Todays or Today’s – Which Spelling Is Correct? (Grammar Guide)

Have you ever paused mid-sentence, unsure whether to type “todays meeting” or “today’s meeting”? You’re not alone. This tiny apostrophe causes more confusion than almost any other punctuation mark in English, and it shows up everywhere in text messages, work emails, school assignments, and even news headlines. 

The debate over todays or today’s isn’t really a debate at all once you know the rule, but until then, it’s easy to second-guess yourself every single time you write it.

In this guide, we’ll settle the todays or today’s question for good. You’ll learn the simple rule behind the apostrophe, see real examples of correct and incorrect usage, and discover the most common mistakes people make with this word. By the end, you’ll never have to Google it again.

Todays or Today’s – Quick Answer

The correct spelling is today’s, with an apostrophe before the “s.” The version without an apostrophe, “todays,” is not considered standard English and should be avoided in almost every situation.

Here’s the short version:

• Today’s = correct (possessive or contraction form)
• Todays = incorrect in modern, standard writing

If you remember nothing else from this article, remember this: whenever “today” is followed by a noun it owns like meeting, news, or weather you need the apostrophe.

What Is “Today”?

“Today” is a word we use constantly, yet most people never stop to think about how it actually functions in a sentence. It can work as either a noun or an adverb, depending on how it’s used.

• As a noun, “today” refers to the current day. Example: Today is a holiday.
• As an adverb, “today” describes when something happens. Example: I finished my homework today.

This dual role matters because it explains why “today’s” can appear in two different situations once to show possession, and once as a shortened form of “today is.” We’ll break both of these down shortly.

Understanding this noun-versus-adverb split is actually the key to solving the whole todays or today’s puzzle. When “today” stands alone in a sentence, it never needs an apostrophe, because nothing is following it that it could possess. It’s only when “today” is placed directly before another noun turning it into a possessive that the apostrophe becomes necessary. Keep that distinction in mind as we move through the rest of this guide, because it applies to every single example you’ll see below.

The Origin of Today’s / Todays

The word “today” has a long history. It comes from the Old English phrase “tō dæġe,” which literally meant “on the day.” Over hundreds of years, English speakers merged the two words into one, eventually giving us the modern spelling we use now.

The possessive apostrophe itself became a standard grammar rule much later, as English writing systems developed clearer conventions for showing ownership. Since “today” behaves like any other singular noun, it follows the same possessive pattern as words like “dog’s” or “teacher’s.” That’s why today’s not “todays” is the grammatically accepted form when showing possession.

It also helps to understand why “todays” ever existed at all. In older forms of English, adding a plain “s” to a word was sometimes used loosely to suggest repetition or a general plural idea, even for words that don’t naturally pluralize. Over time, as grammar rules became standardized, this loose usage faded from everyday writing. Today, when people debate todays or today’s, they’re really debating whether to follow that outdated pattern or the modern, accepted possessive rule and modern English clearly favors the apostrophe.

British English vs. American English Spelling

One question people often ask is whether the todays or today’s rule changes depending on the country. It doesn’t. Both British and American English follow the identical rule for possessive apostrophes.

Feature	British English	American English
Possessive form	Today’s	Today’s
Plural/no apostrophe form	Todays (rare, archaic)	Todays (rare, archaic)
Contraction (“today is”)	Today’s	Today’s
Style guide agreement	Oxford style guides confirm this rule	Chicago Manual of Style, AP Stylebook confirm this rule

So no matter where you’re writing from, the apostrophe rule for “today’s” stays exactly the same. This is one of the rare grammar points where regional spelling differences simply don’t apply.

Unlike words such as “colour” versus “color,” or “organise” versus “organize,” the todays or today’s question isn’t a matter of regional preference at all. It’s a straightforward possessive rule that every English-speaking country follows the same way. If you’ve ever assumed British writers might use “todays” more casually than American writers, that assumption isn’t supported by any major style guide or dictionary. Both sides of the Atlantic and everywhere else English is written treat “today’s” as the only standard option.

