Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

until

/ʌnˈtɪl/

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.61 in modern English

Syllables: un-til
IPA: /ʌnˈtɪl/

5

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

prep

Up to the time of (something happening); pending.

prep

Up to (a certain place)

prep

Before (a time).

prep

To; physically towards.

Obsolete

prep

Up to the time that the foods or other things available to sell, or tasks which need to be completed, run out.

conj

Up to the time that (a condition becomes true).

conj

Before (a condition becoming true).

Example Sentences

"If you can wait until after my meeting with her, we'll talk then."
"Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic […]. Until 2008 there was denial over what finance had become. When a series of bank failures made this impossible, there was widespread anger, leading to the public humiliation of symbolic figures."
"Keep walking until the second set of traffic lights, then turn left."
"I was about to say that I had known the Celebrity from the time he wore kilts. But I see I will have to amend that, because he was not a celebrity then, nor, indeed, did he achieve fame until some time after I left New York for the West."
"Across Japan, technology companies and private investors are racing to install devices that until recently they had little interest in: solar panels. Massive solar parks are popping up as part of a rapid build-up that one developer likened to an "explosion.""
"He rousd himselfe full blith, and hastned them untill."

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.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: vntil

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ʌnˈtɪl/
British English: /ʌnˈtɪl/

Usage

Obsolete

Derived Forms

'til whereuntil

Phrases

fake it until one makes it how many stops until it ain't over until the fat lady sings it isn't over until the fat lady sings it's all fun and games until someone loses an eye lesbian until graduation never put off until tomorrow what you can do today the jug goes to the well until it breaks

Synonyms

till 'til up to afore before until unto while whilom

Antonyms

since

Rhymes With

will still bill kill hill till ill fill brazil skill mill phil

Questions

How do you pronounce until?: The recorded pronunciation is /ʌnˈtɪl/.
What does until mean?: Up to the time of (something happening); pending.
Where does until come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce until

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “until”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ʌnˈtɪl/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “until”.
Repeat and practice — Say “until” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.