“Every Day” or “Everyday?” What’s the difference?

When I was a kid, I used to wear the same pair of jeans every day. They were my everyday jeans.

I wore them to sleep, to school, and even after school while I lounged around watching “Blue Peter”, “Neighbours”, and “Home & Away” with my siblings. (If you grew up in England in the early 90s, you’d know these shows.)

I know that sounds kind of gross, but hey, I was just a kid.

And I actually just wanted to share a short (true) story where I could use the words “every day” and “everyday”.

So anyway, did you know that “every day” and “everyday” have two different meanings?

Read this sentence again and see how I’ve used them:

When I was a kid, I used to wear the same pair of jeans every day. They were my everyday jeans.

It may not be a concern when you say the words out loud, but when it comes to writing, it’s important to know the difference to avoid confusion.

“Everyday” is an adjective.  It describes something that is seen, used, or occurs every day. Similar words are “daily”, “regular”, “ordinary”.

Here are two examples:

• Complaints are an everyday occurrence in this company.

• I am the formal leader of the project but the everyday management is in the hands of my assistant.

“Every day” is a phrase that means “each day.”

• We receive complaints from customers every day.

• My assistant provides a report on the progress of the project every day.