Apostrophes in Contractions (with Examples)

search our site by Craig Shrives

Apostrophes in Contractions

Apostrophes are used in contractions. A contraction is an abbreviated version of a word or commonly two words. The apostrophe in a contraction always replaces at least one letter. For example:

• "Can't" is a contraction of "cannot."
• "Would've" is a contraction of "would have."

A contraction is considered one word, even if it is formed from two.

Apostrophes Replace Missing Letters

The apostrophe in a contraction replaces at least one letter. Here are five common contractions with an explanation of how they have been formed.

+ 🠞
(The contraction is "isn't." In this contraction, the apostrophe replaces the "o" of "not," and the two words become one.)

+ 🠞
(Here, the apostrophe replaces the "ha" of "have," and the two words become one.)

+ 🠞
(In this contraction, the apostrophe replaces the "woul" of "would," and the two words become one.)

🠞
(This time, the original word was one word. The apostrophe replaces the "no.")

+ 🠞
("Won't" is a quirk. It is actually a contraction of "woll not" (not "will not"). In Middle English, the verb that we now spell "will" existed in a few forms, including "woll" and "welle." Probably because "won't" is easy to say, the "woll" version of the verb has survived in the contraction "won't" into modern English )

Contractions in Informal Writing

Contractions are generally reserved for informal writing as they are used to reflect how people speak. Contractions with apostrophes are not common in formal writing.

Examples of Contractions with Apostrophes

Here are some more examples of contractions with apostrophes:

• If you don't fail now and again, it's a sign you're playing it safe. (Actor Woody Allen)
• Don't look now, but there's one too many in this room, and I think it's you. (Comedian Groucho Marx)

Read more about apostrophes used to replace missing letters.

Contractions with "Is"

It is common for 's to be added to a noun to mean "is." For example:

• Blood's not thicker than money. (Comedian Groucho Marx)
(Blood is not thicker than money.)

List of Official Contractions

You cannot make up your own contractions. For example:

• Can you play the g'tar?

Also, you cannot cannot link contractions. For example:

• I couldn't've joined in because I'd've been too tall.

Here is a list of official contractions:

Contraction	Original
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
isn't	is not
it's	it is, it has
let's	let us
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

Read more about contractions.

Printable Test