Introduction

The "else if" construct allows a program to choose between more than two execution paths by chaining conditions. The syntax varies across languages: C/C++/Java/JavaScript use else if, Python uses elif, Ruby uses elsif, and some languages use elseif (PHP, Visual Basic) or ELSIF (Ada, PL/SQL). Using the wrong keyword is a syntax error in every language. This article covers the correct syntax for all major programming languages.

C, C++, Java, JavaScript, TypeScript

1int score = 85;
2
3if (score >= 90) {
4    printf("A");
5} else if (score >= 80) {
6    printf("B");
7} else if (score >= 70) {
8    printf("C");
9} else {
10    printf("F");
11}

else if is two separate keywords. The braces are optional for single statements but always recommended.

Python

1score = 85
2
3if score >= 90:
4    print("A")
5elif score >= 80:
6    print("B")
7elif score >= 70:
8    print("C")
9else:
10    print("F")

Python uses elif (not else if). Writing else if creates a nested if inside the else block, which changes the structure:

1# This is NOT the same as elif
2if score >= 90:
3    print("A")
4else:
5    if score >= 80:  # This is a nested if, not a chained elif
6        print("B")

Ruby

1score = 85
2
3if score >= 90
4  puts "A"
5elsif score >= 80
6  puts "B"
7elsif score >= 70
8  puts "C"
9else
10  puts "F"
11end

Ruby uses elsif (not elif or else if).

PHP

1$score = 85;
2
3if ($score >= 90) {
4    echo "A";
5} elseif ($score >= 80) {
6    echo "B";
7} elseif ($score >= 70) {
8    echo "C";
9} else {
10    echo "F";
11}

PHP accepts both elseif (one word) and else if (two words) when using curly braces. However, in the alternative colon syntax, only elseif works:

1// Alternative syntax — only elseif works (not "else if")
2if ($score >= 90):
3    echo "A";
4elseif ($score >= 80):
5    echo "B";
6else:
7    echo "F";
8endif;

Go

1score := 85
2
3if score >= 90 {
4    fmt.Println("A")
5} else if score >= 80 {
6    fmt.Println("B")
7} else if score >= 70 {
8    fmt.Println("C")
9} else {
10    fmt.Println("F")
11}

Go uses else if. Braces are required. The else if must be on the same line as the closing } of the previous block.

Rust

1let score = 85;
2
3if score >= 90 {
4    println!("A");
5} else if score >= 80 {
6    println!("B");
7} else if score >= 70 {
8    println!("C");
9} else {
10    println!("F");
11}
12
13// Rust if/else is an expression — can assign the result
14let grade = if score >= 90 { "A" }
15            else if score >= 80 { "B" }
16            else if score >= 70 { "C" }
17            else { "F" };

Swift

1let score = 85
2
3if score >= 90 {
4    print("A")
5} else if score >= 80 {
6    print("B")
7} else if score >= 70 {
8    print("C")
9} else {
10    print("F")
11}

Kotlin

1val score = 85
2
3// Standard if/else if
4if (score >= 90) {
5    println("A")
6} else if (score >= 80) {
7    println("B")
8} else {
9    println("F")
10}
11
12// Kotlin's when expression (preferred for multiple conditions)
13val grade = when {
14    score >= 90 -> "A"
15    score >= 80 -> "B"
16    score >= 70 -> "C"
17    else -> "F"
18}

Quick Reference Table

Common Pitfalls

• Using elif in C/Java/JavaScript: These languages use else if (two words). elif is a syntax error. Conversely, using else if in Python creates an unintended nested structure instead of a flat chain.
• Using elsif in Python or PHP: Ruby uses elsif, but Python uses elif and PHP uses elseif. These are three different keywords in three different languages. Mixing them up is a common source of syntax errors.
• Missing braces causing dangling else: In C/Java, without braces, else if attaches to the nearest if. This can cause subtle logic bugs where the else branch executes unexpectedly. Always use braces for multi-branch conditionals.
• Go else if on a new line: Go requires the else if to appear on the same line as the closing } of the previous block. Placing it on the next line causes a compile error due to Go's automatic semicolon insertion.
• PHP colon syntax requiring elseif: In PHP's alternative syntax (if: ... endif;), only elseif (one word) is valid. Using else if (two words) causes a parse error in this specific syntax, even though both forms work with curly braces.

Summary

• Most C-family languages (C, C++, Java, JavaScript, Go, Rust, Swift) use else if (two words)
• Python uses elif, Ruby uses elsif, PHP uses elseif (or else if with braces)
• Always use the language-specific keyword — the wrong one is a syntax error
• Prefer when (Kotlin), match (Rust), or switch for many branches instead of long else if chains
• Always use braces/blocks to avoid dangling-else ambiguity