There’s nothing wrong with this word, and the examiner won’t reduce your score if you use it.
Is nowadays good English?
There’s only one way to spell nowadays—as one word. Even though this adverb evolved from the Middle English now adays, spelling it as more than one word today is a mistake. You shouldn’t write it as now a days, nowdays, nowaday, or any other spelling: You can’t buy spirits if you’re a minor now a days .
How do you spell now a days?
“Nowadays.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nowadays.
Is nowadays proper English?
There’s only one way to spell nowadays—as one word. Even though this adverb evolved from the Middle English now adays, spelling it as more than one word today is a mistake. You shouldn’t write it as now a days, nowdays, nowaday, or any other spelling: You can’t buy spirits if you’re a minor now a days .
What’s another way to say many people?
What is another word for many people?
horderabblehostdrove
| crowd | throng |
|---|---|
130 more rows
How now a days is written?
There’s only one way to spell nowadays—as one word. Even though this adverb evolved from the Middle English now adays, spelling it as more than one word today is a mistake. You shouldn’t write it as now a days, nowdays, nowaday, or any other spelling: You can’t buy spirits if you’re a minor now a days .
Which social media has most users?
With nearly 2.5 billion monthly users, Facebook is hands down the largest social media site in the world.
How do you start an essay with a question?
The first one or two sentences of an introduction should directly address the question with a statement outlining your position regarding the topic. Using the terminology of the question helps to keep the statement focussed and ensures that you have not misinterpreted or misrepresented it.
How do you start an essay answer?
Begin your answer by rephrasing the essay question as a statement. The best way to start an essay answer is to rephrase the question in the form of a statement. Opening your essay in this way signals to the professor that you have read and understood the question.
Do we say born in or born on?
If you are talking about the year, month or season then it should be: Born in. Example: I was born in 1980 (May, summer). If you are talking about day of the week or a holiday then it should be Born on. Example: I was born on Monday (Christmas day).
How do you write no one?
The correct way to spell no one is as two words, without the hyphen: No one warned us about the incoming storm. We went to the schoolyard, but there was no one there. If you add a hyphen to no one, you get a much less common variant spelling of the word: no-one.
Can you start a sentence with and?
It’s perfectly acceptable to begin a sentence with and (as well as doing so with words such as but or or). Using and at the beginning of a sentence has been a practice for over a thousand years.
What is the opposite word of?
What is the opposite of what?
regardless ofwithout regard to
| despite | in spite of |
|---|---|
| notwithstanding | |
What is a group of soldiers called?
A troop is a group of soldiers.
What word can replace nowadays?
nowadays
- anymore,
- currently,
- now,
- presently,
- right now,
- today.
Will social media ever go away?
Social Media Will Evolve, Not Go Away
Social media is absolutely addictive, and is built to be that way—so that part of The Social Dilemma is true. And this won’t change. Social media will always be addictive, for better or for worse. It is part of human behavior now.
Which country uses Facebook the most?
According to the latest data, the country with the most Facebook users is India with over 340 million active users, followed by the US (200 million), Indonesia (140 million), Brazil (130 million), and Mexico (98 million).
Loyalty is just a word nowadays it has no meaning
Asked by: Marlee Mosciski
Score: 5/5
(60 votes)
When to Use Now a Days
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first recorded use of this word was in 1362. It originates from a Middle English phrase that was originally written as three words, forming nou A dayes.
Is nowadays an actual word?
There’s only one way to spell nowadays—as one word. Even though this adverb evolved from the Middle English now adays, spelling it as more than one word today is a mistake. You shouldn’t write it as now a days, nowdays, nowaday, or any other spelling: You can’t buy spirits if you’re a minor now a days .
Where do we use nowadays?
We can use nowadays, these days or today as adverbs meaning ‘at the present time, in comparison with the past’:
- I don’t watch TV very much nowadays. …
- Young people nowadays don’t respect their teachers any more.
- These days you never see a young person give up their seat for an older person on the bus.
