What’s the difference between anniversary and birthday?

This week we are looking at two words which are sometimes confused: anniversary and birthday.

anniversary

An anniversary is a date when you remember something special that happened on that date in an earlier year.

It’s our wedding anniversary today.

They celebrated the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth.

birthday

You refer to the anniversary of the date when you were born as your birthday.

On my twelfth birthday I received a letter from my father.

My daughter’s birthday is 10th December.

Find out more in our English Usage article.

This blogpost is based on Collins COBUILD English Usage, written for learners of English. For more examples of English usage points, please visit:  https://grammar.collinsdictionary.com/english-usage.

All opinions expressed on this blog are those of the individual writers, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Collins, or its parent company, HarperCollins.

Related Articles

Other Articles

What’s the difference between your and you’re?

Your and you’re are homophones that are often confused by learners and native speakers of English alike. Here is a short guide to help understand the difference between them. your Your is a possessive determiner. You use your to show that something belongs or relates to the person or people that you are… Read More

Using semicolons

The semicolon is used to mark a break between two main clauses when there is a balance or a contrast between the clauses. Compare: The engine roared into life. The propellers began to turn. The plane taxied down the runway ready for takeoff. with: The engine roared into life; the propellers… Read More

Using bullet points

Using bullet points in a non-fiction text is a clear way to organize information you wish to present. The types of text that are suitable for bullet points are lists, notes, instructions, and information texts. To use bullet points correctly, there needs to be a piece of introductory text, ending… Read More