Is “contractions” just a fancy term for “shortened words”?

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Handpicked from our Blog for you• Dec 21, 2025

Unavoidable words Is "contractions" just a fancy term for "shortened words"? 3 min. Aside from their use to describe the pains of childbirth, contractions are little shortcuts that make English sound natural and easy in everyday speech. They work by blending words and dropping letters, usually with an apostrophe standing in their place. We all use them daily, often without even thinking about it. Let's take a look at 12 of the most common ones. Read full article

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