In Britain we usually write "2 December" or "2nd December" even though it's spoken as "the second of December". The words are often slurred together, "the secon

In Britain we usually write "2 December" or "2nd December" even though it's spoken as "the second of December". The words are often slurred together, "the second've December" or "th'second've December"; "the thirtieth've April". Actually pronouncing it carefully with a clear "of" emphasizes the date, either for clarity or because it's otherwise important.