It should be the first: "Y'all"

In contractions, apostrophes represent where letters were taken out. "Y'all" is a contraction of "you all". the "ou " was taken out, so you put an apostrophe were it used to be, giving you "y'all".

Answer from Ullallulloo on Stack Exchange
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Writer's Digest
writersdigest.com › write-better-fiction › yall-vs-ya-ll-grammar-rules
Y'all vs. Ya'll (Grammar Rules) - Writer's Digest
August 24, 2021 - So, y'all is the correct contraction for "you + all," right? Of course, it is, y'all. And that means ya'll is incorrect and, for me, the equivalent of hearing nails screeching on a blackboard.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/unpopularopinion › “ya’ll” is not the right way to spell the word and it needs to stop.
r/unpopularopinion on Reddit: “Ya’ll” is not the right way to spell the word and it needs to stop.
August 27, 2023 -

Born and raised in the South, growing up it’s always been spelled y’all. Recently, I’ve been seeing more people spell it as ya’ll. Which I am struggling to understand because “ya’ll” doesn’t even make sense grammatically? The apostrophe should be immediately placed after the Y to signify that -ou has been dropped from the phrase “you all”. Placing the apostrophe after the a seems redundant because it’s splitting the word all instead of signifying that the -ou was dropped from you

Discussions

orthography - "Y'all" or "ya'll"? - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
Similarly, "ya all" became "ya'll." ... Other contractions that cut out sounds (letters are not cut out in contractions—it’s the sounds that matter) include ’tis (etc.), ’cause, the Aussie greeting g’day, and so on. I don’t see how that’s relevant, though. Whether y’all is from ya all, you all, or ... More on english.stackexchange.com
🌐 english.stackexchange.com
September 21, 2010
What accounts for "ya'll"?
Almost certainly, it's influence from "will" contractions such as "she'll" or "they'll". More on reddit.com
🌐 r/linguistics
55
37
June 12, 2013
"Y'all" or "You guys"
There is no "better" expression. They mean the same thing. In some contexts, "Y'all" would be considered more colloquial than "you guys." I can't speak to the UK usage. The specific expression "you guys" can be used for women. It's a gender-neutral term. But note that "guy" as a regular noun is exclusively masculine. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/EnglishLearning
191
86
March 21, 2023
Can we all please stop putting y’all or yawl or yall in social media posts?
This post has been marked as non-political. Please respect this by keeping the discussion on topic, and devoid of any political material. I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/australia
487
196
August 27, 2022
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Southern Living
southernliving.com › culture › yall-or-ya-ll
What's The Difference Between Y'all And Ya'll?
August 13, 2025 - Merriam-Webster describes this ... incorrect—way to spell this fond colloquialism. The only proper way to spell the contraction of "you" and "all" is "y'all." "Ya'll" is incorrect and a misspelling of the word, so don't ...
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AVLtoday
avltoday.6amcity.com › how-to-spell-yall
A quick grammar lesson on using the word y’all - AVLtoday
June 15, 2020 - As with any linguistic contraction — think I’m, she’s, won’t, we’ve — the apostrophe replaces letters that are missing from the full word or phrase. Since y’all is the abbreviated form of “you all,” the apostrophe is placed where the o + u are missing. Thus, y’all not ya’ll.
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GrammarBook
grammarbook.com › home › spelling › ya’ll vs. y’all: is either expression grammatically correct?
Ya’ll vs. Y’all: Is Either Expression Grammatically Correct? - The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
January 30, 2023 - I was TN born and raised, and I say that it really doesn’t matter. If you’re writing and want to be grammatically correct, use “y’all.” Or if you’ve never spelled it that way in your life, use “ya’ll.” Once spoken, they mean the exact same thing.
Find elsewhere
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Y'all
Y'all - Wikipedia
November 8, 2025 - The spelling y'all is the most prevalent in print, ten times that of ya'll; much less common spelling variants include yall, yawl, and yo-all.
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Quora
quora.com › Is-the-proper-contraction-yall-or-yall”
Is the proper contraction 'y'all' or 'ya'll”?
