Til or Till: Which Spelling Is Correct?
You will spot it on signs, in song lyrics, and all over social media: til written as if it were a real word. It is not. The word that means “up to the time of” is spelled till, with two Ls, every single time. This guide clears up the confusion between till, ’til, and til, gives you the history that makes it stick, and hands you a memory trick you will not forget. Find more plain-English spelling guides on the KnowsVista homepage.
⚡ Quick answer
Till is the correct spelling, always. ‘Til with an apostrophe is a casual contraction of until, fine for song lyrics and text messages but not for standard writing. Til with no apostrophe is simply a misspelling in standard English.
🧠 Memory trick: Till and will both end in -ll, and till will always be correct. Two Ls, no exceptions.
When to use till
Use till anywhere you would use until, as a preposition or a conjunction meaning “up to the time of.” The two words are fully interchangeable in these roles. And here is the surprise most people miss: till is not a shortening of until. It is actually the older word, from Old English; until was formed later by adding the prefix un- (“up to”).
- I’ll wait till you’re ready.
- The shop stays open till nine.
- She slept till noon.
- We won’t decide till Friday.
When to use until
Use until as the slightly more formal sibling of till. It carries the same meaning, but it reads more polished in essays, reports, and professional emails. Many writers also prefer it at the start of a sentence and after a negative, where it simply looks cleaner.
- Until the meeting starts, grab a coffee.
- The report will not be ready until Monday.
- Keep the oven closed until the timer rings.
- He worked until midnight to finish the draft.
The tricky exceptions
‘Til belongs to song lyrics, not essays
‘Til with an apostrophe really is a contraction of until, the apostrophe marks the missing letters, exactly like don’t. It is legitimate in informal contexts: poetry, lyrics, and casual writing. But style guides draw a firm line. The AP Stylebook says “till. Or until. But not ’til.” The Chicago Manual of Style adds that till is not a contraction of until and should never be written ’til. In any serious writing, stick with till or until.
- Song lyric: “I can’t wait ’til tonight.” (informal, fine)
- Business email: “Please hold ’til Monday.” (avoid, write till or until)
Till has a double life
Outside of the preposition, till wears other hats. It can be a noun meaning a cash drawer (“count the money in the till”), a noun meaning glacial drift, and a verb meaning to cultivate the earth (“till the soil”). Context tells you which meaning is at play, and in every single one the spelling takes two Ls. See Writing Explained’s til or till guide for a fuller breakdown of the confusion and why plain til never makes the cut.
- Cash drawer: “The clerk closed the till at midnight.”
- Verb: “Farmers till the field before planting.”
Til vs till at a glance
| Till | Until | |
|---|---|---|
| Usually | Two Ls, always correct | Slightly more formal, also correct |
| Meaning | Up to the time of | Up to the time of |
| Example | I’ll stay till Friday. | I’ll stay until Friday. |
| Trick | Till will end in -ll | Think “up to”, until spells it out |
Quick practice
Fill in the blank with till or until:
- She stayed up __________ midnight.
- Wait __________ your name is called.
- Not __________ the rain stops.
Answer key:
- 1. till (either works; till is the everyday pick)
- 2. till or until (both are correct as a conjunction)
- 3. until (reads cleaner after a negative)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is “’til” ever correct?
Only in informal contexts. ‘Til is a genuine contraction of until, so it fits in song lyrics, poetry, and casual messages. But AP and Chicago style guides both reject it for standard writing, use till or until instead.
Is “till” just a short form of “until”?
No, it is the opposite. Till is the older word, dating back to Old English; until was built from it by adding the prefix un- (“up to”). That is why till does not need an apostrophe: nothing was ever cut out of it.
Why do so many people write “til”?
Because the apostrophe in ’til keeps getting dropped, leaving a single-L til that looks like a word. It is not standard English. (The only real word spelled til is the sesame plant, a completely different word.)
Final thoughts
The til or till question has one clear answer: till, with two Ls, in every standard sentence. Keep ’til for lyrics and texting, never drop the apostrophe, and remember that till is older than until, not a shortcut of it. For another single-versus-double-letter trap like this one, read the to late or too late lesson before you hit publish.
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