Key Difference: Most people use the words Till and Until frequently. Because, these words are used to indicate the specific time of an event, they are used in the same manner. There is no wrong with that. Till is the shortened form of the word Until. Both words have the same meaning “Up to.” So, in this tutorial, we will help you to know the usage of the words till and until with simple explanations. Let’s get started!
Till: Can you stay till tomorrow?
Until: I was walking on the street until almost midnight.
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Till:
A less formal way of saying Until.
The word “Till” is the synonym of until. So, you can use the words till and until interchangeably. Let’s see an example to make it clear for you. I am free till 4’o clock this evening. From this statement, we might understand that Someone says I have no other commitments until this evening. Here we come up with another example for your reference. We’re open till 9 pm today. This example sentence shows that someone said that they will open their shop until 9 PM.
How Do We Spell the Word Till?
The phonetics pronunciation of the word Till is tɪl. And this word sounds like the following audio.
Enunciation:
Syllables are phonological building blocks of words. It divides the words into parts that can help you read words more accurately. Let’s see how to split the word till using syllables. Learning syllables can also help you to spell words correctly.
- The word “Till” has only one syllable.
- It cannot be divided.
Using “Till” in sentences:
- They had not known each other till now.
- I will try again and again till I get the reward.
- You have to wait till tomorrow morning to know your exam results.
- She will be here till 9 o’clock.
- You must be here till six.
Until:
Up to
The term until can be used as both a conjunction and a preposition. It refers to any action that needs to be done before the deadline. Let us see an example to make it clear. He will not finish the work until his sister helps him. From this statement, we might understand that someone will not finish the work if his sister didn’t help him. Here, we come up with another example for your reference. She doesn’t arrive until ten. From this statement, we might understand that someone will always arrive at ten.
How Do We Spell the Word Until?
Phonetics pronunciation of the word Until is ənˈtɪl. And this word sounds like the following audio.
Enunciation:
Syllabification refers to the process of division of words into smaller parts. It is commonly known as syllables. With its help, you can easily read and spell the word accurately. Here, you will see how to split the word “Until” by syllables.
- The word “Until” has two syllables.
- It can be divided as “Un-til.”
Using “Until” in sentences:
- You have to wait until tomorrow.
- We cannot stop learning until we die.
- Wait until the food is cooked.
- You can stay here until the shop closed.
- She keeps working hard until she wins the match.
Compare: Till Vs Until
This table will show you the contradiction between the words Till and Until.
| Till | Until | |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | It is used to define when something will happen, begin, or end. | It refers to the specific time of the event. |
| Synonyms | Up to, as late as, pending, through | Till, up to, prior to, before, through |
| Antonyms | Beyond, after | Beyond, after |
| Parts of Speech | Conjunction and preposition | Conjunction and preposition |
| Etymology | Old English til, of Germanic origin; related to Old Norse til ‘to’, also ultimately to till3. | Middle English: from Old Norse und ‘as far as’ + till1 (the sense thus duplicated). |
| Examples | I will wait till you finish the test. Just wait here till I come back. She wants to stay up till 12 o’clock. Don’t go anywhere till the rain stops. When is the store open till? | We didn’t know the value of something until it was lost. I will show you something but you have to wait until tomorrow. You should wait until the paint has completely dried. Let them wait until dad comes. |
Resources and References:
Resources: Merriam-Webster (Till, Until), Dictionary.Cambridge (Till, Until), Collins Dictionary (Till, Until), Idoceonline.com (Till, Until)
Reference: Dictionary.Cambridge.org[1], Merriam-Webster.com[2], CollinsDictionary.com[3], Dictionary.com[4].