wanna

American

[won-uh, waw-nuh] / ˈwɒn ə, ˈwɔ nə /

Informal.

want to.

I wanna get out of here.
want a.

Wanna beer?

wanna British

/ ˈwɒnə /

verb

a spelling of want to intended to reflect a dialectal or informal pronunciation

I wanna go home

"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

Etymology

Origin of wanna

A phonetic spelling representing the pronunciation of want to or want a in continuous rapid speech

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.

From there, the melodically vague “Why You Wanna Fight?” slows the tempo further.

From The Wall Street Journal

“And I wanna know if you guys think I was wrong.”

From Los Angeles Times

“That’s for old people. I wanna battle rap.”

From Los Angeles Times

“I don’t wanna be bought off,” Babikian said.

From Los Angeles Times

“I think it’s an embarrassment to their families — you wanna know the truth — the two of them.”

From Salon

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