Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

'twas

/twʌz/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.01 in modern English

Syllables: 't-was
IPA: /twʌz/

7

Scrabble Score

4

Letters

2

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

contraction

Contraction of it + was, often at the beginning of a line.

Archaic

Example Sentences

"’Twas the Night Before Christmas"
"’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, / […]"
"’Twas the night before Christmas, […]"
"’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves / Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; / […]"
"'Twas early June, the new grass was flourishing everywheres, the posies in the yard—peonies and such—in full bloom, the sun was shining, and the water of the bay was blue, with light green streaks where the shoal showed."
"’Twas the first of many feats so great, A legend through and through. We sing of him, Artorigus, the Noble and the brave."

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /twʌz/
British English: /twɒz/

Usage

Archaic

Frequently Paired Words

'twere 'tweren't 'tis 'tisn't 'twill 'tshall it'll 'twon't

Antonyms

’twasn’t

Rhymes With

'cause cuzz bruzz chuzz

Questions

How do you pronounce 'twas?: The recorded pronunciation is /twʌz/.
What does 'twas mean?: Contraction of it + was, often at the beginning of a line.

How to pronounce 'twas

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “'twas”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/twʌz/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “'twas”.
Repeat and practice — Say “'twas” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.