Reddit
reddit.com › r/asklinguistics › is “y’all” slang or a real word?
r/asklinguistics on Reddit: Is “y’all” slang or a real word?
April 12, 2022 -
I maintain it’s a real word. A proper contraction of you and all in the southern dialect of American English.
Slang is a word like groovy used to describe something that has nothing to do with actual grooves.
Top answer 1 of 5
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Regardless of whether it's considered slang, slang words are "real words".
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"Y'all" is a real word. And it's non-standard. "Groovy" is a real word. And it's slang. "Slang" does not mean "not a real word". Words have a commonly recognized meaning. Keyword "commonly". Dictionaries are not authorities, they're just museums. Entry into a dictionary does not make something a "real" word. On the contrary, it has to be a "real" word before lexicographers will add it to the Archive of Words They've Seen Around.
Southern–American English nonstandard second-person plural pronoun
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Y'all
Y'all - Wikipedia
2 days ago - Y'all is the main second-person plural pronoun in Southern American English, with which it is most frequently associated, though it also appears in some other English varieties, including African-American English, South African Indian English and Sri Lankan English.
Videos
#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! #english #studyenglish #learnenglish #learnenglishonline #studyenglishonline #englishclass #practicalenglish #englishconversations #conversationalenglish #englishtips #improveenglish #improveyourenglish #englishteacher #englishlearning #영어 #영어선생님 #영어수업 #영어연습 #영어공부 | TikTok
00:45
''Y’all'' Explained: Southern English 101 - YouTube
03:00
Y'ALL VS. YA'LL: Which One Is "Correct?" #education #linguistics ...
What do all y’all think about “y’all”? @Landon If you enjoyed this video, you’ll love the Linguistic Discovery newsletter! Deep dives into how language works, language profiles, explainers of terms/concepts in linguistics, reviews, and more! LinguisticDiscovery.com/newsletter (Also available on Substack or Patreon.) #yall #yalldve #South #Southern #English #dialects #grammar #pronouns #linguistics #language#French#LingTok#LearnOnTikTok | TikTok
Reply to @jimmyolivas2027 Y’all! #linguistics #todayilearned #language #yall #allyall #southern #accent #accentchallenge #texas #alabama #mississippi #pronouns | TikTok
Merriam-Webster
merriam-webster.com › dictionary › y'all
Y'ALL Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of Y'ALL is you —usually used in addressing two or more persons.
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 - The word has thrived because it's utilitarian, filling a gap in standard English. We use y'all — and relatives like yinz (for those in Pittsburgh) and youse — because the language has long lacked a satisfying plural pronoun for "you." "Basically, all of the non-mainstream varieties are better than the mainstream variety, because 'you' being for plural is confusing," Reed says.
Quora
quora.com › Is-y-all-slang-or-a-real-word
Is “y’all” slang or a real word? - Quora
Answer (1 of 11): The word y’all is a real word, a contraction of “you all.” But it is not part of Standard American English. It is used only in some dialects, not all. It would not be taught to children in school as part of formal writing. But of course everyone understands, the word, and many ...
Southern Living
southernliving.com › culture › yall-or-ya-ll
What's The Difference Between Y'all And Ya'll?
August 13, 2025 - Y'all originiated in 1856. The South is known for its laundry list of unique and quirky cultural sayings, like "Bless your heart," "Too big for his britches," and "Well, I s'wanee," to name a few.
Oxford English Dictionary
oed.com › dictionary › yall_pron
y'all, pron. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English Dictionary
There is one meaning in OED's entry for the pronoun y'all. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence. This word is used in Caribbean English and midland U.S.
Wiktionary
en.wiktionary.org › wiki › y'all
y'all - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
The form y'all is heard primarily in the Southern United States, and nationwide in AAVE. It is also found among Indian speakers of South African English, and parts of the Caribbean.
Clarion Ledger
clarionledger.com › story › news › 2025 › 02 › 16 › is-yall-not-just-a-southern-thing-anymore › 77912484007
Is 'y'all' not just a Southern thing anymore?
February 16, 2025 - A 2009 Urban Dictionary entry: “Y’all is not a real word. It is formed by dropping the ou from ‘you all.’ Even worse, ‘y’all’ is often used with a double negative, as described in the example below.
