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must not contraction

The contraction of must not is mustn't. Standard IPA: /ˈmʌsnt/. It is the standard short form of must not, spelled with an apostrophe replacing the o, especially in British English. American learner dictionaries often label it rare and very formal, so American speakers commonly use the full form must not instead, for example You must not touch that wire.

A closer look

mustn't /ˈmʌsnt/ is the contraction of must not. The apostrophe replaces the o, and the transcription shows a written /t/ at the end of the form.

You mustn't touch that wire.

  • You mustn't leave the gate open. A natural warning, with the contraction spoken smoothly as /ˈmʌsnt/ or /ˈmʌs.ənt/.

  • You mustn't tell anyone about this. Here the contraction carries a natural warning tone, and it flows smoothly into the next word when spoken.

Mustn't is especially British in everyday use. American English speakers often avoid it, and an American learner dictionary labels it rare and very formal.

The spelling keeps the final t of must not, and the dictionary transcription /ˈmʌsnt/ still shows a /t/, so do not drop that letter when you write it, even though it may sound very light in speech.

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spelling

what is a contraction for will not

won't /wəʊnt/ (UK), /woʊnt/ (US) is the contraction of 'will not'. Its spelling is irregular: it is not 'willn't'.

spelling

cant contraction

Can't contraction form and pronunciation

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.

spelling

is contraction

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

definition

shall not contracted form

**Shan't** is the contraction of **shall not**. It means the same thing, just shortened: *I shan't be late* is a quicker way of saying *I shall not be late*. You'll hear it most often in British English. In American English it's rare, where people usually say *won't* or *will not* instead. A couple of examples in use: * *We shan't stay long.* * *Don't worry, I shan't say a word to anyone.* If you come across it in a British novel or an older text, you can simply read it as *shall not*. Note that there's also an occasional alternative spelling, *sha'n't*, though *shan't* is the standard form.

spelling

is it ll a word

Compact form card for ’ll: the contracted form of will after pronouns, with IPA, usage examples, and the apostrophe spelling trap.