spelling 1 min read

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'.

A closer look

won't /wəʊnt/ (BrE), /woʊnt/ (NAmE) is the contraction of will not.

She won't be late. Notice the spelling: won't, not willn't.

  • I won't forget your birthday. In speech, the vowel here is /ə/ in British English and /oʊ/ in North American English, so the whole word stays one smooth syllable.

  • Won't you come in? The /t/ at the end links neatly into you when you say it: /wəʊnt juː/.

The sounds /w/ and /əʊ/ point clearly to will, yet the standard spelling takes an o, so won't is the only standard form and willn't never became a word. The o is simply part of the historical contraction. Write the o even though the sounds do not demand it.

Won't belongs only to the verb will and expresses refusal or a negative future, as in The door won't open. Negatives of other verbs, such as shall not or don't, have their own forms and pronunciations.

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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.

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

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.

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cant contraction

Can't contraction form and pronunciation

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who will contraction

answerRoleAnswerText_001-confidence.high

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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.