Dictionary.com
dictionary.com › browse › yall
Y'ALL Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com
Y'ALL definition: you (used in direct address usually to two or more people, or to one person who represents a family, organization, etc.): Y’all let me know when you want those coffees warmed up. See examples of y'all used in a sentence.
Quora
quora.com › Is-yall-an-official-word
Is y'all an official word? - Quora
Answer (1 of 13): In the matter of authority, it is true that we don’t have the equivakent of L’Academie Francaise which really does rule on the admissibility of words, and dialects. For example they don’t accept Breton French, or Provencal, or Basque, or other southern French dialects.
Top answer 1 of 3
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It was never considered "proper" English; however, as cited above, it fills the need of the otherwise-absent second-person plural. It's very common vernacular in the South and some of the West of the United States. I'm not aware of it commonly being used outside the United States.
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An argument for the superiority of "y'all" over "you guys," which fills the same grammatical niche in other parts of the US that "y'all" does in the South.
Economical: one word, one syllable.
Nonsexist.
Gracefully takes a possessive. "Is that you guys's new minivan?" vs. "Is that y'all's new Tesla roadster?"
Collins Dictionary
collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › english › yall
Y'ALL definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary
In the Southern United States, people use y'all when addressing a two or more people. Y'all is an informal way of saying `you all.' [US, informal]
Cambridge Dictionary
dictionary.cambridge.org › us › dictionary › english › y-all
Y'ALL | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary
Y'ALL meaning: 1. used to address a group of people that you are speaking to: 2. used to address a group of…. Learn more.
WordRake
wordrake.com › writing-tips › the-story-of-yall
The Story of Y'all
Right away you can tell the word y’all has only one apostrophe, when clearly it’s missing two letters. Pappy says the correct way to write y’all is y’’all, “But folks been a’writin’ it that way jus’ ‘bout ever since, so why break wit’ 300-year-old treedition!”
GRAMMARIST
grammarist.com › home › usage › y’all
Y'all
March 26, 2022 - Y’all, which originates in the U.S. and is common in many regions of the country, is a contraction of you and all. Although the word is generally considered out of place in formal writing, writers from regions that use the contraction sometimes ...
Reddit
reddit.com › r/askanamerican › how do y’all feel about the usage of the word “y’all”?
r/AskAnAmerican on Reddit: How do y’all feel about the usage of the word “y’all”?
November 20, 2022 -
As an Englishman “y’all” isn’t something that is said in British English. Seeing someone write “y’all” immediately identifies the user as an American.
I remember the last time I travelled in the US around 10 years ago, I only heard “y’all” said in the southern states simply as a contraction of “you all”. However, I see the word being used everywhere and replacing other words as well. I’m seeing people using “y’all” instead of ‘all’, ‘you’, ‘ your’, ‘you’re’, ‘everyone’, ‘everybody’… for example I recently saw the sentence “who is y’all favourite YouTuber?”.
Top answer 1 of 60
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Y'all shouldn't have abandoned the word "thou"
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Having lived in Texas for 70 years, I've used it all my life...verbally. I never used it in writing (nor did anyone else I knew) unless it was to convey an accent or vernacular in a quote. Only recently have I started actually "writing" the word and it is mostly only on sites like Reddit. So...what's this "innit" you Brits use?
The Conversation
theconversation.com › yall-that-most-southern-of-southernisms-is-going-mainstream-and-its-about-time-193265
‘Y'all,’ that most Southern of Southernisms, is going mainstream – and it’s about time
July 28, 2025 - While “y’all” is considered slang, it’s a useful word nonetheless. The English language doesn’t have a good second person plural pronoun; “you” can be both singular and plural, but it’s sometimes awkward to use as a plural. It’s almost like there’s a pronoun missing.
QuillBot
quillbot.com › home › y’all | meaning, spelling & examples
Y’all | Meaning, Spelling & Examples
October 23, 2024 - Y’all is a contraction of the phrase “you all” and is used frequently as a second-person plural pronoun (i.e., in place of “you”) in Southern American English and some other English variants.
Primeinstruction
primeinstruction.com › is-yall-proper-english
Is Y'all Proper English? No, But It Should Be | Prime Instruction
January 31, 2019 - Well technically, the answer is no. But I've yet to hear anyone suggest a good alternative to this pronoun. Basically, y'all should say y'all.