Alanna Madden
January 24, 2021
Grammar Tips
‘Til and till are acceptable synonyms of “until,” although till is standard and ‘til is informal. Always avoid the spelling of ‘till (apostrophe and two l’s).
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If you’re looking for a shortened version of the word until, till and ‘til are viable options. However, there are several misconceptions about these terms–– starting with the fact that neither ‘til nor till is an abbreviation of “until.”
According to The American Heritage Dictionary (AHD), the word till is older than “until” and it originated from Old Norse til for ‘to.’ The word “until” is a combination of the prefix un- (for ‘up to’) and ‘to,’ which stems from Old Norse und (‘as far as’ + ‘till’).
The preposition “till” (two l’s) carried into Old English and became synonymous with “until,” although Middle English “til” (with one l) was obscure by the late 19th century.
If you can believe it, the spelling of ‘til (single l with an apostrophe) didn’t enter the picture until the 20th century. Many people assume ‘til is the predated form of till and until, but this idea is quickly disproven by grammar experts.
According to Bryan Garner in Garner’s Modern English Usage, the word ‘til “has no literary history as a contraction,” and the assumption of such didn’t occur until the 1980s (Garner pp. 909–910).
Additionally, Google Books Ngram Viewer shows that “till” has maintained popularity over “til” since the 16th century, whereas “until” surpassed their frequency in the three centuries later.
The word “until” is the most common and formal word to use, while Modern English permits the shortened form of till for informal writing. But when it comes to til (with or without the apostrophe), English usage guides don’t share the same opinions.
“If a form deserves a sic, it’s the incorrect ‘til,” writes Garner on the topic. However, AHD states that ‘til “is considered acceptable, though it is etymologically incorrect.”
But if there’s one thing most dictionaries can agree on, it’s to avoid the use of ‘till (with two l’s and an apostrophe). “Abominable” and “nonstandard” are two ways our sources describe the misspelling of ‘till. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary even goes as far as to call it “barbarism.”
In summary, The Word Counter advises readers to stick with “until” for formal writing and reserve “till” for informal settings. Meanwhile, use ‘til or til cautiously and avoid ‘till altogether.
TIL is an abbreviation that means ‘today I learned.”
According to AHD, the preposition “until” means ‘up to the time of,’ ‘before,’ ‘unto,’ or simply ‘to’ (for Scots). For example,
As a conjunction, “until” means ‘up to the time that,’ ‘before,’ or ‘to the point or extent that.’ For example,
Afore, ahead of, before, ere, fore, of, previous to, prior to, till, to, up till, up to.
After, following, next, next to, since.
The word till is an informal preposition and conjunction that means ‘until.’ For example,
Now that we understand the background and definitions of till and til, it’s time to peak at how these spellings exist in published writing.
While “until” is the most formal word to use for published writing, the informal spelling of till is still common within news articles and creative platforms. For example,
As you might expect, the use of ‘til and til is relatively uncommon in published news articles. However, the chances of spotting these shakey terms increases within opinion pieces, headlines, or quoted material. For example,
English grammar can be difficult, but The Word Counter is here to help. Check out our lessons on similar topics, such as:
Test how well you understand the difference between til and till with the following multiple-choice questions.
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