"Nowadays" was spelled like "now a days" and "now adays" in Middle English, but now it's spelled like . . .
Eric from Hawaii wrote, "It is common for students to omit the middle 'a' in 'nowadays' or 'now a days'. Is 'now days' an error? And for that matter, is it 'nowadays' or 'now a days'?"
The correct word is "nowadays." "Nowdays" and "now a days" are errors (although the correct "nowadays" comes from a Middle English phrase that was written as two or three words.)
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Mignon Fogarty is the founder of Quick and Dirty Tips and the author of seven books on language, including the New York Times bestseller "Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing." She is an inductee in the Podcasting Hall of Fame, and the show is a five-time winner of Best Education Podcast in the Podcast Awards. She has appeared as a guest expert on the Oprah Winfrey Show and the Today Show.
