You’re booking a flight to Barcelona. The website asks for your travel dates. You know you want to go in July, but suddenly you freeze—was it julio or junio? And wait, do you capitalize it? These small details matter when you’re filling out forms, making reservations, or simply answering “When’s your birthday?” without stammering.
Learning the twelve months in Spanish unlocks a massive chunk of practical conversation. By the end of this guide, you’ll know all twelve months, understand exactly how to write and say dates, and never again confuse your julios with your junios. Plus, you’ll discover the cultural celebrations tied to each month that make Spanish-speaking countries so vibrant.
Quick Primer
The months in Spanish are called los meses del año /los ˈme.ses del ˈa.ɲo/. The singular form is el mes /el mes/, meaning “the month.” All twelve month names are masculine nouns, which means they pair with masculine articles and adjectives. You say este enero /ˈes.te eˈne.ɾo/ (this January), not esta enero.
Spanish and English month names look remarkably similar because both languages borrowed from Latin. The Roman Empire’s calendar system spread across Europe, leaving linguistic footprints in multiple languages. This similarity works in your favor—you’ll recognize most months instantly even if you’ve never studied Spanish before.
Here’s the crucial formatting rule that trips up English speakers constantly: Spanish months are not capitalized unless they start a sentence. Writing “Voy a México en Julio” marks you immediately as a non-native speaker. The correct version is “Voy a México en julio.” This lowercase convention also applies to days of the week, which feels weird initially but becomes automatic with practice.
The Twelve Months with Pronunciation
Let’s tackle all twelve months at once. The table includes pronunciation guides to help you sound natural from day one.
| Spanish | IPA | English |
| enero | /eˈne.ɾo/ | January |
| febrero | /feˈβɾe.ɾo/ | February |
| marzo | /ˈmaɾ.so/ | March |
| abril | /aˈβɾil/ | April |
| mayo | /ˈma.ʝo/ | May |
| junio | /ˈxu.njo/ | June |
| julio | /ˈxu.ljo/ | July |
| agosto | /aˈɣos.to/ | August |
| septiembre | /sepˈtjem.bɾe/ | September |
| octubre | /okˈtu.βɾe/ | October |
| noviembre | /noˈβjem.bɾe/ | November |
| diciembre | /diˈsjem.bɾe/ | December |
Notice the stress patterns. Enero, febrero, agosto, and marzo stress the second syllable. Mayo, junio, and julio stress the first. The longer months—septiembre, octubre, noviembre, diciembre—stress the second-to-last syllable, following Spanish’s natural rhythm.
The pronunciation of j in Spanish sounds like the English h but raspier, produced further back in your throat. When you say julio, think “HOO-lyo” with that breathy h sound, not “JOO-lyo.” The same applies to junio. Getting this right makes an enormous difference in comprehension.
Pay attention to the r sound in Spanish. Single r is a soft tap, like the tt in “butter.” Double rr is a rolled trill. In febrero, you’ve got both—the soft r appears in the middle and end. Practice saying “feh-BREH-roh” with that soft tap.
The ll in julio can vary by region. In most of Latin America, it sounds like English y: “HOO-lyo.” In Argentina and Uruguay, it sounds closer to “HOO-zho” with a softer zh sound. In some parts of Spain, you’ll hear “HOO-lyo” pronounced very distinctly. All versions are correct—just pick one and stick with it.
Latin Roots and Month Origins
Understanding where month names come from helps cement them in memory. These aren’t random words—they carry stories from Roman mythology and history.
Enero comes from Janus, the two-faced Roman god who looked both backward to the past and forward to the future. Perfect for the first month when we reflect on the previous year while planning the next.
Febrero derives from februa, a Roman purification ritual held during this month. The festival involved cleansing and atonement, which explains why febrero feels like the year’s reset button even today.
Marzo honors Mars, the god of war. The Roman calendar originally began in March, making it their first month. This explains why September through December are named after numbers that seem off by two months.
Abril likely comes from aperire, meaning “to open,” referencing spring flowers opening in the Northern Hemisphere. Some scholars connect it to Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, though this remains debated.
Mayo probably honors Maia, a Roman earth goddess associated with growth and spring. The connection to fertility and rebirth fits May’s position as late spring.
Junio takes its name from Juno, queen of the Roman gods and protector of marriage. This explains why June remains the most popular wedding month in many cultures.
Julio and agosto honor Julius Caesar and Augustus Caesar, respectively. Both Roman emperors got months named after them. Notice how agosto keeps that imperial dignity in its pronunciation.
