# Is it 'til or till?? Spellink question. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 1, 2008, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-til-or-till-spellink-question/475164 "2008-12-01T10:22:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-til-or-till-spellink-question/475164/1 "2008-12-01T10:22:44Z")
When shortening the word **until** , I have always used the form **'til** rather than **till** which (I believed) was reserved for either preparing ground for planting or a colloquial word for a cash-register. Of late, I have begun to notice that the latter spelling is being used in the former meaning in published writings (…_‘just wait till your father gets home’_ instead of _'just wait ‘til your father gets home’_) and I wondered whether they are indeed interchangeable, whether I have been wrong all this time and the ‘till’ is correct, whether proofreaders/editors/writers-of-spellcheck-programs are slackjawed morons, or whether I am becoming obsessive compulsive over something so damned insignificant it belies belief. Does anyone have the straightdope on 'TIL/TILL? I’ll be here 'til I get an answer, or till the cows come home…whichever comes first. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-til-or-till-spellink-question/475164/2 "2008-12-01T12:10:06Z")
_Until_ and _till_ mean the same thing and are used pretty much interchangeably. _Till_ is the older form. It is not a contraction of _until_, which was formed later by the addition of the prefix _un-_, which here is essentially emphatic. The _un-_ prefix here is different from the one in _ungrammatical_, but the same one as in _unto_. _'Til_ and _'till_ have both been used but the apostrophe is not etymologically correct and I think both forms are best avoided. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-til-or-till-spellink-question/475164/3 "2008-12-01T15:14:30Z")
Till is most definitely correct, although some style mavens, like Partridge, prefer until. For everybody else they’re basically interchangeable. Today you’d only avoid 'til if you’re using a style guide that discourages it or are writing in extremely formal settings. Everybody else can use 'til with no problem. Using 'till is simply an illiteracy with no historic or literary basis. I’m using US usage. I just noticed the OP is in Australia. There may be usage variations there, but till remains correct. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-til-or-till-spellink-question/475164/4 "2008-12-01T16:33:28Z")
I would use “till” or “until”, whichever I felt most comfortable with, since both are completely acceptable in every circumstance. “'til” is very informal. Ed ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-til-or-till-spellink-question/475164/5 "2008-12-01T17:17:42Z")
The shortening of “until” is _'til_. However, the conjunction “till” is of equal or greater age than “until” and equally correct. So the correct answer to “Is '‘til’ or ‘till’ correct?” is **Yes.**