Key Rule: When to Use Today’s vs. Todays

Here’s the rule broken down into plain language:

1. Use today’s when showing that something belongs to or is associated with the present day (possessive form).
2. Use today’s when shortening “today is” in casual speech or writing (contraction form).
3. Avoid todays almost entirely, since it only technically works as an old-fashioned plural, and even then, it sounds outdated.

Think of it this way: apostrophes exist to show ownership or to mark a missing letter. “Today” needs one in both of those situations, so it almost always needs an apostrophe when followed by a noun.

A simple test can help you decide quickly. Try replacing “today’s” with “the current day’s.” If the sentence still makes sense for example, “the current day’s news” instead of “today’s news” then you know the possessive apostrophe is required. This little trick works almost every time you’re unsure about todays or today’s in a sentence, and it takes only a few seconds to check.

Todays or Today’s Meaning

Understanding the meaning behind each form makes the choice much easier.

• Today’s meaning #1 (possessive): something that belongs to today. Example: Today’s homework is due tomorrow.
• Today’s meaning #2 (contraction): a shortened way of saying “today is.” Example: Today’s the last day of the sale.
• Todays meaning: an old, rarely used plural form. Example: We should be grateful for our todays.

The One Rule You Need to Know

If “today” is followed by a noun and shows ownership or connection to that noun, add an apostrophe before the “s.” That single rule covers almost every real-world case you’ll ever run into with todays or today’s. Memorize this one line, and you’ll rarely need to think twice about which spelling to use again.

Comparison Table: Today’s or Todays Meeting

Phrases like “today’s meeting” trip people up constantly, so let’s look at it directly.

Phrase	Correct?	Explanation
Today’s meeting	✅ Yes	Shows the meeting belongs to today
Todays meeting	❌ No	Missing the required possessive apostrophe
Today’s meeting is at 3 PM	✅ Yes	Correct possessive usage
Todays’ meeting	❌ No	Apostrophe placed incorrectly after the “s”

“Today’s meeting” is the only version accepted in professional, academic, or formal writing. Any version dropping or misplacing the apostrophe is considered a spelling error.

This particular phrase is worth memorizing because it shows up so often in workplace communication. Calendar invites, Slack messages, and email subject lines all rely on this exact wording, and getting it wrong in a professional setting can look sloppy. So whenever you’re scheduling or referencing a meeting, remember that the todays or today’s debate has already been settled “today’s meeting” wins every time.

Todays Date vs. Today’s Date

This is one of the most searched phrases connected to this topic, and the answer follows the exact same rule.

• Correct: Today’s date is September 2.
• Incorrect: Todays date is September 2.

The word “date” belongs to “today,” so the apostrophe is required. Many people type “todays date” out of habit or speed, especially on phones, but it’s still considered a punctuation mistake in written English. If you’re filling out a form, writing an email, or labeling a document, always use today’s date with the apostrophe.

This is one of the most common places the todays or today’s question comes up in real life, especially on official paperwork, timestamps, and digital forms. Auto-fill fields and government documents almost always display “today’s date” with the apostrophe, which reinforces that this is the accepted standard everywhere, not just in casual writing.

Also Read This: Devide or Divide? The Correct Spelling Explained Simply

Which Spelling Should You Use?

By now the answer should be clear, but here’s a simple checklist to help you decide in any sentence:

• Does “today” come before a noun it owns (like news, date, weather, meeting)? → Use today’s.
• Are you shortening “today is” in casual writing? → Use today’s.
• Are you trying to make “today” plural? → This almost never happens in modern English, so double-check your sentence instead of using “todays.”

In nearly every real writing situation emails, essays, articles, texts today’s is the spelling you want.

If you’re still unsure, it helps to read your sentence out loud. Most native speakers naturally pause slightly before a possessive noun, and that pause is a hint that an apostrophe belongs there. Whenever you catch yourself debating todays or today’s mid-sentence, trust the possessive rule over instinct or habit, since typing habits are often the reason the apostrophe gets left out in the first place.

