Speaking+ Speaking+
Get started
spelling 2 min read

is youre a contraction

you're /jɔːr/ (BrE also /jʊə/) is the contraction of you are /juː ɑː(r)/. The apostrophe replaces the letters a and r of 'are', and in fast speech the vowel reduces from /uː/ to /ə/, which is why it can sound identical to 'your'.

A closer look

Yes, you're is the contraction of you are. Spelled y-o-u-apostrophe-r-e, pronounced /jɔːr/ (US /jʊr/). Unstressed speech reduces /juː ɑː/ to one syllable, /jər/ in rhotic accents, /jə/ in r-dropping ones.

You're right about the schedule. One beat, one word: /juː ɑː/ has collapsed from two full syllables to a single reduced one, /jər/ in rhotic accents or /jə/ in r-dropping ones. That reduced form is the fast, unstressed version; the sentence can also carry the beat with the fuller pronunciation.

Using it

  • You're welcome. A polite reply after someone thanks you.

  • I think you're right about the schedule. Here you're carries the beat, so it gets a fuller pronunciation; in the quick polite reply above it shrinks to one light syllable.

  • Say each sentence aloud and tap once per beat: you're takes a single tap either way, just heavier or lighter depending on stress.

The spelling trap

The spelling trap is your, which has no apostrophe and sounds identical in many accents, /jɔːr/. The difference lives only in print: you're marks the missing letters of are with an apostrophe, while your is one possessive word.

In fast speech both can reduce to /jə/, so trust meaning over ear: possession needs your, and you are needs you're. You're right about the schedule.

Keep reading

All articles

spelling

were contraction

**were** /wɜːr/ ; no contraction. **we're** is the contraction of **we are**; the apostrophe marks the omitted *a*, and it is not a form of *were*.

spelling

is contraction

The contraction of is is 's, pronounced /z/ or /s/ depending on the sound before it, attached to the preceding word.

spelling

who are contraction

Who're /ˈhuː.ɚ/ (US), /ˈhuː.ə(r)/ (UK) is the contracted spelling of who are. Within the contraction, the unstressed *are* is reduced so that only its final /r/ survives in fast speech.

spelling

how to spell wasnt

Wasn’t is spelled w-a-s-n-apostrophe-t, expanding to was not. Standard IPA: UK /ˈwɒzənt/, US /ˈwʌzənt/. The apostrophe sits between n and t, marking the omitted o of not. The misspelling wasnt (no apostrophe) is nonstandard; was’nt puts it in the wrong spot.

usage

is over of

Situational usage guide for 'is over of'

usage

is and are worksheets

**When each form fits** Use **is** when the subject names one thing, and **are** when it names more than one or when the subject is *you*. That's the whole decision, and it applies to any sentence you're writing right now, not just worksheet exercises. **Choosing the form in a real sentence** - One person or thing: *The bus is late.* *My brother is at school.* - More than one: *The dogs are in the yard.* *The keys are missing.* - With *you*, even one person: *You are right.* *You are early today.* - A sentence you might double-check: *The list is long.* The subject is *list*, not *long*, and there's only one list, so **is** fits. **Words that look plural but take is** A few words that refer to one person or thing take **is** even though they may feel bigger. *Each*, *either*, *neither*, and *everyone* all pick out a single item, so they take the singular form: *Each of these hot dogs is juicy.* *Everyone is here.* When you see one of these words, count the meaning, not the letters. Quick check for your worksheet answers: find the subject first, decide whether it's one thing, more than one, or *you*, then match the verb. Singular subject, singular *is*; plural subject or *you*, plural *are*. Every practice sentence follows that same pattern, so once you can name the subject, the choice follows.