Quick Answer
Today refers to the current day, while today’s means “belonging to today” or “related to today.” Use today when talking about when something happens, and use today’s before a noun to show that something is connected to the current day.
The words today and today’s look almost identical, so it is easy to use the wrong one in a sentence. The small apostrophe and letter s change the grammatical role of the word. For example, “I will call you today” is correct because today tells us when the action will happen. However, “Today’s meeting starts at nine” is correct because today’s describes the meeting and shows that it is happening or belongs to today.
This difference matters in everyday conversations, emails, school assignments, work messages, news headlines, and online writing. Once you understand how the apostrophe works, choosing between today and today’s becomes simple.
What Does Today Mean?
Today is a noun or adverb that refers to the current day.
As an adverb, it tells us when something happens.
Examples:
- I am working today.
- She will arrive today.
- We have a meeting today.
- He called me today.
- Are you free today?
In each sentence, today tells us the time of an action.
It can also work as a noun.
For example:
- Today is a beautiful day.
- Today was very busy.
- We need to focus on today.
The basic idea is simple: today refers to the current day itself or something happening on the current day.
What Does Today’s Mean?
Today’s is the possessive form of today. It can mean “of today,” “belonging to today,” or “related to today.”
It usually appears before a noun.
Examples:
- Today’s weather is beautiful.
- Today’s meeting was productive.
- Today’s news is important.
- Today’s lesson was easy.
- Today’s schedule has changed.
Here, today’s describes another noun.
For example, in “today’s meeting,” the meeting is connected to today.
You can often understand today’s as:
today + belonging to or connected with today
Today’s or Today: The Main Difference
The easiest way to understand the difference is to look at what comes after the word.
Use today when it stands alone or tells you when something happens.
I will finish the project today.
Use today’s when it describes a noun.
Today’s project is due at five.
Compare these sentences:
- I have a test today.
- Today’s test is difficult.
- We are leaving today.
- Today’s trip starts early.
- She has an appointment today.
- Today’s appointment was canceled.
The first sentence in each pair uses today to show time. The second uses today’s to describe a noun.
When Should You Use Today?
Use today when you are talking about something happening on the current day.
It commonly appears at the beginning or end of a sentence.
Examples:
- Today, I need to finish my homework.
- I need to finish my homework today.
- We are meeting today.
- Today is my first day at work.
- I feel better today.
You do not need an apostrophe when today is simply telling the reader when something happens.
More Examples
- I have an interview today.
- She starts her new job today.
- They are traveling today.
- We need to leave today.
- The store opens today.
All of these sentences use today correctly.
When Should You Use Today’s?
Use today’s when you want to describe a noun associated with the current day.
Examples:
- Today’s meeting was canceled.
- Today’s weather is warmer.
- Today’s class starts at ten.
- Today’s deadline is important.
- Today’s menu looks great.
Notice that a noun follows today’s in each example.
This is a useful clue. If you see a noun immediately after the word, today’s may be the correct choice.
Today’s Before a Noun
One of the most common uses of today’s is before a noun.
For example:
- today’s news
- today’s weather
- today’s meeting
- today’s lesson
- today’s schedule
- today’s event
- today’s price
- today’s game
- today’s report
- today’s announcement
These phrases all describe something connected to the current day.
For example:
I read today’s news this morning.
Here, today’s describes the news.
You could also say:
I read the news today.
The meaning changes slightly. In the first sentence, the news is specifically associated with today. In the second, the action of reading the news happened today.
Today’s in Work and Business Writing
The distinction between today and today’s is especially useful in professional communication.
Consider these examples:
- I will send the report today.
- Today’s report contains the latest figures.
- We will discuss the issue today.
- Today’s meeting begins at 2 p.m.
- Please complete the form today.
- Today’s deadline is five o’clock.
In workplace writing, today usually tells someone when an action should happen.
Today’s usually identifies something connected to the current day.
This makes the difference easy to apply in emails, schedules, reports, announcements, and team messages.
