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 is often a major frustration for 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 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). A-Z A Phonetic Spelling a / uh acoupla ain't ain'tcha algo alotta an' ...'an 'ardly ayatta atom awayzaway B betcha better'an bleev 'bout brudda C can't can'tcha Definition / Origin / Meaning of / a a couple of am not / is not / are not / have not / has not are you not I will go a lot of and ... than hardly I ought to at him / at them a ways away bet you better than believe about brother can not can you not Example I'll have uh bag uh chips. I have acoupla socks 'round here somewhere. I ain't hungry. Ain'tcha done yet? Algo next. I have alotta radishes, and nothin' to make with 'em. Get me some bread an' milk. n/a I can 'ardly understand what he's sayin'. Ayatta show him a thing or two. Up and atom! The last day of school is quite awayzaway, sadly. I betcha five bucks that paper airplane isn't gonna fly. Chocolate is better'an vanilla. I bleev he'll be arrivin' soon. 'Tis 'bout 3 o'clock. He's m' brudda. I can't let you do that, Dave. Can'tcha get me a glass of coffee?

canna cara certainly'd cha chillun 'chother chu c'mere c'mon coulda couldna / couldn't've couldn'ever couldn'it couldn't could've could'ja crect 'cuz D d' ...'d ...'da da dat d'eck dem dent did'ja / didja didn't diff'rn't dis d'jeat d'jyava / jyhava 'drother 'drothers / druthers dodad doin' don't'cha / don'tcha dunnit

can not care of certainly had you children each other [are] you come here come on could have could not have could not ever could it not? could not could have could you correct because the ... would / ... had ... would have the that ...the heck them did not did you did not different this did you eat did you have a I'd rather [What] I'd rather do, dad doing do you not [has] done it / done it

I canna take that class, I'm takin' underwater basket weaving at the same time! I take cara yo' car, you take cara my cat. He certainly'd done that yesterday. Cha can't do that! I'ma takin' the chillun to the zoo tomorrow. Y'all should help 'chother out. Wha' chu doin'? C'mere! C'mon over here! I coulda done that backflip. You couldna possibly done it. You couldn'ever make it. Couldn'it be done? I couldn't see it with all this fog. I could've won that race if I hadn'a hit that penny on the road. Could'ja 'splain it for me? I've gotta go crect some papers. 'Cuz it'd be cool, duh. I'm in d' house. They'd better pick up the pace if they want to win the game! She'da come tonight if she wasn't so busy. They have da best of da best in hot dogs here. Dat is fine. What d'eck? Dem dragonflies are huge! I dent crash the car. Did'ja catch anythin'? It didn't hurt. That's diff'rn't than the other one. Is dis all ya got? D'jeat yet? D'jyava burger or a sandwich? 'Drother be watchin' a movie. If I had my 'drothers, I wouldn't be doin' chores. What will you dodad? How are ya doin'? Pretty cool, don't'cha think? That shoulda dunnit.

dunno ...'d've d'yava E F 'er 'em fi figrout fulla fo' for'em f'yno G g'bye / g'by g'day gimme getcha / gitchu g'night gotcha / gotchu / gotcher gotta gunna / gonna H had'n'edn'edn'yet hafta has'n'edn'edn'yet hava havit hav'n'edn'edn'yet hecka heckalota he'd he'd'a / he'd've here's he's he'sn't hold'em how'ya / howaya how're howzat I I'd I'd've

do not know ... would have do you have a her them if I figure out full of for for them if you know / if I know good bye good day give me get you good night got you / got your [have] got to going to had not even eaten yet have to has not even eaten yet have a have it have not even eaten yet heck of a heck of a lot of he would he would have here is he is he is not hold them how are you how are how is that I would I would have

I dunno. n/a D'yava good time? Let 'er drift. Get 'em! Fi was gonna choose, I'd go for the apple pie. I'll figrout this puzzle soon. You're fulla beans! Is dis fo' me? I was just lookin' for'em. F'yno how to do that problem, then just do it. G'bye! G'day! Gimme five! I'm gunna gitchu fo' dat! G'night everybody! I gotcha now! Gotta go! I'm gonna head over to the store, ya want anything? You had'n'edn'edn'yet? I hafta go soon. He has'n'edn'edn'yet? We hava few snacks inna trunk. D'ya havit here yet? You hav'n'edn'edn'yet? That's one hecka good painting! That's a heckalota pizza! He'd like that. He'd've gone if they didn't sell outta tickets. Here's something that might work. He's fine. He'sn't in this class? Hold'em for a bit while I unload the rest. Howaya doin'? How're they all gonna fit in that truck? Howzat gonna work? I'd order a parfait if it wasn't so expensive. I'd've gone if it was closer.