The last four months—septiembre, octubre, noviembre, diciembre—come from the Latin numbers seven through ten: septem, octo, novem, decem. They were the seventh through tenth months in the original Roman calendar before January and February were added to the beginning.
How to Say Dates in Spanish
Saying dates requires understanding a specific formula that differs from English conventions. Spanish always puts the day before the month, which reverses the American format.
The basic structure follows this pattern: el + day number + de + month + de + year. For example, “July 15, 2024” becomes el quince de julio de dos mil veinticuatro /el ˈkin.se de ˈxu.ljo de dos mil βein.tiˈkwa.tɾo/. Note that de appears twice, connecting the elements.
Spanish uses cardinal numbers for dates, not ordinal numbers. You say “day five,” “day twenty,” “day thirty-one”—never “fifth,” “twentieth,” “thirty-first.” The single exception is the first of any month, where you can use either el uno or el primero. Both “el uno de enero” and “el primero de enero” work perfectly for January 1st.
When speaking casually about dates without specifying the day of the week, you can drop el: “Mi cumpleaños es quince de mayo” sounds natural in conversation. But in more formal contexts or when writing, include the article: “Hoy es el quince de mayo.”
Here’s a crucial formatting difference between Spanish and English. In numeric dates, Spanish follows day/month/year format: 15/07/2024. Americans write 07/15/2024, putting the month first. This matters enormously when filling out forms, booking hotels, or buying plane tickets. Getting this wrong can result in showing up on the wrong date for a reservation.
When writing dates on letters or formal documents, the format looks like this: “Madrid, 15 de julio de 2024.” Notice the location comes first, followed by a comma, then the full date. Some formal contexts use del instead of the second de: “15 de julio del 2024.” Both versions work, though del sounds slightly more formal.
Years are always pronounced as complete numbers in Spanish. English speakers say “twenty twenty-four” for 2024, but Spanish speakers always say dos mil veinticuatro (two thousand twenty-four). Never split years into two-digit chunks in Spanish—it sounds completely wrong.
Using Months in Sentences
Now that you know the months, let’s practice using them in real sentences. These patterns appear constantly in everyday Spanish.
To say something happens “in” a specific month, use the preposition en directly before the month: “Voy a España en marzo” (I’m going to Spain in March). No article needed—just en + month.
When describing events or conditions that happen every month, add todo or cada before the month. Todo enero hace frío /ˈto.ðo eˈne.ɾo ˈa.se ˈfɾi.o/ means “all January it’s cold” or more naturally “it’s cold all through January.” Cada diciembre viajamos /ˈka.ða diˈsjem.bɾe βja.ˈxa.mos/ means “every December we travel.”
To express “until” a certain month, use hasta: “Estudio hasta junio” (I’m studying until June). The preposition hasta works alone without needing de or any article.
For “since” or “from” a particular month, use desde: “Vivo aquí desde septiembre” (I’ve been living here since September). Again, no article required between desde and the month name.
Talking about “next” month requires the article el and the adjective próximo: el próximo marzo /el ˈpɾok.si.mo ˈmaɾ.so/ means “next March.” A more colloquial alternative is putting que viene after the month: “marzo que viene” works like saying “March that’s coming.”
For “last” month, put pasado after the month and include el: el agosto pasado /el aˈɣos.to paˈsa.ðo/ means “last August.” The adjective comes after the noun in Spanish, unlike English word order.
When discussing “this” month, use este before the month: este julio mi tía viene /ˈes.te ˈxu.ljo mi ˈti.a ˈβje.ne/ means “this July my aunt is coming.” Since months are masculine, use este, not esta.
The construction antes de means “before,” and después de means “after”: “Antes de abril hace frío” (Before April it’s cold), “Después de septiembre empieza el otoño” (After September autumn begins).
Asking About Dates and Months
These question patterns let you gather information about timing, schedules, and events. Master these and you’ll navigate conversations about dates smoothly.
The most basic question is ¿Qué fecha es hoy? /ke ˈfe.tʃa es ˈoj/ meaning “What date is today?” or more naturally, “What’s today’s date?” You’ll hear this constantly in schools, offices, and casual conversation.
To ask when something happens, use ¿Cuándo es…? /ˈkwan.do es/ followed by the event: “¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños?” (When is your birthday?). The answer follows the pattern we learned earlier: “Mi cumpleaños es el cinco de mayo.”
