isn't

American

[iz-uhnt] / ˈɪz ənt /

contraction of is not.

isn't British

/ ˈɪzənt /

contraction

is not

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

He isn’t endorsing the White House’s line.

From Barron's

Blanchett knows this is a personal decision, and that his strategy isn’t for everyone.

From The Wall Street Journal

“How you save it isn’t typically going to be as impactful.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Other times, the immediate trigger isn’t known.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023