Is it todays or today’s? This tiny apostrophe trips up more writers than almost any other word in English. Get it wrong in an email, a headline, or a school assignment, and it can look like a careless slip. Get it right, and your writing reads clean, confident, and professional.
This guide breaks the todays or today’s question down into one simple rule, walks through real examples, and clears up the mix-ups that even experienced writers make.
Todays or Today’s – Quick Answer
The short answer: today’s is almost always correct. Today’s is the possessive form of “today,” used before a noun to show something belongs to today today’s weather, today’s news, today’s date.
Todays, without an apostrophe, is not a standard English word. You won’t find it in Merriam-Webster or Cambridge Dictionary, because “today” doesn’t pluralize the way “day” does. If you remember nothing else from this guide, remember this: when in doubt between todays or today’s, choose today’s.
Today’s grammar
Today’s grammar is straightforward once you understand what kind of word “today” is. It works as a noun (today is Monday) and as an adverb (I’ll finish today). Add an apostrophe and an “s,” and it becomes a possessive noun that modifies whatever comes next: today’s schedule, today’s headlines, today’s temperature. This apostrophe rule around todays or today’s is one of the simplest possessive patterns in English once you spot it.
This is the same pattern you’d use for any singular noun. Compare it to the dog’s bone or the company’s policy the apostrophe plus “s” shows ownership or connection, not plurality.
today
On its own, “today” simply means “this current day.” It’s one of the most common words in English, showing up in news, casual conversation, and business writing constantly. Used alone, “today” never takes an apostrophe: I woke up today, today is sunny, what happened today matters.
What Is “Today”?
“Today” is an adverb and a noun referring to the present day, distinct from yesterday or tomorrow. As a noun, it can be the subject of a sentence (today is a holiday) or an object (I dread today). As an adverb, it modifies a verb (call me today). Neither role calls for an apostrophe or a trailing “s” unless you’re forming the possessive which brings us to today’s, the version that shows ownership.
Today’s meaning
“Today’s” means “belonging to today” or “of today.” It’s a possessive, so it always sits before a noun: today’s forecast, today’s guest, today’s lesson. If you can rephrase the phrase as “the [noun] of today,” you need the apostrophe. Today’s meeting equals the meeting of today. That quick test settles almost every todays or today’s dilemma. It’s a similar spelling instinct to knowing whether to write stared or starred one extra letter changes the whole word.
The Origin of Today’s / Todays
The word “today” comes from Old English “tō dæge,” meaning “on the day.” Over centuries, the phrase fused into one word, and English kept the possessive rule that already applied to every other singular noun: add an apostrophe and an “s.”
“Todays” (no apostrophe) never developed as a standard form, because “today” isn’t a countable noun like “day,” which pluralizes into “days.” You can have five days, but you can’t have five todays there’s only ever one “today” at a time, so the plural spelling never had a grammatical reason to exist. Understanding this history explains why todays or today’s isn’t a matter of style it’s a fixed rule, much like knowing the difference between label and lable comes down to memorizing one standard spelling.
British English vs. American English Spelling
Good news for anyone worried about regional differences: this is one grammar rule that British English and American English agree on completely. Both style guides including Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries in the UK and Merriam-Webster in the US treat today’s as the only correct possessive form. Neither dialect recognizes “todays” as a standalone word. So unlike color/colour or organize/organise, todays or today’s isn’t a spelling-variant issue it’s a universal apostrophe rule.
Learn More: Born In or Born On? Simple Rule With Clear Examples
Key Rule: When to Use Today’s vs. Todays
The One Rule You Need to Know
Here’s the one rule that solves the entire todays or today’s debate: use today’s whenever “today” comes directly before a noun and shows possession or description. Use “today” alone whenever it’s standing by itself as a noun or adverb.
Quick test:
- If a noun follows immediately after the word, add the apostrophe: today’s paper, today’s episode.
- If nothing follows, or the word functions as an adverb, drop it: I’ll see you today, today was long.
- “Todays” without an apostrophe is not used in standard English in any position the same way thier or their only has one correct spelling, no matter how common the mistake is.
