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.

And then he asked: “You wanna come in and watch TV?”

From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026

I just wanna drift and go peacefully,” Lueders said, rubbing both eyes before making a drifting gesture with both hands.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

"I know it's the right thing to do but I don't wanna," she repeats, as synths swirl around her.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

“I don’t wanna say ‘too big to fail,’ ” Mr. Spalding says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

That I wanna know that I can do it, that I’m a real Manifestor.

From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas

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