Common Mistakes with Todays / Today’s

Even experienced writers slip up here sometimes. Below are the four mistakes that show up most often.

Mistake 1: Dropping the apostrophe before a noun

Writing “todays schedule” instead of “today’s schedule” is the single most common error. Whenever “today” directly modifies a noun, the apostrophe is required.

Mistake 2: Placing the apostrophe after the “s” (todays’)

Some writers assume “today” is plural and add the apostrophe after the “s,” creating “todays’.” This is incorrect because “today” has no true plural form in modern English.

Mistake 3: Treating “today” like an adjective without an apostrophe

Phrases like “todays weather forecast” treat “today” as if it were a plain adjective. But “today” is functioning as a possessive noun here, so it still needs the apostrophe.

Mistake 4: Confusing the adverb form with the possessive form

Sentences like I woke up todays are incorrect because “today” is being used as an adverb here, and adverbs never take an apostrophe. The correct sentence is simply I woke up today.

These four mistakes explain most of the confusion behind the todays or today’s debate. Once you can spot which category your sentence falls into possessive, contraction, or plain adverb the correct spelling becomes almost automatic.

Today’s / Today’s in Everyday Examples

Seeing the word in real sentences makes the rule stick. Here are some everyday examples using the correct spelling:

• Today’s newspaper covered the local election.
• I haven’t checked today’s weather yet.
• Today’s lesson focuses on fractions.
• Today’s traffic was worse than usual.
• Today’s special at the café is soup and salad.
• Today’s the day we finally launch the project.

Notice that every single example either shows possession or shortens “today is.” Neither of those situations ever calls for the apostrophe-free “todays.”

You’ll also notice a pattern: in nearly all of these examples, “today’s” is immediately followed by a noun newspaper, weather, lesson, traffic, special, day. That’s the visual cue to look for whenever you’re deciding between todays or today’s in your own writing. If a noun comes right after “today,” the apostrophe almost always belongs there.

Todays or Today’s – Google Trends & Usage Data

Search behavior tells an interesting story about this word pair. Millions of people type “todays” into search engines every month, usually because they’re unsure of the spelling or typing quickly without punctuation. However, published, edited writing news articles, books, and professional websites overwhelmingly favors today’s.

This gap between search habits and correct writing is common with apostrophe-heavy words. People often search using the incorrect form because that’s what naturally comes to mind while typing fast, but grammar checkers, editors, and style guides consistently correct it to today’s. If you’re writing anything meant to be read by others, always default to the version with the apostrophe.

It’s a useful reminder that search volume doesn’t equal correctness. Plenty of commonly searched terms reflect how people type on the fly rather than how they should write in a finished document. So even though “todays” shows up frequently in search bars, that popularity doesn’t change the grammar rule todays or today’s still has one clear, correct answer once the writing is meant to be read by someone else.

Keyword Comparison Table

Here’s a quick reference table comparing how each spelling is typically used across different writing contexts.

Context	Recommended Spelling	Reason
Formal writing (emails, reports)	Today’s	Required possessive rule
Academic writing	Today’s	Follows standard grammar guides
Casual texting	Today’s (preferred)	Still grammatically accurate
Search queries	Todays (common but not “correct”)	Reflects typing habits, not grammar rules
Marketing/branding	Todays (occasionally used stylistically)	Used deliberately as a stylistic choice, not standard grammar

Outside of stylized branding, todays rarely has a legitimate place in written English.

Conclusion

So, is it todays or today’s? The answer is today’s. It uses an apostrophe to show that something belongs to today, like “today’s homework” or “today’s weather.” Todays, without the apostrophe, is not correct in normal writing.

Now that you know the rule, you can use it with confidence. Just remember: if “today” comes before another word and shows it belongs to today, add the apostrophe. Keep this simple rule in mind, and you’ll always get it right.