Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Understanding DATE Field Formatting.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated November 4, 2017)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
When you insert a DATE field in Word, you can specify a format for how the date is displayed by using the \@ switch with the field. For instance, if you wanted to display the date as 18 September 2010, you would use the following syntax for the DATE field:
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here:
{ DATE \@ "d MMMM yyyy" }
You can easily change the format for the date by changing what is within the quote marks. The options are as follows:
| Format Code | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| M | Displays one or two digits for the month, as necessary. | |
| MM | Always displays two digits for the month. | |
| MMM | The three-letter abbreviation for the month. | |
| MMMM | The full name of the month. | |
| d | Displays one or two digits for the day of the month, as necessary. | |
| dd | Always displays two digits for the day of the month. | |
| ddd | The three-letter abbreviation for the day of the week. | |
| dddd | The full name of the day of the week. | |
| yy | Always displays two digits for the year. | |
| yyyy | Always displays four digits for the year. |
Note that the letter M must be uppercase in all formats, but that the letters d and y can be upper or lower. Any other characters you use in the format string are displayed as entered.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (1128) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Understanding DATE Field Formatting.
The First and Last Word on Word! Bestselling For Dummies author Dan Gookin puts his usual fun and friendly candor back to work to show you how to navigate Word 2019. Spend more time working and less time trying to figure it all out! Check out Word 2019 For Dummies today!
Updating form fields in Word can be confusing, especially when the fields are locked in a form. This tips explains why ...
Discover MoreYou can use the FILENAME field to insert a document's filename and, optionally, the path to that filename. However, if ...
Discover MoreThe RD field can be handy for pulling together a bunch of documents into a single file. However, using the field can play ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2018-04-16 07:46:51
Andrew
Great help. Thx!!
Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2026 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments