until

/ʌnˈtɪl/

//ʌnˈtɪl// prep

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"until" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“until” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #223 in English word frequency and used as a preposition.

#223
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Up to the time of (something happening); pending.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

until vs unto
60% similar
until vs Unwin
40% similar
until vs untold
67% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for until
PropertyValue
Headworduntil
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechPreposition
IPA/ʌnˈtɪl/
Letters5
Frequency rank#223
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “until” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). until lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for until is 5 letters long, classified as a preposition, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ʌnˈtɪl/. Corpus data places it at rank #223 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for until, with forms such as "nutil", "unitl", and "unntil". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 11 confusable-pair relationships, "unto", "Unwin", "untold", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English vntil, until, untill, ontil, ontill, perhaps representing a northern variant of Middle English unto (see Modern English unto). By surface analysis, un- (“against; toward; up to”) + till. The correct English form is until, spelled U-N-T-I-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Up to the time of (something happening); pending.
  2. 2
    Up to (a certain place)
  3. 3
    Before (a time).
  4. 4
    To; physically towards.
  5. 5
    Up to the time that the foods or other things available to sell, or tasks which need to be completed, run out.

Etymology

From Middle English vntil, until, untill, ontil, ontill, perhaps representing a northern variant of Middle English unto (see Modern English unto). By surface analysis, un- (“against; toward; up to”) + till.

Synonyms

till'tilup to

Antonyms

since

This word in other languages

hasta(Español)jusque(Français)bis(Deutsch)até(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: nutil,unitl,unntil,untill,untli,unttil,utnil

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of until - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

nutil2unitl2unntil1untill1untli2unttil1utnil2
Edit distance from "until"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "until"?
"until" is spelled U-N-T-I-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ʌnˈtɪl/.
What does "until" mean?
As a preposition, "until" means: Up to the time of (something happening); pending.
What words are commonly confused with "until"?
"until" is commonly confused with "unto", "Unwin", "untold". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "until"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "until" is /ʌnˈtɪl/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "until"?
From Middle English vntil, until, untill, ontil, ontill, perhaps representing a northern variant of Middle English unto (see Modern English unto). By surface analysis, un- (“against; toward; up to”) + till. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “until”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is U-N-T-I-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ʌnˈtɪl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “unto” - see the side-by-side comparison. until vs unto
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list