Months of the Year in Spanish – Pronunciation and Abbreviations

• José Anconina
• 25 Feb, 2024
• 0 Comments
• 4 Mins Read

The Spanish months are named; enero(january), febrero(february), marzo(march), abril(april), mayo(may), junio(june), julio(july), agosto(august), septiembre(september), octubre(october), noviembre(november), and diciembre(december).

You can listen to the pronunciation of the months in Spanish below.

Spanish months divide the year into different smaller periods. There are 12 months in a year. The roots of the names of the months are based on Spanish culture. The oldest Spanish calendars were lunar calendars.

Knowing the names of the Spanish months is very important in organizing events, planning appointments, and daily conversation routines.

The table below shows the 12 months of the year in Spanish and English.

What are Abbreviations of Months in Spanish?

The Spanish months’ abbreviations are; ene, feb, mar, abr, may, jun, jul, ago, sept, oct, nov, dic.

Abbreviations typically use the first three letters of the month name followed by a period. Spanish month names are not capitalized.

How do you Memorize Months in Spanish? 

You can use memorization cards, songs about months, games, and exercises to quickly memorize months in Spanish.

Songs you can listen to while learning Spanish months are listed below.

• Learn the Months of the Year in Spanish Song – Kid’s Spanish songs
• Spanish Months of the Year | Doce Meses del Año | Jack Hartmann
• LOS MESES DEL AÑO (Spanish months) An original music!

How to Pronounce Months in Spanish?

The Spanish pronunciation of the months should be known with each letter’s unique sound and rules.

• enero: eh-neh-roh
• febrero: feh-breh-roh
• marzo: mar-soh (Latin America)
• abril: ah-breel
• mayo: mah-yoh
• junio: hoo-nee-oh
• julio: hoo-lee-oh
•  agosto: ah-gohs-toh
• septiembre: sehp-tyehm-breh
• octubre: ohk-too-breh
• noviembre: noh-byehm-breh
• diciembre: dee-syem-breh 

Spanish Months’ Pronunciation Tips

• Roll your “R’s”: Spanish has a slightly rolled “r” sound, especially at the beginning of words like “enero” and “marzo”.
• Soft “G”: The “g” in “agosto” sounds like the English “h”.
• “H” is silent: The “h” in Spanish is always silent.
• Emphasize the Stressed Syllable: The stress in Spanish words often falls on the second-to-last syllable. For example, in “octubre,” you emphasize the “TOO.”

What are the Grammar Rules of the Months in Spanish?

When writing the months of the year in Spanish, there are some important grammar rules to keep in mind:

1. Capitalization: Unlike in English, the months of the year are not capitalized in Spanish unless they are used at the beginning of a sentence or as a title.
2. Masculine Nouns: The months of the year are considered masculine nouns in Spanish. Usually, you don’t need to use the article “el” before the month name, except when specific dates are given. In that case, the article “el” comes before the number, not the month itself. For example, “el 13 de octubre” (the 13th of October).
3. Adjective Forms: The months of April, March, and August can also be used as adjectives in literature. They have the following forms: abrileño (related to April), marzal (associated with March), and agosteño (related to August). For example, “El sol matinal ilumina un paisaje agosteño” (The morning sun illuminates an Augustan landscape).

How to Write Dates in Spanish?

Spanish dates follow a common pattern: number + “de” + month + “de” + year. For example, “El cuatro de julio de 2022” (The Fourth of July, 2022). The verb “ser” (to be) is used when expressing dates in Spanish. Here are some examples:

•         El primero de enero es año nuevo (January 1st is New Year’s Day)
•         El 14 de febrero es el día de San Valentín (February 14th is Valentine’s Day)
•         Hoy es 25 de diciembre. ¡Hoy es Navidad! (Today is December 25th. Today is Christmas!)

Origins of the Spanish Months’ Names

Since Spanish month names derive their origin from Latin, they are similar to English month names. The Spanish months have fascinating origins and connections to ancient Roman culture.

• Enero: January, or enero in Spanish, comes from the Latin word Ianvarivs (Januarius). It is named after the Roman god of beginnings and endings, Janus. 
• Febrero: The month of February, or febrero in Spanish, comes from the Latin word Februare. In ancient Rome, a festival of purification called Februo took place during this month. 
• Marzo: March, or marzo in Spanish, derives from the Latin word Martivs (Martius). It is named after Mars, the Roman god of war.
• Abril: The month of April, or Abril in Spanish, has uncertain origins. 
• Mayo: May, or mayo in Spanish, is believed to come from Maia, the Roman earth goddess.
• Junio: June, or junio in Spanish, is named in honor of Juno, the Roman goddess of love and marriage.
• Julio: July, or julio in Spanish, was originally known as Qvintilis (Quintilis) in Latin, as it was the fifth month of the Roman calendar. Later, it was renamed in honor of Julius Caesar, the Roman statesman and emperor, who was born in this month.
• Agosto: August, or agosto in Spanish, was initially called Sextilis in Latin, as it was the sixth month of the Roman calendar. It was later renamed Augustus after the first Roman Emperor, Augustus Caesar.
• Septiembre to diciembre: The names of the final four months of the year, from September to December, follow a numerical pattern.

José Anconina

Jose has been a Spanish Tutor at Onlinelearnspanish.com since 2023. She studied Spanish Language Teaching at university and has an M.A. in Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language. In her free time, she likes book reading.
Jose aims to enrich his students' learning experiences by providing them with knowledge about Spanish culture and traditions.