Is nowadays proper English?
Yes, that’s right: «nowadays» is technically correct, but colloquial. It is perfectly acceptable in oral speech, but it strikes the wrong tone in written English — because it is so informal or colloquial.
Where did nowadays come from?
nowadays (adv.)
«in these times, at the present,» late 14c., contracted from Middle English nou adayes (mid-14c.), from now + adayes «during the day» (see adays).
27 related questions found
What word can replace nowadays?
Synonyms & Antonyms of nowadays
- anymore,
- currently,
- now,
- presently,
- right now,
- today.
When did nowadays become a word?
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first recorded use of this word was in 1362. It originates from a Middle English phrase that was originally written as three words, forming nou A dayes.
What is the word nowadays mean?
: at the present time People don’t wear hats much nowadays.
Is it correct to say these days?
We use ‘these days’ to refer to the present time. «Young people are always on screens these days.» «It’s hard to find people who don’t own a smartphone these days.» ‘Those days’ can refer to some period in the past.
What is past tense of now?
There is no past tense of now. Only verbs can change tense. Now can be an adverb, a noun or a conjunction, but it cannot be a verb.
What is the sentence of nowadays?
Nowadays Sentence Examples
Yes, everything is different nowadays, everything is changed. Nowadays, you’d be scared someone would kidnap a child but in the old days, no one ever thought of that stuff. Nowadays everybody designs laws, it is easier writing than doing.
What is the difference between nowadays and these days?
The difference between Nowadays and These days is that ‘Nowadays’ is used to compare distant past to recent present, it is used with present simple tense, on the other hand, ‘These days’ is used to denote a temporary situation or temporary action in the present and used with present continuous tense.
What word class is nowadays?
At the present time.
How do you write no one?
The correct way to spell no one is as two words, without the hyphen: No one warned us about the incoming storm. We went to the schoolyard, but there was no one there. If you add a hyphen to no one, you get a much less common variant spelling of the word: no-one.
Is now a days together or separate?
The correct word is «nowadays.» «Nowdays» and «now a days» are errors (although the correct «nowadays» comes from a Middle English phrase that was written as two or three words.)
Has become or has became?
It’s because typical verbs have same past and past participle forms. But, become is an irregular verb, became is past tense and become is past participle. «to become» is irregular and the author used it wrong. He had to use «become» because it is the third form (past participle) which is needed.
What is in this day and age meaning?
Definition of in this day and age
: at the present time in history : nowadays Computers are essential to getting work done in this day and age. It’s unbelievable that in this day and age people are still dying from hunger.
Which app is best to improve English?
Our list of top five favorite apps to improve your English will help.
- Rosetta Stone – Most versatile app. …
- FluentU – Best media-based app. …
- Hello English – Best app for intermediate learners. …
- Duolingo – Most fun app. …
- HelloTalk – Best conversational app.
How can I talk stylish English?
Top 10 Tips to Improve Your Spoken English
- Spoken English Tip #1: Learn phrases, not just individual words.
- Spoken English Tip #2: Listen to more English.
- Spoken English Tip #3: Practice speaking by yourself (both reading aloud and speaking spontaneously)
- Spoken English Tip #4: Practice thinking in English.
What is the meaning of Nove?
British English: nine /naɪn/ NUMBER. Nine is the number 9. We saw nine sailboats. American English: nine /ˈnaɪn/
Is nowadays a compound word?
Yes, ‘nowadays’ is a compound word. ‘Nowadays’ is made from a group of separate words that are combined to create a word with a different meaning….
Sometimes, when it comes to spelling, we might feel like we’re in a daze, especially when it comes to words that we hear said more than we see written.
If you were writing this phrase in the fourteenth century—if you were lucky enough to know how to read or write in that era—you would have been using a multiple word form, but language has evolved since then.
Nowadays, the correct spelling is “nowadays”—all one word. No hyphens or spaces needed.
People seem to get nervous around words like this, as if they’re just sticking things together that don’t really belong, portmanteaus like baconator or sharknado. But like spork and netiquette, this is a mashup that truly works.
