Ya’ll vs. Y’all: Is Either Expression Grammatically Correct?
The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
Ya’ll vs. Y’all: Is Either Expression Grammatically Correct?
As we’re wont to note on our website, the English language—and American English in particular—is a living, breathing entity. It changes and grows with the times and occasionally across regions as well.
It’s no surprise, then, that we sometimes get questions about newer words and regional spellings. Today we’ll discuss whether the dialectical ya’ll or y’all is grammatically correct.
The Meaning of Y’all
For those who might not be familiar with the expression, y’all is a contraction typically used in the American South. It is a quicker way of saying “you all,” which is shorthand for “everybody.”
There are two things that make this particular contraction interesting. The first is that it is spoken far more frequently than it is written. While you will find spelled-out instances of y’all—as in this article—you are much more likely to hear it in speech.
The second thing about y’all is that it used to be considered grammatically incorrect. Within certain academic and professional circles, it still is. With that being said, you should be careful about using y’all within formal contexts unless you know it won’t be perceived as a typo or a solecism.
Which Should You Use: Ya’ll or Y’all?
If you are in a position where including the phrase will be received in an acceptable context, use y’all.
While the two versions may seem interchangeable or otherwise similar, there is a reason that one is better than the other. Specifically, contractions use an apostrophe where words are divided. Since y’all is a shortening of “you all,” the apostrophe is inserted at the words’ point of division between y and all.
As further reinforcement, consider that:
1) y’all equates to you all, or y(ou) all.
2) ya’ll would translate into an expression similar to yeah you all.
Making Sense of Other Contractions
Recognizing why y’all is punctuated and spelled as it is can be helpful in interpreting similar treatments of words.
Examples
you’re = you are
they’re = they are
I’ll = I will
it’ll = it will
they’ll = they will
As with y’all, each contraction includes an apostrophe at the point of division between words. Now that you have this principle in your grammar toolbox, you’ll be able to both write and correct such expressions with ease.
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What about will not and won’t? I’ve always thought of it as ya all contracted.
If you are referring to the first sentence in this article, the adjective “wont” (meaning “accustomed”) is spelled without an apostrophe.
I am 82 years old, born and raised in the deep South.
All my life I have used and spelled the term “ya’ll” and will continue to do so.
I was TN born and raised, and I say that it really doesn’t matter. If you’re writing and want to be grammatically correct, use “y’all.” Or if you’ve never spelled it that way in your life, use “ya’ll.” Once spoken, they mean the exact same thing. And I’d argue that at some point, people in the South felt that they were saying “you all,” but because of their accents and speech patterns, they were misunderstood. People knew what they meant, which is the point of spoken language. But once people began putting it on paper, it had to be distinguished from the “proper” pronunciation. Thus, an apostrophe.
As the post indicates, “y’all” is the preferred spelling if you are writing and want to be grammatically correct, because the apostrophe is inserted at the words’ point of division between y and all.
We don’t say “you all”; we say “ya all,” so the spelling should be however you say it. Y’all in my opinion is the Yankee version. In the South, I believe it is just as correct to spell it “ya’ll.”