I'laftabe I'll 'im I'm Ima / Imana ...in' inna initiate isn't it'll izzy J jamaican jask jin jlike ju K L 'k kinda lemme letcha let'er ...'ll lotta M m' ma m'boy mighta mustn't N 'n' 'net 'neverything 'night 'nother ...n't 'nuff O o' o'er offa o'icy omina or'd

I will have to be I will him I am I am [going to] ...ing in a / in the and then she ate is not it will is he what'cha makin' did you ask [are] you in [did] you like do you / did you o.k. kind of let me let you let her ... will lot of my mom my boy might have must not and internet and everything good night Another ... not enough of over off of Oh, I see I'm going to or did

I'laftabe quicker'an you! I'll do better'an you! Ain't gunna do any good for 'im. I'm fine. Ima see the dentist tomorrow. n/a Look inna shop for it. First, she ate the corn, initiate the peas. That isn't funny. It'll be a sunny day. Izzy good? Jamaican? Why jask? Jin the bathroom? Jlike the movie? Wha' ju want? 'k I'm feelin' kinda hungry. Lemme use that! Why should I letcha borrow my car? Let'er drift. n/a I have a lotta fish. Yeah, this is m' car. I'm home ma! C'mere, m'boy. I mighta been able to make that jump. You mustn't do that. We need eggs 'n' milk. This is some cheap 'net access. We'll do, y'know, stuff 'neverything. 'Night. There's 'nother rock. n/a That's 'nuff. That's a big bag o' chips. O'er the hills. Get offa me! O'icy, that's how it works. Omina tell you somethin'. He went right, or'd he go left?

oughta outta / outa P pa 'post praps prolly Q R S quicker'an ...'re robbin' ...'s 'safternoon 'salmost 'scuse she'd she'd've she's she'sn't shoulda shouldna / shouldn't've shouldn'ever shouldn'it shouldn't should've should'ja 'sko smail s'mlunch 'smornin' snot 'snothin' snow s'nuff soda soyacan somthin' / sumthin' sorta 'splain 'spossible squeat stuff's summa

ought to out of pop (dad) supposed perhaps probably quicker than ... are robbing ... is this afternoon is almost excuse she would she would have she is she is not should have should not have should not ever should it not should not should have should you let us go some mail some lunch this morning it is not it is nothing is no / [There] is no is enough sort of so you can something sort of explain it is possible let us go eat stuff has / stuff is some of

I oughta leave. Get 'im outta here! I'm home pa. What am I 'post to do? Praps that might work. It'll prolly happen. You'laftabe quicker'an that! n/a Are ya robbin' me? n/a Let's go sometime 'safternoon. That 'salmost enough. 'Scuse me. She'd like that. She'd've done better if she had the chance. She's really good at cello. She'sn't very good, is she? I shoulda bought it. I shouldna bought it. You shouldn'ever play with matches. Shouldn'it be fun? I shouldn't eat too much. I should've seen that movie. Should'ja go now? 'Sko to the store! Just sending off smail here. Let's have s'mlunch. Let's go sometime 'smornin'. Snot too bad. 'Snothin'. Snow way! That s'nuff. It's soda good. Soyacan watch anythin' ya want. Let's get somthin' tweet. It's sorta good. Could'ja 'splain it for me? 'Spossible that I could make it. Squeat right now! This stuff's been real useful. Can I have summa that?

