Contractions are shortened words that use an apostrophe to combine two words into one. You hear contractions in conversation and see them in writing. Understanding the proper use of contractions can help you master the English language.
Since the word contract means “to squeeze together,” it seems only logical that a contraction is two words made shorter by placing an apostrophe where letters have been omitted. Writing a contraction properly is simple when you know the general rule of creating contractions.
You replace the letters that were removed from the original words with an apostrophe when you make the contraction.
If you combine “is” + “not” to form “isn’t,” you remove the “o” from “not” and replace it with an apostrophe. One common exception to this rule is the word “won’t.” It is a shortened form of “will not,” but you can see the word “will” is not in the contraction at all.
Contraction words are made out of common words, and there are a little over 90 standard contractions.
These are the most common contractions you’ll hear or use when speaking English.
Contraction Word
Base Words
