Contractions with "not" are shortened forms of a verb followed by the word not. An apostrophe (‘) replaces the missing letter o in not.
Remember: the apostrophe takes the place of the missing o in not.
To form a contraction with not, combine the verb and the word not, then replace the missing letter o with an apostrophe.
Always check that the apostrophe replaces the missing letter correctly.
Here are some contractions with not that you will often see in reading and writing:
Most contractions follow the same pattern, but some are irregular. For example, will not becomes won’t instead of willn’t.
When you use contractions in sentences, they make your writing sound more natural and conversational.
Try reading the sentence aloud. If the contraction sounds natural and keeps the same meaning, it is correct.
Contractions with not are used often in both speech and writing. Knowing them helps you read more fluently and write more clearly.
Understanding contractions will also help you when reading stories, articles, and conversations in books.