Answer (1 of 3): It depends on who you ask. I have lived in the North all my life, so I cannot claim any cultural authority on the question, but as a recovering prescriptivist, I have to point out that “y’all” is a contraction of “you all,” and contractions are formed by substituting ...
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QuillBot
quillbot.com › home › is it yall or y’all?
Is it yall or y’all?
February 19, 2025 - The verb “are” also agrees with the subject pronouns “you” and “they,” which can be singular or plural (e.g., “You are such a good friend” or “Babies cry when they are hungry”). If you’re unsure about when to use are in your writing, QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you choose the correct verb. ... The contraction for “you all” is spelled y’all, with the apostrophe immediately following the “y.” A common misspelling is “ya’ll,” but this is always incorrect.
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TikTok
tiktok.com › southern living (@southern_living) official | tiktok › so there you have it, y'all! #southernersoftiktok #southernsayings #itsasouthernthing #yall #southernphrases
So there you have it, y'all! #southernersoftiktok #southernsayings #itsasouthernthing #yall #southernphrases | TikTok
#onthisday Y’all is a word many Americans use in the southern part of the United States. It means, “You all.” We use this word A LOT! When you talk to a group of people, this is a very useful word to use. Try it in the comments!
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Gaelynnwoods
gaelynnwoods.com › 2012 › 07 › yall-vs-yall-texans-anguish.html
The Big Heat: Ya'll vs. Y'all - A Texan's Anguish
July 10, 2012 - As in, "Are ya'll all going to come by after y'all go to the Dairy Queen?" ReplyDelete ... What a hoot, Jane - you might've just solved the ya'll mystery! And if usage is any indication of correctness, I suspect you're on to something. I can only guess how many times that phrase is uttered in East Texas every day, perhaps substituting 'Whataburger' or 'Sonic' for 'Dairy Queen'...
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The Write Practice
thewritepractice.com › home › blog › ya’ll vs. y’all: how to spell this common contraction
Ya'll vs. Y'all: How to Spell This Common Contraction
May 20, 2025 - Y'all is the only correct spelling. ... Since the apostrophe in a contraction represents the letter or letters that have been deleted, when you contract “you all” to “y'all,” the OU of “‘you” are elided.
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Yahoo!
yahoo.com › lifestyle › apos-difference-between-y-apos-185757465.html
What's the Difference Between Y'all and Ya'll?
June 12, 2017 - This familiar pronoun is included in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a trusted, go-to source for Southern Living copy editors. The only right way to spell the contraction of “you” and “all” is “y’all.” “Ya’ll” is incorrect and a misspelling of the word, so don’t use it.
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QuillBot
quillbot.com › home › y’all | meaning, spelling & examples
Y’all | Meaning, Spelling & Examples
October 23, 2024 - It is common in speech and casual writing but not in formal or academic writing. Y’all in a sentence examplesCome on, y’all! We’re going to be late! Where are y’all going to dinner? I might join you. Y’all are the best! I can’t thank you enough. Did Monica tell any of y’all where she wants this stuff delivered? Sorry, your browser doesn't support embedded videos ... The correct spelling of the contraction is y’all. “Ya’ll” is a frequent misspelling, probably due to confusion with contractions formed with the modal verb “will,” like “he’ll” and “I’ll.”
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NPR
npr.org › 2025 › 07 › 16 › nx-s1-5467295 › yall-word-history-use-etymology
How 'y'all' took over modern English : NPR
July 16, 2025 - Here, a golf tournament volunteer holds a "Hush Y'all" sign at the Mobile Bay LPGA Classic in Mobile, Ala., in 2012. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images · Sorry, yinz. Fuhgeddaboudit, you guys: In the past 20 years or so, "y'all" has gone from being a Southernism to become America's favorite way to use the second person plural, according to linguists.
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Writing Explained
writingexplained.org › home › y’all or ya’ll: what’s the difference?
Y’all or Ya’ll: What’s the Difference? - Writing Explained
August 24, 2017 - Ya’ll, therefore, is a misspelling and should be avoided in writing. Not only is y’all the logical spelling, but also it is the overwhelmingly preferred spelling by writers, editors, publishers, etc.