University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

1) Time and date formats
2) Time and date ranges
3) Time zones
4) When to show date and time
5) Abbreviations
6) Talking about date and time

Date and time

The date and time may be formatted in the following ways:

Time and date formats

To display a date or time range, show an en dash (without spaces) between a range of dates or times.

For example:
8:00 AM–12:30 PM
6 Jan–2 Feb

Add spaces when spelling out months, or to remove ambiguity.

Time and date ranges

As time zones vary across regions, time zone usage should be specific.

Time zones

Depending on the context, show either date or time, or both date and time.

When to show date and time

Abbreviations

Display date and time information as people normally speak to each other, when space is available. This helps users understand what the date or time is for, such as: “Store open 9:00 AM–Midnight” or “Reminder for tomorrow afternoon.”

Refer to “yesterday” or “tomorrow” in those terms
If the day is in the upcoming week, include the day of the week (such as Tuesday)

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