Comparison Table: Today’s or Todays Meeting
| Phrase | Correct? | Why |
| Today’s meeting | Correct | Possessive form used before a noun |
| Todays meeting | Incorrect | Missing the required apostrophe |
| Todays’ meeting | Incorrect | Apostrophe placed on the wrong side of the s |
| Today’s meeting agenda | Correct | Possessive still applies before the first noun in the phrase |
Todays Date vs. Today’s Date
The phrase “today’s date” appears constantly on forms, invoices, and letters, and it’s a favorite spot for the todays or today’s mistake. Since “date” is the noun following “today,” the apostrophe is required: today’s date is [date]. Writing “todays date” on any official document is a grammar error, even though most readers can still guess the meaning much like readers can usually guess what you mean even if you mix up in process or in progress.
todays
Seen on its own, without an apostrophe, “todays” almost always signals a typo rather than an intentional word choice. Spell-checkers sometimes miss it because “today” itself is a real word, and adding an “s” doesn’t always trigger autocorrect. Search engines still show pages using “todays” because so many writers make this same slip similar to how people search for comment or coment without realizing only one spelling is standard but a high search volume for an error doesn’t make it correct grammar.
Learn More: Shiney vs Shiny: I Tested Both Here’s the Correct Spelling
Which Spelling Should You Use?
In nearly every real-world sentence, today’s is the spelling you want. Reserve plain “today” for when the word stands alone as an adverb or noun with nothing following it. If you’re stuck between todays or today’s and can’t decide, apply the “of today” test from earlier: if you can substitute “of today” and the sentence still makes sense, add the apostrophe. It’s the same logic that helps you sort out gauging interest vs. gaging interest one quick mental test settles the spelling for good.
Common Mistakes with Todays / Today’s
Mistake 1: Dropping the apostrophe before a noun
The most frequent error is writing “todays news” or “todays weather” without the apostrophe. Since a noun (news, weather) directly follows “today,” the possessive apostrophe is mandatory.
Mistake 2: Placing the apostrophe after the “s” (todays’)
Some writers overcorrect and place the apostrophe after the “s,” as if “today” were a plural noun like “students.” Because “today” isn’t pluralized this way, “todays'” is never correct in standard usage.
Mistake 3: Treating “today” like an adjective without an apostrophe
Writers sometimes drop the apostrophe entirely, treating “today” like a plain adjective similar to “daily news.” But “today” isn’t an adjective on its own it needs the possessive form to function that way, so “today’s news” is the only correct option. It’s a similar trap to writing studder instead of stutter the wrong form still sounds right in your head, which is exactly why it slips through.
Mistake 4: Confusing the adverb form with the possessive form
A subtler mistake happens when writers add an apostrophe where none is needed, such as “I’ll call you today’s” instead of “I’ll call you today.” If “today” isn’t followed by a noun it’s modifying, skip the apostrophe entirely the same way you’d skip an extra letter when deciding between placque or plaque.
today’s
Used correctly, “today’s” appears constantly in business communication, journalism, and everyday speech: today’s forecast, today’s specials, today’s guest speaker. Mastering this one small mark makes your writing look more polished immediately.
Today’s / Today’s in Everyday Examples
- Today’s forecast calls for rain.
- Have you seen today’s headlines?
- Today’s guest on the podcast is a bestselling author.
- Please review today’s agenda before the meeting.
- Today’s date should be entered at the top of the form.
Todays or Today’s – Google Trends & Usage Data
Search data consistently shows people typing “todays” into Google far more often than they use it correctly in writing a sign that confusion, not intentional style, drives the usage. Despite the search volume behind the incorrect spelling, style guides, dictionaries, and grammar checkers all confirm that today’s remains the only standard form. High search volume for a misspelling doesn’t make it correct; it just means a lot of people are asking the same todays or today’s question you are.
Keyword Comparison Table
| Search Term | Standard Correct Form | Notes |
| todays or today’s | today’s | Apostrophe always required before a noun |
| todays date | today’s date | Common form-filling error |
| todays news | today’s news | Frequent typo in headlines |
| todays meeting | today’s meeting | Common error in business writing |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is correct today or today’s?
“Today” (no apostrophe) works alone as a noun or adverb. “Today’s” (with an apostrophe) goes before a noun to show possession, as in today’s weather.
Should the word “todays” have an apostrophe?
Yes “todays” without an apostrophe isn’t standard English. It should almost always be written as today’s.
Should you put a comma after today?
Only when “today” starts a sentence as an introductory word with a natural pause after it, such as “Today, we’re launching a new feature.” Mid-sentence, a comma usually isn’t needed.
Should I put a comma before “now”?
Generally no, unless “now” is set off as a parenthetical or introductory element, such as “Now, let’s move on.” In most sentences, “now” flows without a comma.
Conclusion
The todays or today’s debate comes down to one simple habit: check whether a noun follows the word. If it does, add the apostrophe and write today’s. If “today” stands alone, leave it as is “todays” isn’t a recognized spelling in either British or American English. Keep this rule in mind next time you draft an email, a headline, or a form, and you’ll never second-guess todays or today’s again.
