This question is about the stylistic differences between certain expressions in American English.
When one has to say a date out loud, there are 4 possibilities in US English.
- "Month + ordinal", e.g., "April tenth"
- "Month + cardinal", e.g., "April ten"
- "Month + the + ordinal", e.g., "April the tenth"
- "The+ cardinal + month + ordinal", e.g., "the tenth of April"
I think that the most common in everyday usage is the first one, followed by the second (however, I think the second method is not used with small number, like in "March one" or "October two"; can anyone confirm it?). I believe that the first format is perfectly fine for all occasions, while the second might be a little informal. What about the last two? Are they commonly used in the US? Do they sound more formal?