Another common question is ¿En qué mes…? /en ke mes/, meaning “In what month…?” This works for asking “¿En qué mes es tu cumpleaños?” (In what month is your birthday?) or “¿En qué mes empieza el verano?” (In what month does summer start?).
For favorite months, ask ¿Cuál es tu mes favorito? /kwal es tu mes fa.βoˈɾi.to/ or ¿Cuál es tu mes preferido? Both mean “What’s your favorite month?” This question often leads to conversations about weather preferences, holidays, or personal associations with different seasons.
When discussing scheduled events, you might hear ¿Para qué fecha? /ˈpa.ɾa ke ˈfe.tʃa/, meaning “For what date?” This appears when booking appointments, making reservations, or planning meetings.
Seasons and How They Align with Months
Understanding which months belong to which season helps contextualize weather conversations and cultural references. Keep in mind that the Southern Hemisphere experiences opposite seasons from the Northern Hemisphere.
In the Northern Hemisphere, where Spain, Mexico, and most Spanish-speaking countries are located, the seasons break down like this. Primavera /pɾi.maˈβe.ɾa/ (spring) runs through marzo, abril, and mayo. Verano /beˈɾa.no/ (summer) covers junio, julio, and agosto. Otoño /oˈto.ɲo/ (autumn/fall) includes septiembre, octubre, and noviembre. Invierno /imˈbjeɾ.no/ (winter) spans diciembre, enero, and febrero.
In Southern Hemisphere countries like Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, and parts of Peru, the seasons flip. Enero, febrero, and marzo represent summer’s peak. Junio, julio, and agosto bring winter’s cold. This affects everything from holiday schedules to clothing recommendations.
When Spanish speakers discuss weather, they frequently connect it to specific months. “En julio hace mucho calor” (In July it’s very hot) assumes Northern Hemisphere context. An Argentine would say “En julio hace mucho frío” (In July it’s very cold) because their July is winter.
This seasonal knowledge matters for travel planning. If someone tells you “Visita España en abril,” they’re suggesting spring weather with flowers blooming. But “Visita Argentina en abril” means autumn, with cooling temperatures and potentially rainy conditions.
Cultural Celebrations by Month
Spanish-speaking countries celebrate distinctive holidays and festivals throughout the year. Knowing these cultural touchstones enriches your understanding of why certain months carry special significance.
Enero brings Día de Reyes /ˈdi.a de ˈre.ʝes/ (Three Kings Day) on January 6th, when children in Spain and Latin America receive gifts. This rivals Christmas in importance for many families. The night before features elaborate parades with the three kings throwing candy to excited kids.
Febrero hosts Carnaval in many countries, especially spectacular in places like Tenerife, Cádiz, and throughout Latin America. The pre-Lenten celebration involves costumes, parades, music, and general revelry. Timing varies by year based on Easter’s date.
Marzo features Las Fallas /las ˈfa.ʝas/ in Valencia, Spain, where giant artistic sculptures are burned in massive bonfires. This UNESCO-recognized festival celebrates Saint Joseph and marks spring’s arrival with explosions of creativity, fireworks, and flames.
Abril brings Semana Santa /seˈma.na ˈsan.ta/ (Holy Week), one of Spain’s most important religious observances. Solemn processions, elaborate floats, and religious devotion characterize this week leading to Easter. Seville hosts the most famous celebrations.
Mayo includes various local festivals. In Mexico, Cinco de Mayo commemorates a military victory, though it’s more widely celebrated in the United States than in Mexico itself. Madrid’s San Isidro festival on May 15th honors the city’s patron saint with traditional dress, music, and celebration.
Junio marks the beginning of summer festivals. La Noche de San Juan /la ˈno.tʃe de san xwan/ (Saint John’s Night) on June 23rd involves bonfires, beach parties, and jumping over flames for good luck. Coastal cities celebrate with particular enthusiasm.
Julio features San Fermín in Pamplona (July 6-14), famous worldwide for the Running of the Bulls. The festival includes music, dancing, fireworks, and daily bull runs that draw international attention despite animal welfare controversies.
Agosto brings La Tomatina in Buñol, Spain, on the last Wednesday. This massive tomato-throwing festival attracts thousands who pelt each other with overripe tomatoes in chaotic, messy fun. It’s one of the world’s most unusual celebrations.
Septiembre starts the academic year across Spanish-speaking countries and includes various independence celebrations. Mexico celebrates Independence Day on September 16th with fireworks, parades, and the traditional “Grito de Dolores” at midnight.
