Relaxed Pronunciation Reference

In everyday speech, language takes on simplifications and the tendency for words to run
together. This natural process often manifests itself as combination and contraction of
words, causing a phrase such as "Would you like to go and get something to eat?" to
sound a lot more like "'Don't'cha wanna get somthin' tweet?". This tendency is often a
major frustration for English language learners, as many of these apparent words (for
example, wanna, gotta, or squeat) are often not listed in dictionaries and are almost
never used in formal written form, but are nonetheless essential for native
comprehension. In addition, differences in dialects' pronunciation, not to mention
vocabulary, often magnify this problem significantly. This page is designed to be a
reference database of relaxed pronunciations and contractions, from the mundane and
common to the esoteric (or just for fun). Please enjoy!

Notes:

To indicate alternative meanings or pronunciations, a slash is used, for example:

"wanna = want to / want a" means that "wanna" could mean either "want to" or
"want a".
[Brackets] surround words in the definitions that do not contribute to the final
word's sound.
Ellipsis (...) are used to indicate that a contraction can work as an
interchangeable suffix or prefix with a variety of other words (some of the more
common combinations may be listed as well).

The complete list:

A- Phonetic Definition / Origin /

Example
Z Spelling Meaning
A a / uh of / a I'll have uh bag uh chips.
I have acoupla socks 'round here
acoupla a couple of
somewhere.
am not / is not / are not
ain't I ain't hungry.
/ have not / has not
ain'tcha are you not Ain'tcha done yet?
algo I will go Algo next.
I have alotta radishes, and nothin' to
alotta a lot of
make with 'em.
an' and Get me some bread an' milk.
...'an ... than n/a
'ardly hardly I can 'ardly understand what he's sayin'.
ayatta I ought to Ayatta show him a thing or two.
atom at him / at them Up and atom!
The last day of school is quite awayzaway,
awayzaway a ways away
sadly.
I betcha five bucks that paper airplane
B betcha bet you
isn't gonna fly.
 better'an better than Chocolate is better'an vanilla.
bleev believe I bleev he'll be arrivin' soon.
'bout about 'Tis 'bout 3 o'clock.
brudda brother He's m' brudda.
C can't can not I can't let you do that, Dave.
can'tcha can you not Can'tcha get me a glass of coffee?
I canna take that class, I'm takin'
canna can not underwater basket weaving at the same
time!
cara care of I take cara yo' car, you take cara my cat.
certainly'd certainly had He certainly'd done that yesterday.
cha you Cha can't do that!
I'ma takin' the chillun to the zoo
chillun children
tomorrow.
'chother each other Y'all should help 'chother out.
chu [are] you Wha' chu doin'?
c'mere come here C'mere!
c'mon come on C'mon over here!
coulda could have I coulda done that backflip.
couldna /
could not have You couldna possibly done it.
couldn't've
couldn'ever could not ever You couldn'ever make it.
couldn'it could it not? Couldn'it be done?
couldn't could not I couldn't see it with all this fog.
I could've won that race if I hadn'a hit
could've could have
that penny on the road.
could'ja could you Could'ja 'splain it for me?
crect correct I've gotta go crect some papers.
'cuz because 'Cuz it'd be cool, duh.
D d' the I'm in d' house.
They'd better pick up the pace if they
...'d ... would / ... had
want to win the game!
She'da come tonight if she wasn't so
...'da ... would have
busy.
They have da best of da best in hot dogs
da the
here.
dat that Dat is fine.
d'eck ...the heck What d'eck?
dem them Dem dragonflies are huge!
dent did not I dent crash the car.
did'ja / didja did you Did'ja catch anythin'?
 didn't did not It didn't hurt.
diff'rn't different That's diff'rn't than the other one.
dis this Is dis all ya got?
d'jeat did you eat D'jeat yet?
d'jyava / jyhava did you have a D'jyava burger or a sandwich?
'drother I'd rather 'Drother be watchin' a movie.
'drothers / If I had my 'drothers, I wouldn't be doin'
[What] I'd rather
druthers chores.
dodad do, dad What will you dodad?
doin' doing How are ya doin'?
don't'cha /
do you not Pretty cool, don't'cha think?
don'tcha
dunnit [has] done it / done it That shoulda dunnit.
dunno do not know I dunno.
...'d've ... would have n/a
d'yava do you have a D'yava good time?
E 'er her Let 'er drift.
'em them Get 'em!
Fi was gonna choose, I'd go for the apple
F fi if I
pie.
figrout figure out I'll figrout this puzzle soon.
fulla full of You're fulla beans!
