67 cards

Contraction Flashcards

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is not

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All 67 cards

Not: isn't, don't 10

are not The o of not is left out. The swings aren't dry yet.
did not The o of not is left out. The dog didn't bark.
do not The o of not is left out. I don't see the bus.
does not The o of not is left out. The lid doesn't fit.
had not The o of not is left out. It hadn't rained all week.
has not The o of not is left out. The bell hasn't rung.
have not The o of not is left out. We haven't eaten yet.
is not The o of not is left out. This isn't my lunch box.
was not The o of not is left out. The test wasn't long.
were not The o of not is left out. We weren't ready to go.

Not: can't, won't 6

cannot The n and o of cannot are left out. I can't reach the shelf.
could not The o of not is left out. She couldn't stop laughing.
must not The o of not is left out. We mustn't be late.
should not The o of not is left out. This shouldn't take long.
will not The odd one, from wonnot, an old form of will not. The gate won't open.
would not The o of not is left out. The kite wouldn't fly.

Show all 67 cards (51 more)

Am, is, are 10

he is The i of is is left out. He's my cousin.
here is The i of is is left out. Here's your pencil.
I am The a of am is left out. I'm on the red team.
it is The i of is is left out. It's time for lunch.
she is The i of is is left out. She's on the swing.
that is The i of is is left out. That's a tall tree.
there is The i of is is left out. There's a bug on the wall.
they are The a of are is left out. They're in the garden.
we are The a of are is left out. We're almost home.
you are The a of are is left out. You're a fast reader.

Will 8

he will The wi of will is left out. He'll call us later.
I will The wi of will is left out. I'll set the table.
it will The wi of will is left out. It'll be sunny soon.
she will The wi of will is left out. She'll read first.
that will The wi of will is left out. That'll be fun.
they will The wi of will is left out. They'll wait outside.
we will The wi of will is left out. We'll share the paints.
you will The wi of will is left out. You'll need a coat.

Have, has 12

could have The ha of have is left out. I could've walked.
he has The ha of has is left out. He's finished his book.
I have The ha of have is left out. I've lost my mitten.
it has The ha of has is left out. It's stopped snowing.
might have The ha of have is left out. It might've fallen off.
must have The ha of have is left out. You must've grown.
she has The ha of has is left out. She's found her shoe.
should have The ha of have is left out. We should've asked.
they have The ha of have is left out. They've gone home.
we have The ha of have is left out. We've been here before.
would have The ha of have is left out. That would've been fun.
you have The ha of have is left out. You've done it.

Would, had 12

he had The ha of had is left out. He'd been there before.
he would The woul of would is left out. He'd rather walk.
I had The ha of had is left out. I'd already eaten.
I would The woul of would is left out. I'd like some milk.
she had The ha of had is left out. She'd made a kite.
she would The woul of would is left out. She'd be glad to help.
they had The ha of had is left out. They'd met once before.
they would The woul of would is left out. They'd enjoy the zoo.
we had The ha of had is left out. We'd just sat down.
we would The woul of would is left out. We'd like to play too.
you had The ha of had is left out. You'd left by noon.
you would The woul of would is left out. You'd love this game.

What's, let's, o'clock 9

how is The i of is is left out. How's your new puppy?
let us The u of us is left out. Let's race to the gate.
of the clock The f of of and the word the are left out. School starts at nine o'clock.
what is The i of is is left out. What's in the box?
when is The i of is is left out. When's the next bus?
where is The i of is is left out. Where's my other sock?
who is The i of is is left out. Who's your teacher?
who will The wi of will is left out. Who'll feed the fish?
why is The i of is is left out. Why's the sky so red?

How this list was compiled: Own work: the 67 pairs and every example sentence were written for this page. On 2026-10-16 each contraction was read in its own entry in the English Wiktionary (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/don%27t and the same address for each of the others), and a pair is on a card only where that entry gives the long form on the front. The entries give two long forms for he's, she's and it's (is, has) and for I'd, you'd, he'd, she'd, we'd and they'd (would, had), so each of those stands on two cards. Won't is traced there to wonnot, an older form of will not, and o'clock to of the clock. Which letters are left out follows from the two spellings. The article Contraction (grammar) at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contraction_%28grammar%29 was read for what a contraction is. The entries its and should of were read for the two mix-ups, and the grade is from Common Core language standard L.2.2c at https://www.thecorestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/L/2/. Licence: own work

How it works

Contraction flashcards with the two words on the front and the contraction on the back: do not turns over to don't. The 67 cards sit in seven sets by pattern, and the page opens on the first set with not.

Read the full guide

Contractions flashcards in seven sets

Two sets hold not: isn't to hadn't, then can't, won't and four more. Am, is, are runs from I'm to here's, and Will from I'll to that'll. Have, has and Would, had carry the look-alikes: he's is on two cards, once for he is and once for he has, and so is I'd. The last set has the question words, let's and o'clock.

Print the contraction flash cards

Turn a card and the print button comes up under it: 12 cards to a sheet of Letter or A4. Each set fits one sheet and all 67 take six. Printed on both sides and flipped on the long edge, don't lands behind do not.

Should've sounds like should of, but the second word is have.
He's and I'd each stand for two things, and the next word tells which: he's late, he's left.

Questions and answers

What is a contraction?

A shortened form of a word or a group of words, made by leaving out letters. In writing, an apostrophe stands where the letters were: do not becomes don't, and I am becomes I'm.

What two words make won't?

Will not. Won't is the irregular one: it comes from wonnot, an older form of will not, which is why it has an o where will has an i.

What is the difference between it's and its?

It's is a contraction of it is or it has: it's raining, it's stopped. Its is the possessive of it and takes no apostrophe: the tree lost its leaves.

What grade do students learn contractions?

The Common Core State Standards place it in second grade: language standard L.2.2c asks students to use an apostrophe to form contractions and frequently occurring possessives.