Today’s in School and Academic Writing
Students also use both forms regularly.
Examples with today:
- I have a quiz today.
- We learned about photosynthesis today.
- Our professor assigned the essay today.
- The assignment is due today.
Examples with today’s:
- Today’s lesson was about photosynthesis.
- Today’s assignment is due Friday.
- Today’s lecture was interesting.
- Today’s class discussion focused on climate change.
The apostrophe does not make the word plural. Instead, it shows a possessive or descriptive relationship.
Today’s in News and Headlines
News websites often use today’s before words such as news, headlines, events, and updates.
Examples:
- Today’s News
- Today’s Headlines
- Today’s Top Stories
- Today’s Weather
- Today’s Market Update
These phrases refer to information connected with the current day.
However, headlines can also use today as a time reference.
For example:
- Markets Rise Today
- Congress Meets Today
- New Product Launches Today
The difference depends on the grammatical role of the word.
Today’s in Everyday Conversation
In casual American English, both forms are common.
You might hear:
Are you working today?
Or:
Is today’s shift longer than usual?
The first sentence asks whether the person is working on the current day.
The second sentence describes the shift connected with today.
Another example:
What are you doing today?
Compared with:
What is today’s plan?
Both are natural, but they use the words differently.
Today’s vs Todays
A common spelling mistake is writing todays without an apostrophe.
When you mean “belonging to today,” the standard form is:
today’s
Not:
todays
Examples:
- Correct: Today’s meeting starts at noon.
- Incorrect: Todays meeting starts at noon.
The apostrophe is important because it shows the possessive relationship.
However, when you simply mean the current day, use:
today
There is no apostrophe.
Today’s vs Today’s
There is another small detail worth knowing.
The standard spelling is today’s, with an apostrophe before the s.
The apostrophe may look slightly different depending on the font or keyboard:
- today’s
- today’s
The second uses a curly apostrophe. Both represent the same grammatical form.
In professional writing, either can appear depending on the software or style system being used.
Common Mistakes With Today and Today’s
Several mistakes appear often in everyday writing.
Mistake 1: Adding an Apostrophe to Today
Incorrect:
I will see you today’s.
Correct:
I will see you today.
There is no possessive meaning in this sentence.
Mistake 2: Removing the Apostrophe From Today’s
Incorrect:
Todays meeting starts at nine.
Correct:
Today’s meeting starts at nine.
The apostrophe is needed because the phrase means the meeting connected with today.
Mistake 3: Using Today’s Before a Verb
Incorrect:
Today’s going to be busy.
If you mean “Today is going to be busy,” write:
Today is going to be busy.
However, there is an important exception. In informal English, today’s can sometimes be a contraction of “today is.”
For example:
Today’s going to be a great day.
Here, today’s means today is, not possession.
This is grammatically different from:
Today’s weather is beautiful.
In the second sentence, today’s is possessive.
Today’s Can Also Mean Today Is
This point causes some confusion because today’s has two possible grammatical roles.
It can mean:
today is
Example:
Today’s a busy day.
Expanded:
Today is a busy day.
It can also mean:
belonging to or connected with today
Example:
Today’s schedule is full.
Here, it does not mean “today is schedule.” It describes the schedule.
Context tells you which meaning is intended.
How to Tell Which Form Is Correct
Ask yourself a simple question:
Am I talking about when something happens, or am I describing a noun?
If you are talking about when something happens, use today.
I will finish it today.
If you are describing a noun, use today’s.
Today’s deadline is important.
If today’s can be expanded to today is, it may be a contraction.
Today’s going to be fun.
This means:
Today is going to be fun.
That small test can help you avoid many mistakes.
Today or Today’s in Emails
Both words are common in professional emails.
Use today when giving a deadline or time.
Examples:
- Please send the document today.
- I will respond today.
- We need the information today.
- The meeting is today.
Use today’s when referring to something associated with the current day.
Examples:
- Today’s meeting has been moved.
- Today’s agenda includes three topics.
