The standard Tuesday abbreviation is Tue., and Tues. is just as correct. Say either aloud and you simply say Tuesday, the third day of a week that starts on Sunday. Pick the three letter form for neat columns and the four letter form when you want it to be instantly clear.
Two even shorter forms are common on grids and timetables: Tu on planners and medication boxes, and a single T on college course listings. Each fits a different setting, which the sections below sort out.
Quick facts
Main forms
Tue. and Tues.Two letters
TuOne letter
T (class schedules)Period
Yes in running text, often dropped in tables and appsCapital letter
Always: Tue., never tue.Plural
Tuesdays is best spelled out; Tues. covers both in listsNot to be confused with
Thu. or Thurs. (Thursday)
Tuesday abbreviation choices, from Tues. down to T
| Short form | Length | Where it fits best |
|---|---|---|
| Tue. | 3 letters | Digital calendars, date stamps, spreadsheets |
| Tues. | 4 letters | Notes, flyers, store hours signs |
| Tu | 2 letters | Weekly planners, pill organizers, small grids |
| T | 1 letter | College timetables like TR or MWF |
The three letter set (Mon., Tue., Wed. and the rest) is the most uniform, which is why phones and computer calendars use it. Tues. is longer but looks less like a typo to some readers. Both are fine; just use one style per document.
Abbreviation for Tuesday on class schedules
College and high school course listings squeeze each meeting day into one letter. Tuesday is written T. Because Thursday also begins with T, schools give Thursday a different letter, usually R, though some use H or Th.
On a registration screen: "MATH 201, TR 1:00 to 2:15 p.m." Read it as Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. A listing of "T 6:00 to 8:45 p.m." is a once a week evening class on Tuesday.
If a schedule uses TTh instead, it means the same pair of days. Always check the legend on the page, since there is no single national standard for these codes.
Do you put a period after Tue?
In regular American sentences and lists, add a period, since the word has been clipped: "Pickup is Tue., Nov. 4." Where space is tight or the look is clean and graphic, such as on an app, a sign or a bus timetable, the period is commonly dropped: "Tue 7 AM."
Whichever you choose, keep every day the same. A schedule that says "Mon." on one line and "Tue" on the next looks unfinished. And keep the capital: English always capitalizes the names of days, so tue. in lowercase is wrong.
In a full sentence, it is usually better to write the whole word. Most style guides prefer "The test is on Tuesday" over "The test is on Tue." For dates, pair it with the matching month abbreviation.
Sample uses of Tue. and Tues.
- Calendar invite: "Team sync, Tue. 10:00 a.m." (see a.m. and p.m.)
- Store sign: "Closed Tues. for inventory."
- Pill box lid: "Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa."
- Doctor's card: "Your next appt. is Tues., Mar. 18."
- Restaurant menu: "Taco special, Tue. only."
- Bus timetable header: "Mon to Fri" (a range, so Tuesday is included without its own label).
Where the word Tuesday comes from
Tuesday comes from Old English Tiwesdæg, meaning the day of Tiw, a Germanic god linked to war and law. In Norse stories the same figure is known as Tyr. English took over the older Roman idea of naming weekdays after gods and planets, and Romans had tied this day to Mars, their war god, so the swap kept the theme.
That history explains the odd spelling. The "Tues" part is a worn down form of Tiw's, not a reference to the number two.
Tuesday vs Thursday and other quick tips
- Tue. vs Thu.: the two look alike at a glance. If confusion would be costly, as with a work shift or a dose, spell the day out.
- T vs R: on school timetables, T is Tuesday and R is Thursday. See the Thursday abbreviation page for the other half.
- Neighbor day: the Wednesday abbreviation is Wed.
- Plural: write "Tuesdays" in sentences. "Open Tues. and Thurs." in a list already covers every week.
More everyday short forms are collected in common abbreviations.
Questions people ask
How do you shorten Tuesday?
The usual abbreviation for Tuesday is Tue. or Tues. Shorter forms are Tu on planners and T on class schedules.
Is it Tue or Tues?
Both are correct. Tue. matches the three letter pattern used for all seven days, while Tues. is a little easier to recognize. Choose one and use it consistently.
What does TR mean on a class schedule?
TR means Tuesday and Thursday. T stands for Tuesday and R stands for Thursday, so the class meets twice a week.
Should Tuesday be abbreviated in formal writing?
Usually no. In letters, essays and news writing, spell out Tuesday. Save Tue. or Tues. for calendars, tables, forms and signs.