Common colloquial reductions/contractions in English

Colloquial reductions or phonetic contractions are informal shortenings of words or phrases commonly used in casual speech or writing to make language quicker and more conversational.

They reflect how words are pronounced in relaxed, everyday settings, often blending or dropping sounds. These words are considered informal but commonly used among English speakers, often without consciously being aware of it.

Since these linguistic reductions are informal, they are best suited for casual speech, texts, social media, or dialogue in creative writing. They’re often avoided in formal writing (e.g., essays, reports) unless mimicking speech for stylistic effect. You should also avoid regular contractions (e.g. can’t, don’t) in formal writing as well.

Some have regional variations and cultural nuances. Words like I’ma or ain’t, are tied to specific dialects (Southern U.S.), while others, like gotta, are universal in informal English. The word “y’all” was originally tied to Southern U.S. English but has become widely used across the entire U.S. As English is a living language, usage can change over time.

In addition, pronunciation-driven reductions reflect phonetic patterns, like dropping the “g” in “ing” (somethin’) or blending syllables (wanna). They shouldn’t be considered slang but a natural evolution of spoken language, whereby it is shortened for efficiency.

Examples of colloquial reductions

These contractions are made up of different words: to, of, pronouns + verbs, verbs, and other miscellaneous ways.

Contractions using “to”

These combine a verb with “to,” often dropping letters to reflect pronunciation.

• Gotta (“got to”)
  • Example: “I gotta finish my homework before dinner.”
• Wanna (“want to”)
  • Example: “Do you wanna grab some coffee later?”
• Gonna (“going to”)
  • Example: “She’s gonna call you back tomorrow.”
• Oughta (“ought to”)
  • Example: “You oughta check the weather before leaving.”
• Hafta (“have to”)
  • Example: “We hafta be at the airport by 6 a.m.”
• Hasta (“has to”)
  • Example: “He hasta submit the report by Friday.”
• Sposta (“supposed to”)
  • Example: “I’m sposta meet her at the mall.”
• Useda (“used to”)
  • Example: “I useda live in Chicago before moving here.”

Contractions usiing “of”

These combine words with “of,” often reducing syllables.

• Lotta (“lot of”)
  • Example: “There’s a lotta traffic on the highway today.”
• Kinda (“kind of”)
  • Example: “I’m kinda tired after the long day.”
• Sorta (“sort of”)
  • Example: “It’s sorta like what we discussed earlier.”
• Outta (“out of”)
  • Example: “We’re outta milk, so I’ll grab some.”
• Cupa (“cup of”)
  • Example: “Can you get me a cupa tea?”
• Buncha (“bunch of”)
  • Example: “There’s a buncha kids playing outside.”

Contractions involving pronouns and verbs

These blend pronouns with verbs, often dropping sounds like “have” or “will.”

• I’ma (“I’m going to” or “I am”)
  • Example: “I’ma head to the store real quick.”
  • Note: Common in African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and informal contexts.
• Y’all (“you all”)
  • Example: “Y’all coming to the party tonight?”
  • Note: Common in Southern U.S. English.
• D’ya (“did you” or “do you”)
  • Example: “D’ya see that movie yet?”
• Whaddaya (“what do you”)
  • Example: “Whaddaya think about this plan?”
• Whatcha (“what are you” or “what you”)
  • Example: “Whatcha doing this weekend?”
• Howya (“how are you”)
  • Example: “Hey, howya holding up?”
• Ain’t (“am not,” “is not,” “are not,” “has not,” or “have not”)
  • Example: “I ain’t going if it’s raining.”
  • Note: Highly informal, often stigmatized in formal settings.

Verb-only reductions

These involve shortening verbs or verb phrases without pronouns.

• Dunno (“don’t know”)
  • Example: “I dunno where my keys are.”
• C’mon (“come on”)
  • Example: “C’mon, let’s get moving!”
• Lemme (“let me”)
  • Example: “Lemme try that one more time.”
• Gimme (“give me”)
  • Example: “Gimme a slice of pizza, please.”
• Shoulda (“should have”)
  • Example: “You shoulda told me earlier.”
• Coulda (“could have”)
  • Example: “We coulda won if we tried harder.”
• Woulda (“would have”)
  • Example: “I woulda called, but I forgot.”
• Mighta (“might have”)
  • Example: “She mighta left her phone at home.”

Miscellaneous reductions

These don’t fit neatly into the above categories but are common in casual speech.

• Prolly (“probably”)
  • Example: “I’ll prolly be there around 8.”
• Nuthin’ (“nothing”)
  • Example: “There’s nuthin’ good on TV tonight.”
• Somethin’ (“something”)
  • Example: “I heard somethin’ weird outside.”
• Anythin’ (“anything”)
  • Example: “Is there anythin’ I can help with?”
• Ev’ry (“every”)
  • Example: “I go jogging ev’ry morning.”
• ’Bout (“about”)
  • Example: “It’s ’bout time we started.”
• ’Cause (“because”)
  • Example: “I stayed home ’cause I was sick.”
• ’Em (“them”)
  • Example: “Just tell ’em to wait.”
• ’Nother (“another”)
  • Example: “Let’s try ’nother restaurant.”