“Nowdays,” on the other hand, is simply a typo. I feel like I have days like that sometimes, when everyone seems to want things now, now now… but that’s not really what anyone’s going for with this attempt at spelling.
Got it? Good.
As languages age, they evolve to match usage trends and broad cultural shifts. At the word level, this sometimes means that spelling changes, or that phrases containing multiple words are condensed into a single word, often through compounding.
In one prominent example, the word nowadays was originally a three-word phrase, now a dayes, from the 14th century.
Today, however, it almost always appears as a single word. But is this shortening a mistake, or does it represent the healthy and necessarily evolution of English? Continue reading to discover whether you should use nowadays or stick with now a days.
What is the Difference Between Nowadays and Now a Days?
In this post, I will compare nowadays vs. now a days. I will outline when it is appropriate to use each spelling. Plus, I will demonstrate the use of a memory tool that you can use to help you remember whether to use nowadays or now a days in your own writing.
When to Use Nowadays
What does nowadays mean? Nowadays is an adverb that means at the present time. Nowadays is a synonym of its fellow adverbs, presently and currently.
See the sentences below for examples,
- Nowadays, people don’t build cars like the ’63 Corvette coupe anymore.
- Nowadays, the domination of the MacBook Pro in an increasingly competitive ultrabook space is no longer taken as a given.
- My perspective on world affairs is quite different nowadays than it was even a few short years ago.
- These should be graded outward and downward from the swamp’s wettest areas. Then lay drainage “tiles”—nowadays large sections of plastic pipe are used—in the trenches. –The Wall Street Journal
When to Use Now a Days
What does now a days mean? Now a days represents an inferior variant of the word nowadays.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first recorded use of this word was in 1362. It originates from a Middle English phrase that was originally written as three words, forming nou A dayes.
In its first 100 or so years of use, a few spellings existed, including nou A dayes, nou adaies, now a dayes, nowadayes, etc. After some time, a hyphenated version that more resembles the phrase we see today began to gain ground: now-a-days.
Today, however, the term is invariably combined into a single word without spaces. The following graph shows the frequency of nowadays vs. now a days vs. now-a-days in contemporary English.
Of course, this graph only looks at published English sources since the year 1800, so it is not scientific, or exhaustively accurate. It still clearly shows that the single word nowadays is the standard variant of this phrase.
Trick to Remember the Difference
In modern written English, you should always choose nowadays. Despite the word’s origins as a three-word phrase, today, almost all writers use the single-word form, and popular style guides including The AP Stylebook advise their writers to use the single word variant, without hyphens. To revert to the original variant would be needlessly distracting to your readers.
For a reminder that nowadays is the correct version, remember that its synonyms currently and presently are also single words. This should make it easy for you to keep these words straight in your mind.
Summary
Is it nowadays or now a days? The adverb nowadays used to be a three-word phrase several centuries ago, but at least since 1880, writers have shortened it into a single word.
- The single word nowadays is the favored spelling in Modern English.
- Now a days is no longer considered correct.
- The hyphenated now-a-days has also fallen out of use.
Since its synonyms currently and presently are also a single word, it should be no trouble to remember to choose nowadays over now a days.
Remember, you can always check this site for a quick refresher, or any time you have questions about writing and language.
Contents
- 1 What is the Difference Between Nowadays and Now a Days?
- 2 When to Use Nowadays
- 3 When to Use Now a Days
- 4 Trick to Remember the Difference
- 5 Summary
English has many words that sound similar and can be used interchangeably without altering the meaning of a sentence. Sometimes, or in some cases, using words interchangeably changes the sentence’s meaning.
‘Nowadays’ and ‘These days’ are similar words with very few differences.
Key Takeaways
- Nowadays refers to the present time, while these days also refer to the present time but with a slight implication that things have changed from before.
- Nowadays is used to talk about something that is currently happening or is true in the present time, while these days are often used to suggest a shift or change in a situation or behavior.
