Contractions
Pronunciation tips (including homophones)
This table covers "be", "have" and "will" only (not verbs like "should" and "can") because these are the verbs where homophones can help you understand and remember some of the contractions.
Only one pronunciation is given for each contraction, but there may be other pronunciations when unstressed or in other varieties of English.
| verb |
long form |
contraction |
pronunciation (number of
syllables) |
homophones |
common confusions |
rhymes with |
| same pronunciation |
different pronunciation |
| be |
I am |
I'm |
|ime|
(1) |
- |
aim |
dime |
| you are |
you're |
|yor|
(1) |
your/yore |
jaw |
jaw/more/four |
| he is |
he's |
|heez|
(1) |
- |
his/fees/heath |
fees/bees |
| she is |
she's |
|sheez|
(1) |
- |
seas/sees |
seas/he's |
| it is |
it's |
|its|
(1) |
its |
eats/ids |
bits/fits |
| we are |
we're |
|wier|
(1) |
weir |
were/where |
pier/beer |
| they are |
they're |
|thear|
(1) |
their/there |
dare |
pair/fair |
| are not |
aren't |
|arnt|
(1) |
aunt |
ant/aunty |
shan't |
| is not |
isn't |
|izunt|
(2) |
- |
- |
- |
| was not |
wasn't |
|wozunt|
(2) |
- |
- |
- |
| were not |
weren't |
|wurnt|
(1) |
- |
want/won't |
burnt/learnt |
| have |
I have |
I've |
|ive|
(1) |
- |
ivy/if |
dive/five |
| you have |
you've |
|yoov|
(1) |
- |
- |
move/prove |
| he has |
he's |
|heez|
(1) |
- |
his/fees/heath |
fees/bees |
| she has |
she's |
|sheez|
(1) |
- |
seas/sees |
seas/he's |
| it has |
it's |
|its|
(1) |
its |
eats/ids |
bits/fits |
| we have |
we've |
|weev|
(1) |
weave |
with |
peeve/believe |
| they have |
they've |
|theiv|
(1) |
- |
dave |
dave/brave |
| I had |
I'd |
|ide|
(1) |
eyed |
id |
cried/died |
| you had |
you'd |
|yood|
(1) |
- |
jude
(name) |
food/renewed |
| he had |
he'd |
|heed|
(1) |
heed |
hid/head/feed |
feed/need |
| she had |
she'd |
|sheed|
(1) |
- |
shed/seed |
seed/he'd |
| it had |
it'd |
|itud|
(2) |
- |
- |
- |
| we had |
we'd |
|weed|
(1) |
weed |
wed |
he'd/she'd |
| they had |
they'd |
|theid|
(1) |
- |
- |
spade/paid |
| will |
I will |
I'll |
|ail|
(1) |
aisle/isle |
ill |
while/pile |
| you will |
you'll |
|yuul|
(1) |
yule |
you
all/jewel |
tool |
| he will |
he'll |
|heel|
(1) |
heel/heal |
feel/hell |
feel/peel |
| she will |
she'll |
|sheel|
(1) |
- |
shell |
he'll/feel |
| it will |
it'll |
|itul|
(2) |
- |
- |
- |
| we will |
we'll |
|weel|
(1) |
wheel/weal |
well |
he'll/she'll |
| they will |
they'll |
|theil|
(1) |
- |
dale |
dale/male |
| will not |
won't |
|woant|
(1) |
- |
want |
don't |
| I would |
I'd |
|ide|
(1) |
eyed |
id |
cried/died |
| you would |
you'd |
|yood|
(1) |
- |
jude
(name) |
food/renewed |
| he would |
he'd |
|heed|
(1) |
heed |
hid/head/feed |
feed/need |
| she would |
she'd |
|sheed|
(1) |
- |
shed/seed |
seed/he'd |
| it would |
it'd |
|itud|
(2) |
- |
- |
- |
| we would |
we'd |
|weed|
(1) |
weed |
wed |
he'd/she'd |
| they would |
they'd |
|theid|
(1) |
- |
- |
spade/paid |
See also Homophones (contractions) for a simple list of homophones only.
See Contractions (vocabulary) for more about positive, negative and informal contractions. |