7/27/2019 Contractions - Pronunciation Tips

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Contractions (EnglishClub.com)

Pronunciation tips (including homophones)

This table covers "be", "have" and "will" only (not verbs like "should" and "can") because these are the verbs wherehomophones 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

samepronunciation

differentpronunciation

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

12/04/2011 Pronunciation: Contractions

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7/27/2019 Contractions - Pronunciation Tips

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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

youwould

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

theywould

they'd |theid| (1) - - spade/paid

See also Homophones (contractions) for a s imple list of homophones only.

See Contractions (vocabulary) for more about positive, negative and informal contractions.

12/04/2011 Pronunciation: Contractions

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