fo' for Is dis fo' me?
for'em for them I was just lookin' for'em.
F'yno how to do that problem, then just
f'yno if you know / if I know
do it.
G g'bye / g'by good bye G'bye!
g'day good day G'day!
gimme give me Gimme five!
getcha / gitchu get you I'm gunna gitchu fo' dat!
g'night good night G'night everybody!
gotcha / gotchu /
got you / got your I gotcha now!
gotcher
gotta [have] got to Gotta go!
I'm gonna head over to the store, ya want
gunna / gonna going to
anything?
H had'n'edn'edn'yet had not even eaten yet You had'n'edn'edn'yet?
hafta have to I hafta go soon.
has'n'edn'edn'yet has not even eaten yet He has'n'edn'edn'yet?
hava have a We hava few snacks inna trunk.
 havit have it D'ya havit here yet?
hav'n'edn'edn'yet have not even eaten yet You hav'n'edn'edn'yet?
hecka heck of a That's one hecka good painting!
heckalota heck of a lot of That's a heckalota pizza!
he'd he would He'd like that.
He'd've gone if they didn't sell outta
he'd'a / he'd've he would have
tickets.
here's here is Here's something that might work.
he's he is He's fine.
he'sn't he is not He'sn't in this class?
hold'em hold them Hold'em for a bit while I unload the rest.
how'ya / howaya how are you Howaya doin'?
how're how are How're they all gonna fit in that truck?
howzat how is that Howzat gonna work?
I'd order a parfait if it wasn't so
I I'd I would
expensive.
I'd've I would have I'd've gone if it was closer.
I'laftabe I will have to be I'laftabe quicker'an you!
I'll I will I'll do better'an you!
'im him Ain't gunna do any good for 'im.
I'm I am I'm fine.
Ima / Imana I am [going to] Ima see the dentist tomorrow.
...in' ...ing n/a
inna in a / in the Look inna shop for it.
initiate and then she ate First, she ate the corn, initiate the peas.
isn't is not That isn't funny.
it'll it will It'll be a sunny day.
izzy is he Izzy good?
J jamaican what'cha makin' Jamaican?
jask did you ask Why jask?
jin [are] you in Jin the bathroom?
jlike [did] you like Jlike the movie?
ju do you / did you Wha' ju want?
K 'k o.k. 'k
kinda kind of I'm feelin' kinda hungry.
L lemme let me Lemme use that!
letcha let you Why should I letcha borrow my car?
let'er let her Let'er drift.
...'ll ... will n/a
 lotta lot of I have a lotta fish.
M m' my Yeah, this is m' car.
ma mom I'm home ma!
m'boy my boy C'mere, m'boy.
mighta might have I mighta been able to make that jump.
mustn't must not You mustn't do that.
N 'n' and We need eggs 'n' milk.
'net internet This is some cheap 'net access.
'neverything and everything We'll do, y'know, stuff 'neverything.
'night good night 'Night.
'nother Another There's 'nother rock.
...n't ... not n/a
'nuff enough That's 'nuff.
O o' of That's a big bag o' chips.
o'er over O'er the hills.
offa off of Get offa me!
o'icy Oh, I see O'icy, that's how it works.
omina I'm going to Omina tell you somethin'.
or'd or did He went right, or'd he go left?
oughta ought to I oughta leave.
outta / outa out of Get 'im outta here!
P pa pop (dad) I'm home pa.
'post supposed What am I 'post to do?
praps perhaps Praps that might work.
prolly probably It'll prolly happen.
Q quicker'an quicker than You'laftabe quicker'an that!
R ...'re ... are n/a
robbin' robbing Are ya robbin' me?
S ...'s ... is n/a
'safternoon this afternoon Let's go sometime 'safternoon.
'salmost is almost That 'salmost enough.
'scuse excuse 'Scuse me.
she'd she would She'd like that.
She'd've done better if she had the
she'd've she would have
chance.
she's she is She's really good at cello.
she'sn't she is not She'sn't very good, is she?
shoulda should have I shoulda bought it.
 shouldna /
should not have I shouldna bought it.
shouldn't've
shouldn'ever should not ever You shouldn'ever play with matches.
shouldn'it should it not Shouldn'it be fun?
shouldn't should not I shouldn't eat too much.
should've should have I should've seen that movie.
should'ja should you Should'ja go now?
'sko let us go 'Sko to the store!
smail some mail Just sending off smail here.
s'mlunch some lunch Let's have s'mlunch.
'smornin' this morning Let's go sometime 'smornin'.
snot it is not Snot too bad.
'snothin' it is nothing 'Snothin'.
snow is no / [There] is no Snow way!
s'nuff is enough That s'nuff.
soda sort of It's soda good.
soyacan so you can Soyacan watch anythin' ya want.
somthin' /
something Let's get somthin' tweet.
sumthin'
sorta sort of It's sorta good.
'splain explain Could'ja 'splain it for me?
'spossible it is possible 'Spossible that I could make it.
squeat let us go eat Squeat right now!
