When you’re immersed in English, even in simple introductions, you’ll hear words like I’m instead of I am or what’s instead of what is. These shortened versions of phrases that use apostrophes (‘) are English contractions. They are common in everyday conversations and help you sound more natural and relaxed when you speak. Once you understand that the apostrophe replaces some letters, you’ll have no trouble using contractions in any situation.
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What are contractions in English?
English contractions combine two separate words into one, which is convenient for speaking and writing more quickly. You could say there is, but isn’t it easier to say there’s? If you’re writing in English, one contraction is faster to type than two whole words.
Contractions are usually made of a pronoun (like you or I) and a verb (like are or am). Some of the letters from one of the words are removed and replaced with an apostrophe. For example, the contraction I’m is a combination of I and am. The “a” was removed and replaced with ‘.
Contractions are informal words, but they aren’t usually slang. That means you can use them almost anywhere, except for some formal situations (like school essays or work reports). Think of how you talk normally in your native language. Are there any words you say frequently that you could replace with two words (for example, del in Spanish is a contraction of de el)?
Lists of common contractions in English
The most common contractions in English follow a simple pattern:
- [pronoun] + [end of a verb]
You can also make contractions out of question words in English using this pattern:
- [question word] + [end of a verb]
Luckily, you only need to worry about a few verbs for common contractions.
- conjugations of to be: am, is, and are
- verbs will and would
- infinitive verb have
Contractions with am, is, and are
Am, is, and are are all forms of the English verb meaning to be. You’ll probably use or hear these contractions every day.
In contractions, if you follow the formulas above, these are the verb endings you’ll use:
- am → –’m
- is → –’s
- are → –’re
| English Contraction | Pronunciation | Example Sentence |
| I’m (I + am) | ahym | I’m hungry. |
| you’re (you + are) | yoor | You’re studying English. |
| we’re (we + are) | weer | We’re cold. |
| they’re (they + are) | thair | They’re tasting the bread. |
| he’s (he + is) | heez | He’s reading English. |
| she’s (she + is) | sheez | She’s reading English. |
| it’s (it + is) | its | It’s five o’clock. |
| that’s (that + is) | thats | That’s a good idea! |
| there’s (there + is) | thairz | There’s a lot of smoke coming out of the house. |
| here’s (here + is) | heerz | Here’s a bottle of pills. Take one pill twice a day. |
Question word contractions with is and are
Question word contractions cannot end in –’m (to replace am), but they can end in –’s and –’re (to replace is and are).
| English Contraction | Pronunciation | Example Sentence |
| who’s (who + is) | hooz | Who’s that? |
| who’re (who + are) | HOO-er | Who’re they? |
| what’s (what + is) | wuhts | What’s this? |
| what’re (what + are) | WUHT-er | What’re you doing? |
| when’s (when + is) | wenz | When’s dinner? |
| where’s (where is) | wairz | Excuse me, where’s the restroom? |
| why’s (why + is) | wahyz | Why’s it so cold? |
| how’s (how + is) | houz | How’s your mom? |
| how’re (how + are) | HOU-er | How’re you doing? |
Contractions using the verb will
You use the word will in the future tense (one of the main English verb tenses). As a result, there are many contractions with will.
- will → –’ll
| English Contraction | Pronunciation | Example Sentence |
| I’ll (I + will) | ahyl | I’ll travel with the scientists. |
| you’ll (you + will) | yool | It looks like you’ll need stitches. |
| he’ll (he + will) | heel | He’ll bring me a cup of coffee. |
| she’ll (she + will) | sheel | I think that she’ll be a doctor someday. |
| it’ll (it + will) | IT-l | In the future, it’ll be a big tree. |
| we’ll (we + will) | weel | We’ll play in the championship. |
| they’ll (they + will) | theyl | They’ll explore caves. |
| this’ll (this + will) | THIS-uhl | This’ll help. |
| that’ll (that + will) | THAT-l | That’ll work. |
Contractions using the verb would
Would is the past tense form of will, but you often use it to talk politely about things in the future that may not be guaranteed.
