In a series of posts Virtus will provide tips and advice covering many aspects of publishing. This series will be an ongoing selection of language tips, covering areas that many authors find difficult or confusing. These will be short and to the point.

Virtus Publishing Language Tip #5: “Everyday” versus “every day”

A very common error that’s often seen concerns the incorrect use of “everyday” versus “every day.”

It’s important to understand the distinction. Let’s refer to Merriam-Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary for a definition. The end of the quoted material is denoted by a box (∎.)

everyday 

adjective

1 a:  used or occurring routinely or typically 

   b of clothes:  suitable or designed for wear on ordinary days as contrasted with those worn on holidays or special occasions

2:  lacking in unusual or distinctive quality or incident :  plain, unvarnished, homely, ordinary, commonplace, drab

∎

Note that this is an adjective and that it’s one word. 

Examples

 Let’s look at a couple of examples of how “everyday” and “every day” would be used.

My friend Sal has a vintage Ford Mustang. It is not his everyday car. 

This sentence would imply that since Sal’s car is vintage, it’s probably valuable, so he doesn’t use it often. The definition 1a above would apply, but in the negative sense: “(not) used or occurring routinely or typically.”

Based on this same information we might say this:

My friend Sal has a vintage Ford Mustang. He does not use it every day. 

The meaning changes when you say “every day” (two words). In this case, “every” is modifying (describing) “day.” Using “every day” can be compared to saying “each day.”

Let’s look at another example.

In many cities, people take the subway every day.

This means that each day they take the subway.

It’s part of their everyday commute.

This means that the practice is part of their usual routine.

The nuances are subtle, but important. The best authors (and copy editors) understand the distinction between “everyday” (one word) and “every day” (two words). Do you?

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