- Today’s report is attached.
- Today’s deadline has been extended.
These distinctions help emails sound clear and professional.
Today or Today’s in Social Media
Social media posts often use both forms.
Examples:
- Feeling great today!
- Today’s outfit is simple and comfortable.
- Today’s goal is to finish this project.
- What are you doing today?
- Today’s workout was tough.
Because social media writing is often informal, contractions such as today’s meaning “today is” are also common.
For example:
Today’s going to be a good day!
This is natural in casual writing.
Pronunciation of Today and Today’s
The pronunciation is slightly different.
Today is commonly pronounced like:
tuh-DAY
Today’s is commonly pronounced like:
tuh-DAYZ
The final s in today’s sounds like a z.
Examples:
today
today’s meeting
The difference is easy to hear once you know what to listen for.
More Examples of Today and Today’s
Here are several examples that show the difference clearly.
| Today | Today’s |
|---|---|
| I am busy today. | Today’s schedule is full. |
| We leave today. | Today’s flight is delayed. |
| She called today. | Today’s call was important. |
| I have class today. | Today’s class was interesting. |
| They arrived today. | Today’s arrival surprised us. |
| The event starts today. | Today’s event is sold out. |
The pattern is consistent: today usually works as a time expression, while today’s commonly modifies a noun.
Practice: Choose Today or Today’s
Complete each sentence with today or today’s.
- I have a meeting ______.
- ______ meeting starts at ten.
- We need to finish the project ______.
- ______ deadline is five o’clock.
- Did you see ______ news?
- She is working ______.
- ______ weather is unusually warm.
- The store opens ______.
- ______ sale ends at midnight.
- I feel much better ______.
Answers
- today
- Today’s
- today
- Today’s
- today’s
- today
- Today’s
- today
- Today’s
- today
The easiest pattern to notice is that today’s often comes directly before a noun.
Quick Comparison
| Word | Main Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| today | The current day or a time reference | I am working today. |
| today’s | Connected with or belonging to today | Today’s meeting is important. |
| today’s | Contraction of today is | Today’s going to be fun. |
| todays | Usually incorrect when intended as possessive | Todays meeting is wrong. |
Final Tips for Using Today and Today’s
Remember these simple rules:
- Use today when referring to the current day.
- Use today when saying when an action happens.
- Use today’s before a noun when showing a connection with today.
- Use an apostrophe in today’s when it is possessive.
- Today’s can also mean today is in informal writing.
- Do not write todays when you mean the possessive form.
- Check the word after today’s to see whether it describes a noun.
- In professional writing, choose the form that makes your meaning clear.
Once you understand these patterns, the choice becomes much easier.
FAQs
Is today’s grammatically correct?
Yes. Today’s is grammatically correct when it shows possession or a connection with the current day, such as “today’s meeting.” It can also be a contraction of “today is.”
Should I write today or today’s?
Use today when referring to the current day or saying when something happens. Use today’s when describing something connected with today, such as “today’s weather.”
Is todays without an apostrophe correct?
Usually, no. When you mean something belonging to or associated with today, the correct form is today’s. For example, “Today’s news is interesting.”
Can today’s mean today is?
Yes. In informal English, today’s can be a contraction of “today is.” For example, “Today’s going to be a great day” means “Today is going to be a great day.”
What is the difference between today’s meeting and the meeting today?
“Today’s meeting” identifies the meeting associated with the current day. “The meeting today” tells you that the meeting takes place today. Both can be correct, but the grammatical structure is different.
Conclusion
The difference between today and today’s is small but important. Today refers to the current day or tells us when something happens, as in “I will call you today.” Today’s usually shows that something is connected with the current day, as in “Today’s meeting starts at noon.” It can also be a contraction of “today is” in informal sentences.
When you are unsure, look at the role of the word. If you are giving a time, choose today. If you are describing a noun, today’s is usually the right choice. With this simple rule, you can use both forms confidently in everyday conversations, emails, school writing, and professional communication.
