Contractions List in English

Last updated on August 9, 2024 by Grammargeek

Contractions in grammar are shortened forms of words or groups of words, where certain letters are omitted and replaced with an apostrophe. This reference covers a detailed list of contractions, special cases, and an alphabetical list for easy reference.

Additionally, there is guidance on when to use contraction words in writing. Understanding and using contractions correctly can help make your writing clearer and more concise.

Contractions List

List of Contractions of Auxiliaries

The verb “to be” takes on forms like “is”, “are”, and “am”. These can form contractions with a noun or pronoun. Here are examples:

  • “I am” becomes “I’m” (e.g., “I’m a teacher”)
  • “She is” becomes “She’s” (e.g., “She’s a doctor”)
  • “They are” becomes “They’re” (e.g., “They’re accountants”)
  • “The dog is” becomes “The dog’s” (e.g., “The dog’s healthy”)

The ” ‘s” contraction can also indicate a possessive. Examples include:

  • “The worker is tall” contracts to “The worker’s tall”.
  • “The lunchbox of the worker” becomes “The worker’s lunchbox”.

Other auxiliary verb forms include:

  • have (” ‘ve”)
  • had (” ‘d”)
  • has (“‘ve”)
  • will (” ‘ll”)

List of auxiliary verb contractions:

Contraction Verb
‘m am
‘s is
‘re are
‘ve have
‘s has
‘d had
‘ll will

Negative Contractions List

These contractions usually involve removing the “o” from “not” and adding an apostrophe “n’t”:

  • “is not” becomes “isn’t”
  • “have not” becomes “haven’t”
  • “do not” becomes “don’t”
  • “can not” becomes “can’t”
  • “will not” becomes “won’t”
  • “shall not” becomes “shan’t”

List of negative contractions:

  • Forms of be: isn’t, aren’t, wasn’t, weren’t
  • Forms of have: haven’t, hasn’t, hadn’t
  • Modal verbs: can’t, couldn’t, mayn’t, mightn’t, mustn’t, shan’t, shouldn’t, won’t , wouldn’t, needn’t, oughtn’t.
  • Forms of do: don’t, doesn’t, didn’t

Special Cases

  • “Let’s” for “let us”
  • “O’” in “o’clock”

Alphabetical List of Contractions

Contractions List
Contractions List – Created by 7ESL
  • aren’t – are not
  • can’t – cannot
  • couldn’t – could not
  • didn’t – did not
  • doesn’t – does not
  • don’t – do not
  • hadn’t – had not
  • hasn’t – has not
  • haven’t – have not
  • he’d – he had; he would
  • he’ll – he will; he shall
  • he’s – he is; he has
  • I’d – I had; I would
  • I’ll – I will; I shall
  • I’m – I am
  • I’ve – I have
  • it’s – it is; it has
  • isn’t – is not
  • let’s – let us
  • mightn’t – might not
  • mustn’t – must not
  • shan’t – shall not
  • she’d – she had; she would
  • she’ll – she will; she shall
  • she’s – she is; she has
  • shouldn’t – should not
  • that’s – that is; that has
  • there’s – there is; there has
  • they’d – they had; they would
  • they’ll – they will; they shall
  • they’re – they are
  • they’ve – they have
  • we’d – we had; we would
  • we’re – we are
  • we’ve – we have
  • weren’t – were not
  • what’ll – what will; what shall
  • what’re – what are
  • what’s – what is; what has
  • what’ve – what have
  • where’s – where is; where has
  • who’d – who had; who would
  • who’ll – who will; who shall
  • who’re – who are
  • who’s – who is; who has
  • who’ve – who have
  • won’t – will not
  • wouldn’t – would not
  • you’d – you had; you would
  • you’ll – you will; you shall
  • you’re – you are
  • you’ve – you have

Informal Contractions List

Informal contractions and their meanings:

Contraction Meaning
Ain’t Am not, are not, is not
Has not, have not
Wanna Want to, want a
Whatcha What have you
Kinda Kind of
Sorta Sort of
Outta Out of
Alotta A lot of
Lotsa Lots of
Mucha Much of
Cuppa Cup of
Dunno Don’t know
Lemme Let me
Gimme Give me
Tell’em Tell them
Cos Because
Innit? Isn’t it?
I’mma I’m going to
Gonna Going to
Needa Need to
Oughta Ought to
Hafta Have to
Hasta Has to
Usta Used to
Supposta Supposed to
Gotta Got to
(have) got a
Cmon Come on
Ya You, you are
Shoulda Should have
Shouldna Shouldn’t have
Wouldna Wouldn’t have
She’da She would have
Coulda Could have
Woulda Would have
Mighta Might have
Mightna Mightn’t have
Musta Must have
Mussna Must not have
Dontcha Don’t you
Wontcha Won’t you
Whatcha What are you
Betcha Bet you
Gotcha Got you
D’you Do you
Didntcha Didn’t you
Dija Did you
S’more Some more
Layder Later

Use these informal contractions cautiously. They are popular in casual speech and writing but are not suitable for academic or professional settings.

When to Use Contraction Words in Writing

Contraction words are usually used in informal writing. They’re common in casual writing between friends or colleagues. It’s okay to use contractions in day-to-day emails with superiors, articles, fiction, or instructions.

Avoid using contractions in formal writing, like academic papers, unless you’re quoting someone. Using contractions can make your writing more natural and approachable.

Examples:

Full Form Contraction
do not don’t
cannot can’t
will not won’t
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