The most common American English informal contractions

Question

What are the most common American English informal contractions?

I only know a few. And I'm not sure if some can be called contractions.

A'int Gonna Wanna

Thanks for sharing more.

Good question, Morbo. - Delores--Lindsey, May 14, 2010

By the way, in the sentence "I only know a few ones," the word "ones" is not needed. :-) - Delores--Lindsey, May 14, 2010

Ok Delores-Lin, thanks a lot! - AntMexico, May 14, 2010

Answer 1

1. ain't = am not/are not/is not

I ain't sure.

You ain't my boss.

ain't = has not/have not

I ain't done it.

She ain't finished yet.

1.gimme = give me

Gimme your money.

Don't gimme that rubbish.

Can you gimme a hand?

1. gonna = going to

Nothing's gonna change my love for you.

I'm not gonna tell you.

What are you gonna do?

1. gotta = (have) got a

I've gotta gun.

I gotta gun.

She hasn't gotta penny.

Have you gotta car?

gotta = (have) got to

I've gotta go now.

I gotta go now.

We haven't gotta do that.

Have they gotta work?

1. kinda = kind of

She's kinda cute.

1. lemme = let me

Lemme go!

1. wanna = want to

I wanna go home.

wanna = want a

I wanna coffee.

1. whatcha = what are you

Whatcha going to do?

whatcha = what have you

Whatcha got there?

1. ya = you

Who saw ya?

What a complete list, good job! - athegr8, Nov 20, 2010

Answer 2

The word "ain't" is only used by people who don't care about how uneducated it sounds. It's not a word that you want to use ...ever. It's good to know what it means so that you can understand someone who uses it, but don't adopt it....please!

"Gonna" and "Wanna" are lazy ways to say "Going to" and "Want to." I find myself speaking this way sometimes, but I try to correct it.

Although I wouldn't think of "gonna" or "wanna" as contractions, they seem to fit the definition: a contraction is the shortening of a word, syllable, or word group by omission of internal letters.

Hear! Hear! - Delores--Lindsey, May 14, 2010

Nice explaination, Marianne! "Wouldn't" is a contraction. "Wanna" is lazy English. - 005faa61, May 14, 2010

Very well put! - caza, May 14, 2010

Answer 3

These are the most common contractions I can think of:

Is not -- Isn't

Will not -- Won't

Do not -- Don't

Does not -- Doesn't

Are not -- Aren't

Was not-- Wasn't

Were not -- Weren't

Has not -- Hasn't

Have not -- Haven't

Had not -- Hadn't

Did not -- Didn't

Should not -- Shouldn't

Could not -- Couldn't

Cannot -- Can't

Answer 4

In the United States alone, there are several "dialects" that are spoken in different parts of the country. In the south you will hear "ya'll" a lot which stands for "you all". In Georgia you will hear "screet", which is actually "street". There are many more, but those are some of the ones off the top of my head.

I'd already seen "ya'll" but never guessed it! Thanks! - AntMexico, May 14, 2010

Answer 5

Lemme = Let me

Dunno= don't know

Lotta or Lotsa = Lots of

Gotta = got to

Wheredja = Where did you

Whatdja = What did you

Howdja= How did you

The others covered some of the other informal contractons--there are probably more. Wheredja, Whatdja, Howdja--they aren't usually written, but that is how they sound when used in speaking.

It is good to know them, but it is not a proper way of speaking...so don't use it at a job interview--even if the interviewer uses them.

Now I see why I can´t understand TV programmes! Thanks! - AntMexico, May 16, 2010

Answer 6

The comedian Jerry Lewis in one of his films said " Ain't it quaint" he was chided for this and told you must say "isn't so he said in reply " Isn't it quisn't." The one that amuses me is , "Yous'e when speaking of more than one person ,as in 'Yous'e two sheilas" I liken it to Vosotros.

Answer 7

I´ve seen ain't, wanna and gonna in many songs. I've tried to sing such songs using the right and formal words but definitely the metric is missed. Thanks for telling me about ain't... I didn't knwo it was too bad.

Yes, country songs use a lot of "ain't" but it's still improper English. - --Mariana--, May 14, 2010

"Ain't" is used primarily in the southern part of the USA, to my knowledge. It is definitely incorrect, but more accepted in the Southern states. - danrivera, May 14, 2010

Which is why it is so prevalant (I believe) in Country music. - danrivera, May 14, 2010

Look in the dictionary Dan Rivera. "Ain't" is there. It is definitely correct. Language is not a static, lifeless rock. Its constantly changing, evolving and growing. Be careful how you answer questions if you dont know the facts. - Liljeezy, May 22, 2011

Answer 8

Speaking of the Southern US dialects, "yusta" (by pronunciation, not in writing) would be "used to". Someone might say, "I yusta be in that class" which would be written as "I used to be in that class".

Southern, in that sentence, would lead one to believe you would hear an enunciated "d" in "used to be" everywhere else! And that ain't the case! - LateToDinner, May 14, 2010

To not steer you wrong, Morbo, Marianne is correct about ain't. Used here for fun. - LateToDinner, May 14, 2010

Answer 9

Sure, there's a formalized version of language, but proposing the use of "ain't" as purely wrong is facile. The fact of its existence and prevalence throughout numerous States justifies its usage enough. Moreover, strict adherence to an ideal form of "English" is anachronistic.

Should we incorporate archaic forms that are in fact more proper OR integrate modern, evolved usages that address distinctive qualities present within the varied demographic of English speakers?

It annoys me when individuals criticize uneducated speech. Differences emerge for a reason. Language is complex. Despite the perceived unrefined quality of Southerner English, embedded within this dialect remains very strict rules of syntax, morphology, and semantics.

I'm from Georgia, ya'll. Ain't that sumthin'.

Ain't sounds horrible no matter where y'all are from. - --Mariana--, Oct 12, 2011

Gotta agree with Jahson4. Ain't is in the language for a reason. In fact, it is the older form of the contraction for "I am not." Modern usage has evolved to contract I and am and let's not stand alone. (I'm not) But ain't is the contraction of "am not". - CarolineU, Jun 11, 2013

You can't elide "m and n" very easily, thus "ain't". If you use it in a first person construction it is absolutely correct. "I ain't finished." - CarolineU, Jun 11, 2013

And "it sounds horrible" is entirely subjective and overgeneralized. Obviously, if you're from somewhere where it's common in the dialect it doesn't "sound horrible." - CarolineU, Jun 11, 2013