# yesterday

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈjɛstədeɪ/ · frequency rank #1,325

## Definitions
1. The day immediately before today; one day ago.
2. The past, often in terms of being outdated.

## Etymology
From Middle English yesterday, yisterday, ȝesterdai, ȝisterdai, from Old English ġiestrandæġ, ġister dæġ, ġestor dæġ, ġeostran dæġ (“yesterday”), by surface analysis, yester- + day. Cognate with Scots yisterday, yesterday (“yesterday”), Saterland Frisian jässendeeg, järsendeges (“yesterday”, adverb), West Frisian justerdei (“yesterday”), Dutch gisterdag (“yesterday”), dialectal German gestertag (“yesterday”), Swedish gårdag (“yesterday”), Gothic 𐌲𐌹𐍃𐍄𐍂𐌰𐌳𐌰𐌲𐌹𐍃 (gistradagis, “tomorrow”, adverb). Compare further Dutch gisteren (“yesterday”), German gestern (“yesterday”).

## Easily confused with
- **yesterdays** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yesterday-vs-yesterdays)
- **yesterday's** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yesterday-vs-yesterday-s)

## Common misspellings (14)
`eysterday`, `yesetrday`, `yessterday`, `yestedray`, `yesterady`, `yesterdayy`, `yesterdday`, `yesterdya`, `yesterrday`, `yestreday`, `yestterday`, `yetserday`, `yseterday`, `yyesterday`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/yesterday