- would → –’d
| English Contraction | Pronunciation | Example Sentence |
| I’d (I + would) | ahyd | I’d be delighted! |
| you’d (you + would) | yood | You’d be lucky. |
| he’d (he + would) | heed | He’d like to help. |
| she’d (she + would) | sheed | She’d be a great teacher. |
| it’d (it + would) | IT-uhd | It’d be a good idea. |
| we’d (we + would) | weed | We’d love to! |
| they’d (they + would) | theyd | They’d be here, but they’re sick. |
| this’d (this + would) | THIS-id | This’d be perfect for you. |
| that’d (that + would) | THAT-id | That’d be good. |
Using the verb have in contractions
The English perfect tense uses have, so contractions including have are common.
- have → ‘ve
| English Contraction | Pronunciation | Example Sentence |
| I’ve (I + have) | ahyv | I’ve dyed my hair. |
| you’ve (you + have) | yoov | You’ve become husband and wife. |
| we’ve (we + have) | weev | We’ve been waiting in the emergency room for two hours. |
| they’ve (they + have) | theyv | They’ve been married for fifteen years. |
| would’ve (would + have) | WOOD-v | I would’ve come over if you’d asked. |
| could’ve (would + have) | KOOD-v | She could’ve cried. |
| must’ve (must + have) | MUHST-v | It must’ve rained. |
| should’ve (should + have) | SHOOD-v | You should’ve been more careful. |
Contractions with not in English end with –n’t
Contractions that end in –n’t combine a verb (like are) with the word not:
- [verb] + n’t
This only applies to a few verbs, but they’re very common. You’re more likely to hear contractions for these English words than the two separate words.
| English Contraction | Pronunciation | Example Sentence |
| aren’t (are + not) | ahrnt | His friends aren’t home. He’s leaving a message for them. |
| isn’t (is + not) | IZ-uhnt | No, this isn’t an emergency. |
| won’t (will + not) | wohnt | I won’t be able to watch television tonight. |
| wouldn’t (would + not) | WOOD-nt | If they had umbrellas, they wouldn’t be wet. |
| wasn’t (was not) | WUHZ-uhnt | The girl wasn’t able to climb the tree. |
| weren’t (were + not) | wurnt | You would have won the race, but you weren’t the fastest runner. |
| can’t (cannot)* | kant | A cat can’t read. |
| couldn’t (could + not) | KOOD-nt | When I was a girl, I couldn’t play piano very well. |
| don’t (do + not) | dohnt | I don’t have a coat. |
| doesn’t (does + not) | DUHZ-uhnt | He doesn’t have a hat. |
| didn’t (did + not) | DID-nt | I didn’t catch the ball. |
The contraction can’t is an exception (marked with a * in the table). The original English is cannot, but the contraction is can’t (not cann’t).
How to use standard English contractions
English contractions are easy to put into a sentence if you know what words they replace. However, you should also remember a few rules about when you can and cannot use contractions.
Standard contractions work best in informal writing and speaking
Contractions are best for casual speaking and informal writing in English because they sound smoother and more natural. You can use common contractions like you’re and don’t in most writing, but you shouldn’t use slang contractions like y’all and gonna in formal writing.
You can use contractions for informal writing, like:
- texting or direct messaging
- Gimme a call when you’ve got time.
- personal writing (like short stories, blog posts, or journals)
- I don’t know what’ll happen when I leave home.
- personal emails
- Are y’all coming to our daughter’s birthday dinner?
Use standard contractions sparingly in formal writing and speaking
Formal writing, where you should only use a few contractions, includes:
- important academic writing (like college dissertations)
- In this essay, I will analyze the works of Jane Austen and explain why she is famous.
- technical documents (like manuals)
- Do not use a hammer.
- work emails (don’t use slang contractions for work)
- I am grateful for your help.
If you’re writing something for work or school, find out if you need to use a specific style guide (a book of detailed grammar rules for writing in English). Style guides like MLA and APA give clearer instructions about what contractions to avoid in formal writing.
Use only one contraction at a time
Some common words can go at the beginning or end of a contraction word (like are). For example, you can say you’re not, but you can also say you aren’t. The meaning is the same.
