Contractions Pronunciation
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 | con- trac- tion |
pronun- ciation (number of syl- lables) |
homo- phones |
common confus- ions |
rhymes with |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| same pronun-ciation | different pronun-ciation | |||||
| 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 Contraction Homophones for a simple list of homophones only.