"Till" vs. "until": how are they different?

Reviewed and edited by

Anwar Kareem Yesterday, 00:26

English.me team member

What is similar?

Both "till" and "until" are conjunctions and prepositions used to indicate the time up to a specific point or event. They can be used interchangeably in most contexts and both are commonly understood.

What is different?

"Until" is considered slightly more formal than "till". "Till" is sometimes mistakenly thought of as an abbreviation of "until", but it is actually the older word.

Which one is more common?

Examples of usage

Till

She waited till the bus arrived.
The store is open till midnight.
Don't go till I get back.

Until

We can't start until everyone is here.
He worked until he was exhausted.
Wait here until I call you.