Difference between Tonite & Tonight? [Examples]

“The phrase and noun tonight” may likewise be spelled “tonite,” which is a contraction for the word. No circumstance requires it. Fortunately, it is not yet a recognized form of syntax; nonetheless, it will most likely be incorporated in the dictionary in the future as an alternative form of spelling, much to the displeasure of purists.

Key Difference Simplified

Tonite: Tonite is how the word was spelled and used when it was first derived from Old English, which occurred in the early 1300s.

Tonight: Tonight is the adapted and later, more commonly known English version that came about as a result of the colonization of the United States.

Meaning

Tonite  Tonight 
Tonite is a highly colloquial term, although having gained some popularity throughout the mid-1960s. You could come across it in advertising or SMS messages, but never in meaningful exchanges of information. The only version of the word that should be used to express anything that occurred or will occur even during the night of the current day is “tonight.” This is the only right and legitimate form of the term.

Usage Examples

  • Example 1:Tonite’s celebration is going to be a lot of fun.
  • Example 2:Tonight, there will be a meeting and we would love it if you will be there

Other Similar Terms

Why is tonight sometimes spelled tonite?

The word “tonight” is an archaic form of the word. Because those sounds were originally a part of the word, the whole word is spelled with the same letters as it is today. They are most likely not involved in it at this point. If you were to teach someone the principles of phonology in written English and then say the word “tonight” to them, they would spell it “tonite”.

The only reason we don’t is that as a culture we’ve decided that the written language should remain static and be revered as the “proper” way of writing the sounds that we say… but the makes it sound keep changing, which means we have a constantly changing combination of special cases and weird unusual spellings to remember.

The only reason we don’t is that we’ve decided that the written language should remain static and be revered as the “correct” way of writing the sounds that we say.

However, tonite and nite are not considered “contemporary” forms of the English spelling language. In the 1950s, the words tonite and nite were used interchangeably almost often. I’m not very good with spelling or English, but one of my assignments for film school is to research vintage cinema commercials, and I’ve noticed that the terms “tonite” and “nite” are used interchangeably.

Is tonite proper spelling?

There is no difference in the meaning or pronunciation of “tonite” compared to the word “tonight;” the only difference is in the spelling. “Tonite” is a non-standard form of the word. It is only appropriate for casual situations and should never be used in any type of official writing.

Is today night correct English? 

The word “today night” (which should be “tonight”) is incorrect since it is not a conventional collocation. In most cases, tonight is substituted in its place. Wrong sentences

  • Something can be identified by this rule: I have plans to go fishing later tonight.
  • Fix recommendation: Tonight

Albeit English is (almost) a second language for me, I’ve been showing the subject for eleven years at this point, and what is known as the “Web spelling” of words and expressions is continuously however most certainly turning into a boundless issue. This is in addition to (relatively easy) misspellings such as ‘tonite’ or ‘nite.’ In the form of whole sentences: You have every right to have them walk the remaining distance while carrying their bags.

What is the tense of tonight?

However, this is only true if you are writing at the same time of day or night as the event you are referring to. For instance, if you were writing in your journal before going to bed or if you were writing a letter to a friend summarizing the events of the day, you would write something like, “I began my new job today” or “Tonight we watched a meteor shower.”

You wouldn’t use such terms if you were writing in the past tense about events that had taken place before the present day and discussing them in your writing. You may perhaps say “that morning” or “that afternoon” instead.

Which is correct today nite or tonight?

Simply substitute the word “tonight” in its place, since the English language does not have a term that translates to “today night.” You have done everything exactly as it should be done by including a comma after the connection to the time at which the event will take place, for example: “Later on, I will go to work; Today, I walked ten kilometers, etc.”

Sean Jozi
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