Practice
Daytime or day time?
The park is busiest in the daytime. Here, daytime names the part of the day when there is light. In normal writing, use one word for that meaning.
Write daytime as one word when you mean the light part of a 24-hour day, and recognize when day is separately modifying another noun.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
daytime /ˈdeɪ.taɪm/
The short answer
Write daytime as one word for the hours of light or for something that happens in those hours. Use two separate words only when day is clearly modifying another noun in a particular phrase, not as a replacement for daytime.
We can visit the museum during the daytime.
Why it works: Daytime means the light part of the day, so it is one word.
5 more examples
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The baby sleeps more easily during the daytime when the room is quiet.
Daytime names the hours with daylight.
Not this:The baby woke up several times
during the night. What changes: Night is the contrasting period, so the sentence describes a different time. -
Her daytime job ends at five o'clock.
Daytime describes the kind of job, one that takes place during daylight hours.
Not this:Her
night jobstarts after dinner. What changes: Night describes work done at night instead. -
Daytime temperatures can be much higher than temperatures after sunset.
Daytime modifies temperatures and refers to temperatures measured while it is light.
Not this:The temperature dropped
after sunset. What changes: This phrase gives a time without using daytime as a modifier. -
The library offers a daytime program for adults who are free before evening.
The program happens during the day rather than at night.
Not this:The library also offers an
evening programon Thursdays. What changes: Evening identifies a program held later in the day. -
We saw the meteor only after the daytime sky became dark.
Daytime identifies the sky in daylight conditions.
Not this:The
night skywas clear enough to see the meteor. What changes: Night sky refers to the sky after dark.
Read the full guide
Ask whether you mean the period between morning and night. If that is the meaning, write daytime. If day describes a different noun, read the whole noun phrase before deciding.
Use daytime for light hours
Use daytime when you mean the part of the day when there is light. It is normally written as one word.
The streets are much quieter during the daytime.
During the daytime names the light period. During Tuesday names one calendar day, so it has a different meaning.
Which spelling fits the hours between morning and night?
Use daytime: The store is open during the daytime.
Use daytime before a noun
Daytime can describe a noun that belongs to or happens during the light hours. Common examples include daytime job, daytime program, and daytime television.
He attends a daytime class twice a week.
Daytime class means a class held during daylight hours. A class day would mean a day set aside for classes.
Which form describes a television show that is broadcast before evening?
Use daytime: It is a daytime television show.
Do not split the usual compound
Do not write day time when you mean daytime. The two words may look logical because both words are familiar, but standard dictionaries list daytime as the established form for this meaning.
We prefer to travel in the daytime.
The phrase in the daytime names a general period. In the day time is not the normal spelling for the same idea.
Which spelling should you choose in a sentence about traveling while it is light?
Choose daytime: We prefer to travel in the daytime.
Read the whole noun phrase
Sometimes day is a separate word because it modifies another noun. In day shift schedule, day modifies shift. Schedule is the main noun. This is different from the compound noun daytime.
The manager posted the day shift schedule.
Day shift is a work-period label. Daytime means the light part of a day.
Why does day stay separate in day shift?
Day modifies shift. The phrase is not trying to spell daytime as two words.
Choose a precise time when needed
Daytime is useful when the exact hour does not matter. For a timetable, appointment, or rule, give the actual time so the reader knows the limit.
Daytime visits are allowed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Daytime gives the broad period. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. gives the exact visiting hours.
Which wording is clearer for a posted office schedule?
State the hours: The office is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Before you go
Remember this
Use daytime, one word, for the light part of the day and for things that happen then. Keep day separate when it modifies a different noun in a clear phrase. For ordinary sentences about daylight hours, choose daytime.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Daytime or day time?"
Is daytime one word or two?
Write daytime as one word when you mean the light part of a day or something that happens during those hours. For example, you can write daytime temperatures, a daytime job, or during the daytime. This is the usual standard spelling for that meaning.
The baby sleeps more easily during the daytime when the room is quiet.
What does daytime mean?
Daytime means the period when there is daylight, as opposed to night. It is a broad description rather than an exact clock range. The length of daytime changes with the season and location, so give exact hours when a schedule or rule needs them.
The baby woke up several times during the night.
Can daytime describe a noun?
Yes. Daytime can come before a noun to describe something that happens during daylight hours. A daytime class, daytime program, or daytime television show takes place during the day rather than at night.
Her daytime job ends at five o'clock.
Why is day shift written as two words?
In day shift, day separately modifies shift. The phrase identifies a work shift, not the general light period called daytime. Read the whole noun phrase to see which noun day is describing.
Her night job starts after dinner.
Should I use daytime for an exact schedule?
Use daytime when a broad reference is enough. If a reader needs to know exactly when something starts or ends, state the hours instead. For example, write that an office is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. rather than only saying it is open in the daytime.
Daytime temperatures can be much higher than temperatures after sunset.