Wikipedia:List of English contractions

This list is part of the internal Wikipedia Manual of Style. For encyclopedic information see English auxiliaries and contractions.

This is a list of contractions used in the Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Abbreviations; these are to be avoided anywhere other than in direct quotations in encyclopedic prose.

Some acronyms are formed by contraction; these are covered at Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Abbreviations. Some trademarks (e.g. Nabisco) and titles of published works (e.g. “Ain't That a Shame”) consist of or contain contractions; these are covered at Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Trademarks and Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Titles, respectively.

Table of common (and not archaic) English contractions
List of common (and not archaic) English contractions
Contraction Full Form
a’ight (informal) alright
ain’t (informal) am not / is not / are not / has not / have not / did not (colloquial)[1]
amn’t am not[2]
’n’ / ‘n’ (informal) and
arencha (informal) are not you / aren't you (colloquial)
aren’t are not[3]
’bout (informal) about
can’t cannot
cap’n (informal) captain
’cause (informal) because
cuz (informal) because
’cept (informal) except
c’mon come on
could’ve could have
couldn’t could not
couldn’t’ve could not have
cuppa cup of
daren’t dare not / dared not
daresn’t dare not
dasn’t dare not
didn’t did not
doesn't does not
don’t do not / does not[4]
dunno (informal) do not know / don't know
d’ye (informal) do you / did you
d’ya (informal) do you / did you
e’en (poetic) even
e’er (poetic) ever
’em (informal) them
everybody’s everybody has / everybody is
everyone’s everyone has / everyone is
everything's everything has / everything is
finna (informal) fixing to
fo’c’sle (informal) forecastle
’gainst (informal) against
g’day (informal) good day
gimme (informal) give me
giv’n (informal) given
gi’z (informal) give us (colloquial, meaning: give me)
gonna (informal) going to
gon’t (informal) go not (colloquial)
gotta (informal) got to
hadn’t had not
had’ve had have
hasn’t has not
haven’t have not
he’d he had / he would
he'd'nt've (informal) he did not have / he would not have
he'll he shall / he will
helluva (informal) hell of a
yesn't (informal) yes not / no
he’s he has / he is
here’s here is
how’d (informal) how did / how would
howdy (informal) how do you do / how do you fare
how’ll how will / how shall
how’re how are
how’s how has / how is / how does
I’d I had / I would
I’d’ve I would have / I did have
I’d’nt I would not / I did not
I’d’nt’ve (informal) I would not have / I did not have
If’n (informal) If and when
I’ll I shall / I will
I’m I am
I’m'onna I am going to
Imma (informal) I am about to / I am going to
I’m’o (informal) I am going to
I’m'na I am going to
innit (informal) isn’t it / ain’t it (also all-purpose question tag - British colloq.)
Ion (informal) I do not / I don't
I’ve I have
isn’t is not
it’d it would
it’ll it shall / it will
it’s it has / it is
Idunno (informal) I do not know
kinda (informal) kind of
lemme let me
let’s let us
loven’t (informal) love not (colloquial)
ma’am (formal) madam
mayn’t may not
may’ve may have
methinks (informal) I think
mightn’t might not
might’ve might have
mine’s mine is
mustn’t must not
mustn’t’ve must not have
must’ve must have
’neath (informal) beneath
needn’t need not
nal (informal) and all
ne’er (informal) never
no one's no one has / no one is
o’clock of the clock
o’er over
ol’ old
ought’ve ought have
oughtn’t ought not
oughtn’t’ve ought not have
’round around
’s is, has, does, us / possessive
shalln’t shall not (archaic)
shan’ shall not
shan’t shall not
she’d she had / she would
she’ll she shall / she will
she’s she has / she is
she'd'nt've (informal) she did not have / she would not have
should’ve should have
shouldn’t should not
shouldn’t’ve (informal) should not have
somebody’s somebody has / somebody is
someone’s someone has / someone is
something’s something has / something is
so’re (informal) so are (colloquial)
so’s (informal) so is / so has
so’ve (informal) so have
that’ll that shall / that will
that’re (informal) that are
that’s that has / that is
that’d that would / that had
there’d there had / there would
there’ll there shall / there will
there’re there are
there’s there has / there is
these’re these are
these’ve these have
they’d they had / they would
they’d've they would have / they could have / they should have
they’ll they shall / they will
they’re they are / they were
they’ve they have
this’s this has / this is
those’re (informal) those are
those’ve (informal) those have
’thout (informal) without
’til (informal) until
’tis (informal) it is
to’ve (informal) to have
tryna (informal) trying to
’twas (informal) it was
’tween (informal) between
’twere (informal) it were
w’all we all
w’at we at
wanna want to
wasn’t was not
we’d we had / we would / we did
we’d’ve we would have
we’ll we shall / we will
we’re we are
we’ve we have
weren’t were not
whatcha what are you
what’d what did
what’ll what shall / what will
what’re what are / what were
what’s what has / what is / what does
what’ve what have
when’d when did
when’s when has / when is
where’d where did
where’ll where shall / where will
where’re where are
where’s where has / where is / where does
where’ve where have
which’d which had / which would
which’ll which shall / which will
which’re which are
which’s which has / which is
which’ve which have
who’d who would / who had / who did
who’d’ve who would have
who’ll who shall / who will
who’re who are
who’s who has / who is / who does
who’ve who have
why’d why did
why'dja why did you
why’re why are
why’s why has / why is / why does
willn’t will not (archaic)
won’t will not
wonnot will not (archaic)
would’ve would have
wouldn’t would not
wouldn’t’ve would not have
y’ain’t you are not / you have not / you did not (colloquial)
y’all you all (colloquial/Southern American English)
y’all’d’ve you all would have (colloquial/Southern American English)
y’all’dn't’ve you all would not have (colloquial/Southern American English)
y’all’re you all are (colloquial/Southern American English)
y’all’ren’t you all are not (colloquial/Southern American English)
y’at you at
yes’m yes madam / yes ma’am
y'ever have you ever
y’know you know
yessir yes sir
you’d you had / you would
you’dn’t’ve you would not have / you wouldn’t have
you’ll you shall / you will
you’re you are
you’ve you have
  1. ^ Ain’t is used colloquially by some speakers as a substitute for a number of contractions, but is considered incorrect by others.
  2. ^ Amn’t is primarily used in Scottish and Irish English.
  3. ^ Aren’t is usually a contraction of “are not”; however, it can be used as a contraction of “am not” in questions (e.g. “Aren’t I the greatest?”), though this is often considered colloquial.
  4. ^ Don’t can be used to mean “does not”; however, this is considered colloquial to most speakers.
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