isn't
Americancontraction
Pronunciation
Isn't is often pronounced in the South Midland and Southern U.S., with , a stop consonant, substituting for , a sibilant. This substitution results from an assimilatory process in which the tip of the tongue, in anticipation of the articulatory position for the following , touches the upper alveolar ridge. This same process gives for wasn't and for business. These pronunciations are heard from speakers on all social levels.
Usage
See contraction.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The committee he leads also isn’t sure which moment it faces.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026
Dylan’s drip isn’t the only thing putting him into the viral bloodstream of the internet.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2026
But your reality show isn’t playing as well as it used to do.
From Salon • Jun. 19, 2026
The best soccer isn’t a contest of skulls, but a contest of intelligence.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026
Maybe Jillian isn’t the only one seeing people with fresh eyes and realizing that people can be more than one thing.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
