Till is a variant of until that is acceptable at all levels of language. Until is, however, often preferred at the beginning of a sentence in formal writing: Until his behaviour improves, he cannot.

Until and till are both standard (but, perhaps surprisingly, till is. Many assume that till is an abbreviated form of until. In fact, it is a distinct word that existed in english at least a century before until, both as a preposition meaning to and as a conjunction. In a shop or other place of business, a till is a counter or cash register where money is kept, and where customers pay for what they have bought. The terms till, until, and 'til are often used interchangeably, but they have subtle differences in their usage. Let's explore each term and provide examples to illustrate their distinct applications.

The terms till, until, and 'til are often used interchangeably, but they have subtle differences in their usage. Let's explore each term and provide examples to illustrate their distinct applications.