Teacher Discussion Forums

"Until" should always be written with one "l" and "till" with two "ls". Do you agree?

Yes. However, till may not be a technical abbreviation of until, but it is a short form, so it serves tha same function.

Lotus wrote:Yes. However, till may not be a technical abbreviation of until, but it is a short form, so it serves tha same function.

So "til" is OK with you?

No. If you'll notice, I spelled the word till. Short form does not mean sacrificing correct spelling.

They are separate words.

Of course, a "till" is what the Brits call the place where a shopkeeper keeps his/her money during business hours. And it's always spelled with a double-l.

BradC wrote:Of course, a "till" is what the Brits call the place where a shopkeeper keeps his/her money during business hours. And it's always spelled with a double-l.

We can also call someone a "tit". That's spelt/spelled with two ts.

I didn't know you were an ornithologist, Metal

lolwhites wrote:I didn't know you were an ornithologist, Metal

I'm often orni.

Stephen Jones wrote:They are separate words.

Yes and no. From http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/till I find the following to be helpful.

Usage Note: Till and until are generally interchangeable in both writing and speech, though as the first word in a sentence until is usually preferred: Until you get that paper written, don't even think about going to the movies. · Till is actually the older word, with until having been formed by the addition to it of the prefix un-, meaning "up to." In the 18th century the spelling 'till became fashionable, as if till were a shortened form of until. Although 'till is now nonstandard, 'til is sometimes used in this way and is considered acceptable, though it is etymologically incorrect.