stuff's stuff has / stuff is This stuff's been real useful.
summa some of Can I have summa that?
'sup what is up? 'Sup!
swear so, where... Swear we goin'?
switch so, which... Switch place do ya wanna eat at?
T t' / ta to I'm goin' t' the mall.
taka take a I wanna taka shower.
'tar what are 'Tar you doin'?
tater, taters potato, potatoes I'll have some baked taters.
t'day today I'm goin' there t'day.
telpu to help you That won't do much telpu.
temp temperature What's the temp like?
'tever whatever 'Tever.
If there'd be something we want there,
there'd there would
we might go.
there's there is There's nothing there.
they're they are They're here!
 this'll this will This'll do it.
'tis it is 'Tis good.
'tisn't it is not 'Tisn't good.
told'ja / toleja / I toldja hot sauce and oatmeal wouldn't
told you
toldja work together.
to've to have I'd like to've been there.
tryna [are] trying to You tryna rip me off?
tseasy it is easy Tseasy to find food here.
tsnot it is not Tsnot very fun.
'twas it was 'Twas the night before Christmas.
'twasn't it was not 'Twasn't the right thing to do.
tweet to eat Let's get somthin' tweet.
t'yer to your The bathroom is t'yer left.
U uh / a of / a I'll have uh bag uh chips.
W wait'll wait, will Wait'll that do it?
w'all we all W'all better go and help 'im.
wanna / wannu want to I wanna work out at the gym today.
wassamatta /
what is the matter? Wassamatta wit'chu?
whazzamatta
wasson what is on? Wasson the TV?
wassup what is up? Whassup, man?
wat'chout Watch out! Wat'chout for that piano!
weren't were not / was not And that weren't the biggest of 'em.
whaddya /
what do you Whaddya think?
wuddaya
whatchamacallit what you may call it /
Use the whatchamacallit.
/ wuddayacallit what do you call it
whataya what are you Whataya doin'?
whatchu / what do you / what are
Whatchu think?
whatcha you
what'd what did What'd that do?
what'll what will What'll that do?
what're what are What're those?
what's what is What's that?
what'sa what is the / what is a What'sa problem here?
whatta what do Whatta ya think?
whenaya when are you Whenaya gettin' home?
whenja when [did] you Whenja get home?
where'd where did Where'd ya go?
where're where are Where're they?
 who would have thought
whodathunkit Whodathunkit that the butler did it?
it
whodunit / who has done it / who
Whodunit?
whodunnit did it
whosure who is your Whosure daddy?
widjadidja /
with you, did you You didn't bring your truck wijyadidja?
wijyadidja
willya will you Willya let me borrow yo' car?
winta went to I winta get some food.
wit'chu / witchu with you I'm wit'chu.
I wanna get some ice cream after the
wanna / wonna want to
movie.
won't will not I won't eat that burger.
woulda would have I woulda done it.
wouldna /
would not have I wouldna noticed that!
wouldn't've
wouldn'ever would not ever I wouldn'ever think about it!
wouldn'it would it not? Wouldn'it be a good idea?
wouldn't would not I wouldn't mind.
would've would have I would've eaten it.
wud'ja / wudja what did you Wud'ja do this weekend?
wuzzat / wuzat what is that? Wuzzat for?
wuzzis / wuzis what is this? Wuzsis for?
wuwuzat what was that? Wuwuzat???
wuwuzis what was this? Wuwuzis about?
Y ya you Ya doin' good?
Y'ald've done better if y'all practiced
y'ald've you all would have
more.
y'all you all Y'all coming?
y'almost you almost Y'almost hit that car!
y'also you also Y'also think we need some duct tape?
yar you are You think y'ar done, but y'arn't.
yarn't you are not Y'arn't layin' a hand on that pirate booty.
y'awake [are] you awake Y'awake yet?
y'end you end Y'end this now.
yer your Is dat yer truck?
yino / yieno yeah, I know Yieno.
yin you in Yin there?
yit you it I'll give yit.
y'know you know It's like, basically, y'know.
 yo' your Is dat yo' bike?
y'off you off Y'off the phone yet?
y'ont you want Y'ont some juice?
yotta you ought to Yotta call your friend.
you'laftabe you will have to be You'laftabe quicker'an that!
you'll you will You'll want all of these geese?
young'ns young ones Get those young'ns over there.
you'ns you [all] You'ns better get over here!
you're you are You're in the house.
yoosta / yousta /
used to I yoosta be good at golf.
usta
yout you out That'ill help yout.
y'see you see Y'see anythin'?
y'go you go Y'go over there.
y'understand you understand Y'understand?
y'up you up Y'up there?
Z zit is it Zit good?

Have you heard another contraction that isn't listed here? Have you seen one used? Did
you or your friends just make one up?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, you can...

Submit a Contraction!