However, you can’t combine all three words into one.
- correct: you’re not (you + are + not)
- correct: you aren’t (you + are + not)
- incorrect: you’ren’t
Only some contractions can go at the end of a sentence
You can end a sentence with some contractions, but not all contractions. The contractions that can go at the end of a sentence include:
- contractions that end with –n’t (to replace not)
- No, we cannot. = No, we can’t.
- for informal situations, contractions that start with would, could, might, must, or should.
- She would have. = She would’ve.
- for informal situations, contractions that end with -a (to replace to).
- I don’t want to. = I don’t wanna.
Most other contractions cannot go at the end of a sentence.
- positive contractions
- I’m not the boss, you are. = I’m not the boss, you’re. (Incorrect)
- contractions that start with question words
- Who is? = Who’s? (Incorrect)
Use slang contractions in English for even more informal conversations
English also has American slang contractions in addition to standard contractions. These contractions are perfect for everyday conversations with your friends or family, but you’d want to avoid using them at work or with a professor. Some of them don’t use apostrophes, but they’re still made by combining two words.
You’ll hear some of these contractions in English dialects, like African American Vernacular English (AAVE) or Southern American English. These dialects also remove the final “g” from words that end in –ing sometimes, and replace it with an apostrophe (going → goin’).
| English Contraction | Pronunciation | Example Sentence |
| ain’t (am/are/is + not) | eynt | I ain’t cryin’. She ain’t cryin’ neither. |
| y’all (you + all) | yawl | Are y’all comin’ over? |
| c’mon (come + on) | kuh-MON | C’mon, let’s go! |
| gonna (going + to) | guh-nuh | I’m gonna sleep until noon. |
| wanna (want + to) | WAW-nuh | I wanna sleep, but I’m at work. |
| gotta (got + to) | GOT-uh | I gotta go. |
| gotcha (got + you) | GOCH-uh | I gotcha, that makes sense. |
| lemme (let + me) | LEM-ee | Lemme think. |
| gimme (give + me) | GIM-ee | Gimme a bite of that. |
| kinda (kind + of) | KAHYN-duh | She’s kinda shy. |
| sorta (sort + of) | SAWR-tuh | What sorta problem? |
Common English contraction mistakes
Even though contractions are common in English, some of them can be confusing. Even native English speakers mess up these English grammar rules!
One of the most frequent mistakes people make with contractions is confusing them with other words that sound the same. These words are called homophones. Most words with the same pronunciation as contractions are possessive pronouns (one of the nine types of English pronouns). Remember what two words the contraction replaces to help you remember which word is correct for the situation.
Who’s vs. whose
Who’s is a contraction of who is, and whose is the possessive form of who.
- It’s nice to bring flowers to someone who’s in the hospital.
- Whose cat is this?
It’s vs. its
It’s is a contraction of it is, and its is the possessive form of it.
- If it’s sunny, then I will swim in the ocean.
- My favorite was the palace and its gardens.
They’re vs. their vs. there
They’re is a contraction of they are, their is the possessive form of they, and there is an adverb describing a location.
- They’re fishing together.
- Their apartment is on the second floor.
- There she is. She’s walking toward us.
Sometimes one sentence can include multiple words pronounced as “thair.”
- They’re washing their hands in the restroom.
You’re vs. your
You’re is a contraction of you are, and your is the possessive form of you.
- Thank you for the tomatoes. You’re a good neighbor!
- Are bananas your favorite fruit?
Let’s vs. lets
Let’s is a contraction of let us, and lets is one conjugation of the verb let (to allow or permit).
- Let’s put on our jackets and go skiing.
- My aunt lets my cousin and me play with dolls inside.
Key takeaways about contractions in English
In English, contractions are a normal part of writing and speaking in most situations. Knowing how to form them, what they mean, and when to use them will help you sound more natural.
- Contractions combine two words into one and usually contain an apostrophe.
- The apostrophe in a contraction is placed where there are missing letters from one of the original words.
- Some contractions can be placed at the end of a sentence, while others can’t.
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