Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

-n't

/(ə)nt/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.58 in modern English

Syllables: -n't
IPA: /(ə)nt/

2

Scrabble Score

2

Letters

2

Syllables

2

Unique Chars

Meaning

suffix

Negates the meaning of the clause in which it occurs.

Example Sentences

"It is a beautiful bouquet! You needn't've bothered, thank you."

Etymology

From both univerbations of not and some preceding words (see usage notes), with following elision of the medial vowel, as well as univerbations of already reduced n't with preceding words.

Inflected Forms

-'nt (alternative, obsolete)

Questions

How do you pronounce -n't?: The recorded pronunciation is /(ə)nt/.
What does -n't mean?: Negates the meaning of the clause in which it occurs.
Where does -n't come from?: From both univerbations of not and some preceding words (see usage notes), with following elision of the medial vowel, as well as univerbations of already reduced n't with preceding words.

How to pronounce -n't

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “-n't”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/(ə)nt/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “-n't”.
Repeat and practice — Say “-n't” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.