Calender vs Calendar Quiz: Test Yourself
Five quick questions on calender vs calendar. Pick an answer to get instant feedback.
Flip Cards: Quick Review
Hover over a card, or tap it on mobile, to see the meaning.
A system or chart of days, weeks and months.
“Mark the deadline on the calendar.”
A machine with rollers that smooths paper or cloth.
“The paper mill runs sheets through a calender.”
To press material between rollers to make it smooth or glossy.
“They calender the fabric for a glossy finish.”
Not a recognized English word. It is a misspelling.
Write “calendar” instead.
Calender vs calendar is a spelling trap because the two words differ by a single vowel and sound almost the same. One is on your phone and your wall, and the other lives in paper mills and textile factories. Once you know which is which, the choice is easy.
| Term | Meaning | Part of speech / Category | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calendar | A system or chart of days, weeks and months; a schedule of dates or events | Noun / Timekeeping | Please check the calendar before booking the meeting. |
| Calender | A machine with rollers that smooths, presses or glazes paper or cloth | Noun / Industrial machine | The paper passed through a calender for a smooth finish. |
| Calender (verb) | To press material between rollers to make it smooth or glossy | Verb / Manufacturing | The mill will calender the sheets overnight. |
| Calander | No meaning; a misspelling of calendar | Not a word | Incorrect: I wrote it on my calander. |
What Is the Difference Between Calender vs Calendar?
The difference is meaning. Calendar is about dates and time, while calender is about pressing materials between rollers.
For nearly everything you write, including appointments, due dates, holidays, planners and apps, the word you want is calendar. Calender shows up almost only in manufacturing, in the paper, textile, plastics and rubber industries.
That is why spelling a schedule “calender” looks like a mistake to most readers, even though the word itself exists.
What Does Calendar Mean?
A calendar is a system for organizing time into days, weeks, months and years. It can also be a chart, app or list showing dates, such as a wall calendar, a work calendar or a court calendar of cases.
The word comes from the Latin word for the first day of the month, which was the key date in the Roman calendar. English settled on the “-ar” ending in the 1600s, partly to tell it apart from calender, the cloth-pressing machine.
Calendar is mainly a noun, but you will also hear it used as a verb in specialized settings, such as scheduling a case or event on a calendar.
What Does Calender Mean?
A calender is a machine with two or more heavy cylinders, or rollers, that press paper, cloth or similar materials to make them smooth, glossy or glazed. As a verb, to calender means to run material through such a machine.
The word reached English from French and Medieval Latin, and it goes back to the Latin and Greek words for a cylinder. The shape of the rollers is where the name comes from.
Unless you work in manufacturing, you will rarely need this word.
Is Calender a Real Word?
Yes, calender is a real word, but it is not an alternative spelling of calendar. In older writing, calender was sometimes used as a spelling of calendar, but that use is obsolete today.
Calander, with an “a” in the middle, is different. It is not a recognized English word, so it is always a misspelling.
How Can You Remember Which One to Use?
Count the A’s and think of what the word does. Calendar has two A’s and tracks dates, while calender ends in “-er” like roller. The memory tricks below make this easy to recall.
Common Mistakes
- ✗ Check the calender for our meeting time.
✓ Check the calendar for our meeting time. - ✗ The mill runs paper through a calendar to smooth it.
✓ The mill runs paper through a calender to smooth it. - ✗ I added the party to my calander.
✓ I added the party to my calendar. - ✗ Calender is always just a typo.
✓ Calender is a real word for a roller machine, but it is not the spelling for dates. - ✗ The factory will calendar the fabric to make it glossy.
✓ The factory will calender the fabric to make it glossy.
Memory Tricks
- Two A’s in calendar. C-A-L-E-N-D-A-R has an “a” in the middle and at the end, and it ends in “-ar” for appointments and reminders.
- Calender ends like roller. Both end in “-er,” and a calender is a machine made of rollers.
- Dates or machines? If it involves days, planning or scheduling, it is calendar. If it involves pressing paper or cloth, it is calender.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it calender or calendar?
Use calendar for dates, schedules and planning. Calender is a different word for a roller machine that presses paper or cloth.
Is calender a real word?
Yes, but it means a machine with rollers that smooths or glazes paper and cloth, or the act of pressing material that way. It is not another spelling of calendar.
Is calander correct?
No. Calander is not a recognized English word. The correct spelling for a schedule of dates is calendar.
Where does the word calendar come from?
Calendar comes from the Latin word for the first day of the month, which was used in the Roman calendar.
Why are calendar and calender so similar?
They were once spelled alike. The -ar spelling of calendar became established in the 17th century, partly to tell it apart from calender, the cloth-pressing machine.
Conclusion
The calender vs calendar question is simple: calendar is for dates and schedules, and calender is a roller machine you will rarely need. When in doubt, spell it calendar. Share this with someone who mixes these up, then retake the quiz above.