Octubre features Día de la Hispanidad /ˈdi.a de la is.pa.ni.ˈðað/ (Hispanic Day) on October 12th, Spain’s national day commemorating Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the Americas. It includes military parades and cultural events.
Noviembre contains Día de los Muertos /ˈdi.a de los ˈmweɾ.tos/ (Day of the Dead) on November 1-2, especially important in Mexico. Families honor deceased loved ones with colorful altars, marigolds, and celebratory gatherings that embrace death as part of life’s cycle.
Diciembre centers on Christmas celebrations, though with regional variations. Nochebuena /no.tʃeˈβwe.na/ (Christmas Eve) on December 24th often involves the main family dinner. Nochevieja /no.tʃeˈβje.xa/ (New Year’s Eve) on December 31st includes the tradition of eating twelve grapes at midnight, one for each bell chime, to ensure good luck.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
English speakers make predictable errors when dealing with Spanish months. Catching these mistakes early prevents them from becoming ingrained habits.
Capitalizing months is the most frequent error. English capitalizes all month names, but Spanish only capitalizes them at the start of sentences or in proper nouns like “Plaza de Mayo.” Writing “Mi cumpleaños es en Julio” looks wrong to native speakers. The correct version is “Mi cumpleaños es en julio” with lowercase j.
Confusing julio and junio happens constantly because the words look similar. June is junio, July is julio. Remember that junio comes first alphabetically just like June comes before July chronologically. The pronunciation differs distinctly: JOO-nyo versus HOO-lyo.
Using ordinal numbers for all dates (first, second, third) instead of cardinal numbers (one, two, three) marks beginners instantly. Spanish only uses el primero for the first of the month. Every other date uses cardinal numbers: el dos, el tres, el cuatro, never el segundo, el tercero, el cuarto.
Putting the month before the day in numeric dates creates confusion. In Spanish, 5/7/2024 means July 5th, not May 7th. Americans automatically read it as May 7th because US formatting puts months first. This discrepancy causes missed flights, wrong hotel check-ins, and scheduling disasters.
Forgetting that months are masculine nouns leads to agreement errors. You must say este enero, not esta enero. Use ese octubre, not esa octubre. The masculine article and adjective forms always apply regardless of the month’s ending.
Adding unnecessary articles after en creates awkward phrases. Say “Voy en marzo,” not “Voy en el marzo.” The preposition en connects directly to the month without needing an article between them. This differs from expressions like “el próximo marzo” where the article precedes the adjective.
Pronouncing the j in junio and julio like English j instead of Spanish h makes you incomprehensible. Spanish j sounds like a breathy h, not like the j in “juice.” Practice by putting your hand near your mouth and feeling the air when you say “HHHOO-lyo.”
Region Notes
Spanish-speaking regions show remarkable consistency with month names, but pronunciation and cultural associations vary across countries and continents.
The most noticeable pronunciation difference involves the c and z sounds. In Spain, the c before e or i and the letter z produce a “th” sound like in “think.” Spaniards say diciembre as “di-THIEM-bre.” In Latin America, these same letters sound like s: “di-SIEM-bre.” Both pronunciations are completely correct and mutually understood.
The ll sound in julio varies by region as well. Most of Latin America uses a y sound: “HOO-lyo.” Argentina and Uruguay produce a zh sound: “HOO-zho.” Some parts of Spain maintain a distinct ly sound. Regional accents are beautiful variations, not mistakes.
Cultural calendars shift between hemispheres, affecting seasonal references. When a Mexican says “hace frío en enero,” they mean the middle of winter. When a Chilean says the same thing, they’re describing summer’s heat because their seasons are reversed. This fundamental difference impacts everything from vacation planning to clothing discussions.
Spain observes many saints’ days and regional festivals that don’t exist in Latin America. Each autonomous region celebrates its own holidays tied to specific months. Latin American countries each have distinct independence days and national celebrations throughout the year.
Academic calendars vary too. In Spain and most of Latin America, the school year begins in septiembre and ends in junio, mirroring Northern Hemisphere patterns. But in Southern Hemisphere countries like Argentina and Chile, the school year runs marzo through diciembre, aligning with their opposite seasons.
Holiday traditions within the same months can differ dramatically. Mexican Christmas celebrations emphasize posadas in diciembre—nine nights of reenacting Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter. Spanish Christmas focuses more on Nochebuena dinner and waiting for Reyes Magos in enero. Both celebrate the same holiday season but with distinct cultural flavors.
Mini Dialogues
These conversations demonstrate how months appear in natural Spanish dialogue. Practice reading them aloud to internalize the rhythm.
Dialogue 1: Asking About Birthdays
¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños?
/ˈkwan.do es tu kum.ple.ˈa.ɲos/
When is your birthday?
Mi cumpleaños es el doce de octubre. ¿Y el tuyo?
/mi kum.ple.ˈa.ɲos es el ˈdo.se de okˈtu.βɾe i el ˈtu.ʝo/
My birthday is October 12th. And yours?
El mío es el veinticinco de diciembre, el día de Navidad.
/el ˈmi.o es el βein.tiˈsiŋ.ko de diˈsjem.bɾe el ˈdi.a de na.βiˈðað/
Mine is December 25th, Christmas Day.
Dialogue 2: Planning a Trip
¿Cuándo quieres viajar a España?
/ˈkwan.do ˈkje.ɾes βja.ˈxaɾ a esˈpa.ɲa/
When do you want to travel to Spain?
Prefiero ir en mayo o junio, antes del verano.
/pɾe.ˈfje.ɾo iɾ em ˈma.ʝo o ˈxu.njo ˈan.tes del βeˈɾa.no/
I prefer to go in May or June, before summer.
Buena idea. Julio y agosto hacen mucho calor.
/ˈbwe.na iˈðe.a ˈxu.ljo i aˈɣos.to ˈa.sem ˈmu.tʃo kaˈloɾ/
Good idea. July and August are very hot.
Dialogue 3: Discussing the Date
¿Qué fecha es hoy?
/ke ˈfe.tʃa es ˈoj/
What’s today’s date?
Hoy es el quince de marzo.
/ˈoj es el ˈkin.se de ˈmaɾ.so/
Today is March 15th.
Ah, entonces mi examen es la próxima semana, el veintidós de marzo.
/a enˈton.ses mi ek.ˈsa.men es la ˈpɾok.si.ma seˈma.na el βein.tiˈðos de ˈmaɾ.so/
Ah, then my exam is next week, March 22nd.
Quick Reference
Screenshot this table for instant access to all twelve months. This is your go-to reference for dates, forms, and conversations.
| Spanish | IPA | English |
| enero | /eˈne.ɾo/ | January |
| febrero | /feˈβɾe.ɾo/ | February |
| marzo | /ˈmaɾ.so/ | March |
| abril | /aˈβɾil/ | April |
| mayo | /ˈma.ʝo/ | May |
| junio | /ˈxu.njo/ | June |
| julio | /ˈxu.ljo/ | July |
| agosto | /aˈɣos.to/ | August |
| septiembre | /sepˈtjem.bɾe/ | September |
| octubre | /okˈtu.βɾe/ | October |
| noviembre | /noˈβjem.bɾe/ | November |
| diciembre | /diˈsjem.bɾe/ | December |
Five-Minute Practice Plan
Stop reading and start doing. These exercises transform passive knowledge into active skills you can use immediately.
- Write today’s date in Spanish, then say it aloud three times. Include the full format: day, month, and year. Check that you’re putting the day before the month and keeping the month lowercase.
- Set twelve alarms on your phone, one for each month. Label each alarm with the Spanish month name. When they ring over the next hours, say the month aloud before dismissing it. This spaced repetition cements memory.
- List five important dates from your life—birthdays, anniversaries, graduation day, favorite holidays. Write each in Spanish format, then practice saying them aloud. Notice which months still trip you up and drill those specifically.
- Open your calendar app and practice saying the dates of your upcoming appointments in Spanish. Force yourself to say the complete date formula: “el [number] de [month] de [year].”
- Find a Spanish-language calendar online or in an app. Spend two minutes reading various dates aloud, randomly selecting different months and days. Focus on smooth pronunciation rather than speed.
- Quiz yourself: close your eyes and try listing all twelve months in order from memory. Then do it backward from diciembre to enero. This builds recall in both directions.
Your Calendar Vocabulary Is Complete
You now control the essential building blocks for discussing time in Spanish. These twelve words—enero through diciembre—unlock conversations about birthdays, appointments, holidays, travel plans, and daily life. The months aren’t just vocabulary; they’re cultural markers tied to festivals, weather patterns, and shared experiences across Spanish-speaking communities.
The difference between someone who “studied” Spanish and someone who actually uses it? The user knows that booking a flight on 05/07/2024 means July 5th, not May 7th. They instinctively write julio with a lowercase j. They can answer “¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños?” without translating in their head first. That’s you now. The months are yours—use them.