Teacher's Day or Teachers' Day: Which is the Correct Version?

By Shanea Patterson, updated on March 3, 2023

If you’ve never seen this phrase or a phase similar to it, you might be wondering what the correct version of it is. Does the comma go before the ‘s’ or after it? We’ll answer that in this article, plus teach you how to use the correct version in a sentence correctly. You’ll also learn about pronunciation and usage.

Need a quick answer? Here it is:

  • ‘Teachers’ Day’ is the correct way to spell this phrase, and it refers to a day of celebration where people celebrate the contributions of multiple teachers.
  • ‘Teacher’s Day’ suggests that the celebration is for one teacher.

This is because ‘teacher’s’ is the singular plural possessive form of ‘teacher’ and ‘teachers’’ is the plural possessive form. Therefore, you can use both, but be sure you’re using them both correctly.

‘Teacher’s Day’ or ‘Teachers’ Day?

Should you use ‘teacher’s day’ or ‘teacher’s day’? Well, that depends on how many teachers you’re celebrating.

If you’re celebrating more than one teacher, you’d say ‘teacher’s day,’ but if you’re celebrating more than one teacher, you will use ‘teachers’ day.’

The reason for this is that ‘teacher’s’ is the singular possessive form of ‘teacher’ and ‘teachers’’ is the plural possessive form.

Which One is Correct – Teachers’ Day or Teacher’s Day? 

So, which one is correct?

The short answer is both!

However, you might more commonly see ‘teacher’s day’ spelled incorrectly used to celebrate more than one teacher.

  • If you want to honor one teacher, use ‘teacher’s day.’
  •  If you’re honoring more than one, use ‘teachers’ day.’

Make sure to pay attention to the way you're writing or typing the word because there's a difference, however slight it might be.

Definition and Meaning of ‘Teacher’s Day’

According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of ‘teacher’ is:

  • One that teaches, especially one whose job is to instruct, or a Mormon ranking above a deacon in the Aaronic priesthood.

The same dictionary defines ‘day’ as:

  • The time of light between one night and the next, daylight, daytime, age, a specified day or date, and the time established by usage or law for work, school, or business.

In the United States, National Teacher Day is May 2, and World Teachers’ Day is on October 5th. It’s a day to honor and recognize teacher organizations for making important contributions to education and to the development of the future leaders of this country.

On March 7, 1980, Congress declared March 7 National Teacher Day.

You can choose to celebrate and honor your teachers on any of these days or all of them if you want to.

Pronunciation: How to Pronounce ‘Teacher’s Day’ and ‘Teachers’ Day’

Are you unsure of how to pronounce this phrase? Here’s a quick guide.

To pronounce this phrase correctly, here’s the phonetic spelling:

tEEchUHs-DAY

How to Use ‘Teacher’s Day’ and ‘Teachers’ Day’ in a Sentence

We’ve seen the definitions and the pronunciation guide. Now let’s see examples of sentences that will help you create your own.

  • Today is Teacher’s Day at my school. Everyone has to make something nice for their teacher.
  • We had a Teacher’s Day assembly at my school today. The kids in kindergarten wrote poems and made their own artwork.
  • As per your request, we will reschedule Teacher’s Day for another weekend since it will rain this weekend.
  • You and I can create an amazing Teachers’ Day for our school. Will you help me plan it?
  • I will make Miss Hannigan a nice card for Teachers’ Day at school. I’ll let you choose the type of paper we use.
  • Teacher's Day isn't until Monday, but I need some supplies to make all of the decorations. Can you drive me to the store to get everything?

Concluding Advice on ‘Teacher’s Day’ and ‘Teachers’ Day’

To recap, we learned the following:

  • ‘Teachers’ Day’ is the correct way to spell this phrase, and it refers to a day of celebration where people celebrate the contributions of multiple teachers.
  • ‘Teacher’s Day’ suggests that the celebration is for one teacher.

This is because ‘teacher’s’ is the singular plural possessive form of ‘teacher’ and ‘teachers’’ is the plural possessive form. Therefore, you can use both, but be sure you’re using them both correctly.

If you ever forget anything, you can always come back to review what you learned. We’ve also got a whole library of other content on confusing words and phrases that you should for sure check out. It’s there for the reading.

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Written By:
Shanea Patterson
Shanea Patterson is a writer based in New York and loves writing for brands big and small. She has a master's degree in professional writing from New York University and a bachelor's degree in English from Mercy College.

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