Elul is the Hebrew calendar month that comes immediately before Tishrei.
Elul is the sixth month in the traditional Jewish religious calendar, while Tishrei is the seventh. Because the Hebrew calendar is lunisolar, these months shift through the Gregorian calendar; Elul and Tishrei generally fall around late summer and early autumn.
Elul is especially associated with preparation for the High Holy Days. Jewish communities commonly emphasize repentance, prayer, charity, and self-examination during this month. The sounding of the shofar on many mornings is also a familiar Elul custom, helping prepare worshippers for Rosh Hashanah.
A common mix-up is treating Nisan as the month before Tishrei. Nisan is the first month in the religious-year numbering used in the Torah, whereas Tishrei begins the civil year. Cheshvan follows Tishrei, and Adar appears earlier in the cycle.