Reductions are reduced forms of English words. Reductions, such as wanna
,
gonna
, are not real words in English. Contractions are words or phrases
that have been shortened by dropping one or more letters, such as I'm
,
You're
, etc. We need to know reductions and contractions in order to sound
more natural and understand conversations between native English speakers.
Reductions
- betcha = bet you
- cuz = because
- coulda = could have
- dontcha = don’t you
- frunna = in front of
- gimme = give me
- gotta = have got to, also means I understand what you said
- gonna = go to (Americanism)
- hafta = have to
- imma = I am going to
- kinda = kind of
- lemme = let me
- lotsa = lot of
- outta = out to
- sorta = sort of (Americanism)
- shoulda = should have
- tryna = try to
- typa = type of
- wanna = want to
- wassup = what’s up (sortest: sup)
Contractions
- a’ight = alright
- ain’t = am not / is not / are not / has not / have not / did not (colloquial)
- amn’t = am not
- aren’t = are not
- can’t = cannot
- ‘cause = because
- could’ve = could have
- couldn’t = could not
- couldn’t’ve = could not have
- 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
- dunno = don’t know / do not know
- d’ye = do you / did you
- e’er = ever
- ‘em = them
- everybody’s = everybody is
- everyone’s = everyone is
- g’day = good day
- gimme = give me
- giv’n = given
- gonna = going to
- gon’t = go not (colloquial)
- gotta = 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’ll = he shall / he will
- he’s = he has / he is
- here’s = here is
- he’ve = he have
- how’d = how did / how would
- howdy = how do you do / how do you fare
- how’ll = how will
- 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’ll = I shall / I will
- I’m = I am
- I’m’a = I am about to
- I’m’o = I am going to
- innit = is it not
- I’ve = I have
- isn’t = is not
- it’d = it would
- it’ll = it shall / it will
- it’s = it has / it is
- iunno = I don’t know
- kinda = kind of
- let’s = let us
- ma’am = madam
- mayn’t = may not
- may’ve = may have
- methinks = me thinks
- mightn’t = might not
- might’ve = might have
- mustn’t = must not
- mustn’t’ve = must not have
- must’ve = must have
- needn’t = need not
- nal = and all
- ne’er = never
- o’clock = of the clock
- o’er = over
- ol’ = old
- oughtn’t = ought not
- ’s = is, has, does, or us
- shalln’t = shall not (archaic)
- shan’t = shall not
- she’d = she had / she would
- she’ll = she shall / she will
- she’s = she has / she is
- should’ve = should have
- shouldn’t = should not
- shouldn’t’ve = should not have
- somebody’s = somebody has / somebody is
- someone’s = someone has / someone is
- something’s = something has / something is
- so’re = so are (colloquial)
- that’ll = that shall / that will
- that’re = 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’ll = they shall / they will
- they’re = they are / they were
- they’ve = they have
- this’s = this has / this is
- those’re = those are
- those’ve = those have
- ‘tis = it is
- to’ve = to have
- ‘twas = it was
- 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
- 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’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’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’all = you all (colloquial/Southern American English)
- y’all’d’ve = you all would have (colloquial/Southern American English)
- y’all’d’n’ve = you all would not have (colloquial/Southern American English)
- y’all’re = you all are (colloquial/Southern American English)
- y’at = you at
- you’d = you had / you would
- you’ll = you shall / you will
- you’re = you are
- you’ve = you have