'sup swear switch T t' / ta taka 'tar tater, taters t'day telpu temp 'tever there'd there's they're this'll 'tis 'tisn't told'ja / toleja / toldja to've tryna tseasy tsnot 'twas 'twasn't tweet t'yer U W uh / a wait'll w'all wanna / wannu wassamatta / whazzamatta wasson wassup wat'chout weren't whaddya / wuddaya whatchamacallit / wuddayacallit whataya

what is up? so, where... so, which... to take a what are potato, potatoes today to help you temperature whatever there would there is they are this will it is it is not told you to have [are] trying to it is easy it is not it was it was not to eat to your of / a wait, will we all want to what is the matter? what is on? what is up? Watch out! were not / was not what what what what do you you may call it / do you call it are you

'Sup! Swear we goin'? Switch place do ya wanna eat at? I'm goin' t' the mall. I wanna taka shower. 'Tar you doin'? I'll have some baked taters. I'm goin' there t'day. That won't do much telpu. What's the temp like? 'Tever. If there'd be something we want there, we might go. There's nothing there. They're here! This'll do it. 'Tis good. 'Tisn't good. I toldja hot sauce and oatmeal wouldn't work together. I'd like to've been there. You tryna rip me off? Tseasy to find food here. Tsnot very fun. 'Twas the night before Christmas. 'Twasn't the right thing to do. Let's get somthin' tweet. The bathroom is t'yer left. I'll have uh bag uh chips. Wait'll that do it? W'all better go and help 'im. I wanna work out at the gym today. Wassamatta wit'chu? Wasson the TV? Whassup, man? Wat'chout for that piano! And that weren't the biggest of 'em. Whaddya think? Use the whatchamacallit. Whataya doin'?

whatchu / whatcha what'd what'll what're what's what'sa whatta whenaya whenja where'd where're whodathunkit whodunit / whodunnit whosure widjadidja / wijyadidja willya winta wit'chu / witchu wanna / wonna won't woulda wouldna / wouldn't've wouldn'ever wouldn'it wouldn't would've wud'ja / wudja wuzzat / wuzat wuzzis / wuzis wuwuzat wuwuzis Y ya y'ald've y'all y'almost y'also yar yarn't y'awake

what do you / what are you what did what will what are what is what is the / what is a what do when are you when [did] you where did where are who would have thought it who has done it / who did it who is your with you, did you will you went to with you want to will not would have would not have would not ever would it not? would not would have what did you what is that? what is this? what was that? what was this? you you all would have you all you almost you also you are you are not [are] you awake

Whatchu think? What'd that do? What'll that do? What're those? What's that? What'sa problem here? Whatta ya think? Whenaya gettin' home? Whenja get home? Where'd ya go? Where're they? Whodathunkit that the butler did it? Whodunit? Whosure daddy? You didn't bring your truck wijyadidja? Willya let me borrow yo' car? I winta get some food. I'm wit'chu. I wanna get some ice cream after the movie. I won't eat that burger. I woulda done it. I wouldna noticed that! I wouldn'ever think about it! Wouldn'it be a good idea? I wouldn't mind. I would've eaten it. Wud'ja do this weekend? Wuzzat for? Wuzsis for? Wuwuzat??? Wuwuzis about? Ya doin' good? Y'ald've done better if y'all practiced more. Y'all coming? Y'almost hit that car! Y'also think we need some duct tape? You think y'ar done, but y'arn't. Y'arn't layin' a hand on that pirate booty. Y'awake yet?

y'end yer yino / yieno yin yit y'know yo' y'off y'ont yotta you'laftabe you'll young'ns you'ns you're yoosta / yousta / usta yout y'see y'go y'understand y'up Z zit

you end your yeah, I know you in you it you know your you off you want you ought to you will have to be you will young ones you [all] you are used to you out you see you go you understand you up is it

Y'end this now. Is dat yer truck? Yieno. Yin there? I'll give yit. It's like, basically, y'know. Is dat yo' bike? Y'off the phone yet? Y'ont some juice? Yotta call your friend. You'laftabe quicker'an that! You'll want all of these geese? Get those young'ns over there. You'ns better get over here! You're in the house. I yoosta be good at golf. That'ill help yout. Y'see anythin'? Y'go over there. Y'understand? Y'up there? Zit good?