I'llvsit'llWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“I'll” and “it'll” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#356
“I'll” frequency rank
#2,584
“it'll” frequency rank
2940
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature I'll it'll
Definition I will. Contraction of it + shall.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set I'll and it'll apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

4 ch
I'll
5 ch
it'll

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. I'll (/aɪ̯l/) and it'll (/ˈɪtl̩/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 2940, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

I'll is recorded at frequency rank #356, classified as acontraction, pronounced /aɪ̯l/. it'll is at rank #2,584, tagged as acontraction, pronounced /ˈɪtl̩/.

Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.

With a confusion score of 2940, this pair ranks #523,586 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of I'll vs it'll

Shared letters: il. Private to "I'll": -. Private to "it'll": t.

"I'll" · 3 letters · shape VCC  ·  "it'll" · 4 letters · shape VCCC

Frequency comparison

I'll#356
it'll#2,584

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "I'll" and "it'll" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently (/aɪ̯l/ versus /ˈɪtl̩/) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "I'll" or "it'll"?
"I'll" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #356 in our English list, against #2,584 for "it'll". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering I'll vs it'll

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “I'll” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list