In spoken English, nobody says “I am going to” with every letter in normal conversation: they say “I’m gonna”. Contractions are the default in speech, and understanding them all is essential for listening.
The most common contractions
| Full form | Contraction |
|---|---|
| I am | I’m |
| you are | you’re |
| he is / he has | he’s |
| it is / it has | it’s |
| we are | we’re |
| they are | they’re |
| I have | I’ve |
| I will | I’ll |
| I would / I had | I’d |
| do not | don’t |
| does not | doesn’t |
| did not | didn’t |
| is not | isn’t |
| are not | aren’t |
| cannot | can’t |
| will not | won’t |
| would not | wouldn’t |
| let us | let’s |
Note: “he’s” can be “he is” or “he has”, and “I’d” can be “I would” or “I had”. The rest of the sentence tells you which: “He’s tired” (is) and “He’s gone” (has).
The most confusing ones in writing
| Contraction | Looks like | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| it’s (it is) | its | ”its” is possessive: “its color” |
| you’re (you are) | your | ”your” is possessive: “your car” |
| they’re (they are) | their / there | ”their” = belonging to them; “there” = in that place |
| who’s (who is) | whose | ”whose” = belonging to whom |
These mistakes are common even among native speakers, but they stand out in professional writing.
Informal spoken contractions
| Written | Informal speech |
|---|---|
| going to | gonna |
| want to | wanna |
| got to | gotta |
| kind of | kinda |
| let me | lemme |
| give me | gimme |
| don’t know | dunno |
They appear in songs, shows and text messages. Understand them and use them in casual conversation; in formal writing, spell out the full form.
When not to contract
- For emphasis: “I do not agree” sounds firmer than “I don’t agree”.
- In formal texts: contracts, academic papers.
- At the end of a sentence with “is” and “am”: “Yes, I am” (not “Yes, I’m”).
Contractions and listening
Much of the difficulty of understanding spoken English comes from contractions and reductions. Watching with English subtitles shows you how they are written while you hear them. In Telidioma, clicking “won’t” or “gonna” shows the full form and the meaning. To understand the other changes in spoken English, see connected speech.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use contractions in work emails?
In most everyday emails, yes. Contractions make writing sound natural. In very formal documents, contracts and academic writing, use the full form.
What is the difference between “it's” and “its”?
“It's” is short for “it is” or “it has” (“It's raining”). “Its” is possessive, with no apostrophe (“The dog wagged its tail”).
Are “gonna” and “wanna” correct?
They are real informal spoken forms of “going to” and “want to”. In conversation and casual messages they are fine; in formal writing, use the full form.