Till and Until

Till vs Until: What’s the Difference and Which One Should You Use?

English is full of small words that carry a lot of meaning. Two of these are till and until. You see them everywhere: in messages, books, instructions, exam tasks, and everyday conversation: 

• Wait here until I come back.
• The shop is open till 6 p.m.

But are till and until the same? Is one more correct? Is till just a short form? And which one should you use in Cambridge exams?

Let’s clear it up once and for all.

Basic meaning: they mean the same thing. Till and until both mean up to a certain time or before a particular moment. They are used to show when something stops or how long something continues.

• We stayed at the café until closing time.
• We stayed at the café till closing time.
• I’ll wait until you call me.
• I’ll wait till you call me.

In terms of meaning, there is no difference.

Is till short for until?

Surprisingly… no. Till is actually older than until.

Until came later, and the un- was added by mistake in history (a bit like someone putting a hat on a hat).

So:

❌ Till is NOT a short form of until

❌ ’Til is not the same as till

✅ Till is a complete, correct word on its own

✔️ I’ll stay till Friday.

✔️ I’ll stay until Friday.

⚠️ I’ll stay ’til Friday. (informal spelling, OK in messages, not in exams)

Style difference: formal vs informal

This is where things get useful for your students:

Until is more formal and safer in essays, articles, reports and exams (B2, C1, C2)

Till is more informal and common in speech, stories, dialogues and messages

• The exhibition will be open until the end of the month. (formal, neutral)
• We stayed up till midnight watching films. (natural, conversational)

Exam tip: When in doubt, use until.

Grammar patterns

You can use till / until in the same structures:

a) With time expressions

until tomorrow

till 5 o’clock

until next week

till midnight

• The office is closed until Monday.
• I worked till late last night.

b) With a subject + verb

until he arrives

till she finishes work

• Wait here until I come back.
• He didn’t leave till everyone had gone.

c) In negative sentences (important!)

In negative sentences, until/till often mean “not before”:

I won’t call you until I arrive. = I will call you when I arrive, not before.

She didn’t realise the truth till he told her. = She realised it at that moment, not earlier.

This use is very common in natural English and in exam writing.

Until / Till vs By (common mistake)

Students often confuse until and by.

* until/till = the action continues up to a time

* by = the action happens before or at a time

Compare:

I’ll stay here until 6. (= I am here the whole time, then I leave.)

I’ll finish this by 6. (= It will be finished at or before 6.)

Can they start a sentence?

Yes, both can — but until is more common at the beginning in formal writing.

• Until you try, you’ll never know.
• Till you try, you’ll never know. (more literary/conversational)

For essays and articles, until is the safer choice.

More example sentences:

• We waited until the rain stopped.
• The children played outside till it got dark.
• I won’t make a decision until I’ve spoken to her.
• He stayed silent till the very end of the meeting.
• The museum is closed until further notice.

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