'Everyday' or 'Every Day'?

(Last Updated: 13 May 2022)

Everyday is an adjective meaning 'commonplace' or 'ordinary'. It should come before a noun—as in everyday clothing, everyday life, and everyday activity. Typically, people misuse this one-word form in situations calling for two words:

❌ Tom listens to music everyday.

✅ Tom listens to music every day.

❌ They go to the coffee shop everyday.

✅ They go to the coffee shop every day.

Every day is an adverb telling how frequently an action takes place—as in I play football every day.

Tips for remembering the difference

Everyday (1 word) means 'commonplace' or 'ordinary'. Every day (2 words) means 'each day'.

Examples from the media

He didn't start the day a hero, but when he made the decision to act, he joined a long tradition of everyday people displaying exceptional bravery. —BBC

Shifting to a low-carbon economy will profoundly change the everyday lives of Canadians. —Toronto Star

I resolved to swim a kilometre in a local ocean pool every day. —The Sydney Morning Herald

At other restaurants [in hotels] because of rotating schedules, it can be rare to have the chef and manager working on the same day, and yet guests are paying the same price every day. —South China Morning Post

Which is correct—'everyday' or 'every day'?