Straight Answer
- Part Of Speech: preposition
- Core Idea: direction or relation
- Difference: mostly dialect and house style
If you’re staring at toward vs towards and wondering which one is “right,” the calm answer is: both. The real “right” choice is the one that matches the English variety you’re using.
People treat toward and towards like a mini spelling battle, but it’s mostly a regional preference thing. Both forms point in the same direction (literally and figuratively), and both are standard. What changes is what readers in different places are used to seeing.
Table of Contents
Which Spelling Is Correct
Toward and towards are both correct spellings of the same preposition. The meaning stays the same; what changes is the dialect your reader expects. A widely used publishing reference notes the difference is dialectal—toward is more common in American English, while towards is the predominant form in British English.Source-1✅
What People Usually Mean by “Correct”
Most of the time, “correct” here really means standard for my audience. You’ll see toward all over US-based publishing, and towards all over UK-based publishing. Neither one signals “bad grammar.”
✅ Toward Common In: US, Canada
- toward the door
- attitude toward work
- moving toward agreement
✅ Towards Common In: UK, Ireland, many other regions
- towards the door
- attitude towards work
- moving towards agreement
Why The Mistake Happens
The confusion is simple: toward and towards look like one is a “shortened” version of the other, so people assume one must be wrong. In reality, they’re just two established forms of the same word, and both function as prepositions in modern English.
Another reason is the way English has other pairs that behave similarly—forward/forwards, backward/backwards, inward/inwards. The final -s doesn’t make it plural, and it doesn’t create a new meaning by itself; it often just tracks regional habit.
Where People Get Tripped Up
- School “rules” that label one form as incorrect (usually oversimplified).
- Editors choosing one form for consistency, then readers treating that as a “law.”
- Fast reading: the brain skims, and toward(s) becomes “invisible” in the sentence.
Grammar references also spell out the practical reality: toward and towards cover the same big meanings—direction, relation/attitude, position in time or place, and purpose/contribution—and both forms are usable, with towards simply being more common in many contexts.Source-2✅
Pronunciation and the Final S
In everyday speech, toward and towards sound nearly identical. The final -s in towards is often a quick, light sound that can blur when it sits next to the next word. That’s why people sometimes can’t tell which form they heard.
Word Origin and Word Parts
Toward(s) is an old word, and the two spellings have been around for a very long time. One major dictionary’s usage note traces it back to Old English, describing it as a blend of to + a directional suffix (-weard), and notes that both the -s and no--s spellings show up from early on.Source-3✅
- to
- The basic “in the direction of” idea is already sitting here.
- -ward / -wards
- A directional ending seen in other everyday words (for example, forward/forwards).
- Final -s
- Not a plural marker. It’s a long-standing variant ending in some directional words.
Directional Cousins You’ll Recognize
- forward / forwards
- backward / backwards
- inward / inwards
- outward / outwards
- homeward / homewards
- northward / northwards
Word Family and Related Forms
Since toward/towards is a preposition, it typically introduces a noun phrase (or a pronoun) and tells you how that phrase connects to the rest of the sentence. The spelling doesn’t change the grammar, just the look.
Main Meanings You’ll See in Real Writing
- Direction: movement or orientation toward/towards something.
- Attitude / Relation: feelings or behavior toward/towards someone.
- Time / Place Position: near a time or located in a part of a place.
- Purpose / Contribution: effort, money, or points counting toward/towards a goal.
Common Phrases
- toward(s) the end
- toward(s) the front
- turn toward(s) someone
- lean toward(s) an idea
- attitude toward(s) work
- friendly toward(s) others
- count toward(s) a grade
- contribute toward(s) a fund
If you’re reading a sentence and it “feels off,” it’s usually not the meaning. It’s the house style your eye is used to. That’s why mixing toward and towards inside the same short document can look inconsistent, even though both are standard.
Common Misspellings Table
The tricky part isn’t choosing between toward and towards; it’s avoiding forms that are simply spelling errors. Here are the ones that show up the most.
| Form | Status | Why It Shows Up | Use Instead | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| toward | ✅ Correct | US/Canada preference in many texts | toward | She walked toward the station. |
| towards | ✅ Correct | UK/Elsewhere preference in many texts | towards | She walked towards the station. |
| towords | ❌ Wrong | Swapped vowel pattern; looks “right” at a glance | toward / towards | ❌ He ran towords the exit. |
| torwards | ❌ Wrong | Extra letter sneaks in during fast typing | towards | ❌ Moving torwards a solution. |
| toward’s | ❌ Wrong | Apostrophe added by habit; not a possessive here | toward | ❌ An attitude toward’s change. |
| towardz | ❌ Wrong | Texting-style ending; not standard spelling | toward | ❌ Step towardz the light. |
One more practical note: a lot of writers feel tempted to “justify” one spelling with meaning. There isn’t a hidden semantic trick here. The choice is mostly regional, and the mistakes are just misspellings.
FAQ
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Are Toward and Towards Both Correct?
Yes. toward and towards are both standard spellings of the same preposition. The difference is mostly dialect and editorial preference.
Does Toward Mean Something Different From Towards?
No. In normal modern usage, toward and towards carry the same core meanings (direction, relation, time/place position, purpose).
Which Spelling Is More Common in American English Writing?
Is Towards Wrong in the United States?
No. towards is widely understood in the US, and it’s not a grammar error. It can just look less typical in US-edited text, where toward is more common.
Can Toward(s) Be Used for Purpose or Contribution?
Yes. You’ll often see phrases like count toward(s) a grade or contribute toward(s) a goal. The spelling choice doesn’t change the purpose meaning.
What Is the Most Common Misspelling?
towords shows up a lot because it “looks” plausible in a quick scan. It’s still incorrect; the correct forms are toward or towards.