- While nowadays and these days are often used interchangeably, these days tend to have a more casual and conversational tone compared to nowadays.
The term ‘nowadays’ can be used for comparison between two situations. One can be a past situation and the other can be present. When the term ‘nowadays’ is used at the start of the sentence a comma is always used after that. The term ‘these days’ is used to define a situation of the present time. A single space is always given between ‘these’ and ‘days’. ‘Thesedays’ is a wrong word.
Want to save this article for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own articles box!
‘Nowadays’ is made of two words, ‘Now’ and ‘adayes,’ meaning these times. It is an adverb used to tell what is happening in the current time compared to what was happening in the past.
It is used with present simple tense and sometimes with present continuous tense.
‘These days’ is an adverb used for describing a situation that is not permanent or is used for some temporary action or temporary situation. It is only used with the present continuous tense.
It can be used sometimes in a less formal way at the place of Nowadays.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Nowadays | These Days |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Comparing to the past situation of the present time. | Temporary condition of recent time. |
| Tense | Both present continuous tense and present simple tense. | Present simple tense. |
| Condition for Same Usage | It is more formal if used in the same sentence. | It is less formal if used in the same sentence. |
| Uses | It is used to compare the condition of the past to the condition of the present. | It is used to describe a temporary situation or a temporary action. |
| Example | When he was young, he used to eat 5 times a day. But he eats two times nowadays. | He is eating two times a day these days. |
What is Nowadays?
Nowadays means in these times contrast to the past. It is an adverb with present simple tense and sometimes with present continuous tense.
It is easy to use, but some people get confused with the word ‘now a days,’ which is wrong.
It has evolved from the Middle English word nowadays, but it is now used as one word. It is wrong to spell it like nowadays, now a days or nowadays.
It is used interchangeably with many words like ‘these days,’ but it is more formal to use ‘nowadays.’
It should never be used as an adjective. For example, we can not say, ‘My mobile phone is nowadays phone.’
If a sentence is started with the word ‘Nowadays,’ we should always put a comma after it and then write the whole sentence.
Some examples of ‘Nowadays’ in sentences are:-
- We have a wide range of different mobile brands to choose from nowadays.
- Nowadays, she prefers to eat outside with friends.
- I used to play cricket, but I prefer football nowadays.
As we can infer from the above examples, how the term ‘nowadays’ is used to compare the past to the present condition, we can also read and understand its uses to use it daily without making any mistakes.
What is These Days?
These Days mean at ‘present time.’ It is used as an adverb in a sentence to show a present temporary situation or a quick action by the subject.
Its correct form is ‘these days,’ but people sometimes misspell it as ‘thesedays’, which is wrong.
As ‘These Days’ comprises two basic English words, its origin is as old as English. It is used with the present continuous tense to show the temporary condition in an extended time.
It can be interchangeably used with words like ‘nowadays,’ but the difference in using this particular word is that it is informal.
Some examples of ‘These Days’ in sentences are:-
- These days girls score higher in board exams.
- I am drinking far too much these days.
- I am doing two jobs these days.
- These days no one initiates to give a helping hand to the person in need.
As we infer from the above examples, how to use ‘these days’ in sentences to show temporary situations or actions of the present time. We can also read and understand it to use it in our sentences without making any mistakes.
Main Differences Between Nowadays and These Days
- ‘Nowadays’ is used to compare past conditions to the present; on the other hand ‘, These Days’ is used to show temporary situations or quick actions of the present.
- Nowadays and These Days can be used interchangeably, but the first is used to make sentences more formal, and the latter is used informally.
- ‘Nowadays’ is used with present simple and continuous tense, whereas ‘These days’ is used with present continuous tense.
- ‘Nowadays’ is mainly used comparatively. On the other hand, ‘These days’ is primarily used to show a degree of temporariness in the sentence.
- ‘Nowadays’ evolved from the word Now adays to form a single word while ‘These days’ is just a conjunction of two words.
Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.