Wiktionary says:

Abbreviation of wollnot or woll + not, negations of archaic form of will.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology agrees:

XVII. contr. of wonnot, assim. of wol not

As to other forms, Etymonline only mentions wynnot:

first recorded mid-15c. as wynnot, later wonnot (1580s) before the modern form [won't] emerged 1660s.

Answer from RegDwigнt on Stack Exchange
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San Jose State University
sjsu.edu › writingcenter › docs › handouts › Contractions.pdf pdf
San José State University Writing Center www.sjsu.edu/writingcenter
Here are some common contractions and the groups of words that they represent. aren’t  are not · there’s  there is; there has · can’t  can not · they’d  they had; they would · couldn’t  could not · they’ll  they will; they shall ·
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/grammar › is “cannot” a contraction of “can not?” should you stick with “can not” in formal writing?
r/grammar on Reddit: Is “cannot” a contraction of “can not?” Should you stick with “can not” in formal writing?
May 12, 2015 - It is a contraction of "can not," but the contraction is perfectly acceptable in formal writing. Moreover, the long and short versions are no longer exactly equivalent in meaning.
People also ask

What is the difference between an abbreviation and a contraction?
Abbreviations and contractions are both used to shorten a word, but in different ways. · An abbreviation is formed using the initial letters (or sometimes other parts) of a longer word or phrase to represent the whole. Common examples include “Mr.” for “Mister,” “Dr.” for “Doctor,” and “NASA” for “National Aeronautics and Space Administration.” They are used in formal writing as well as everyday conversations. · A contraction, on the other hand, is formed by combining two words and omitting one or more letters. The deleted letters are replaced with an apostrophe (e.g., “cannot” becomes “can’t”
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scribbr.com
scribbr.com › home › contractions (grammar) | definition & examples
Contractions (Grammar) | Definition & Examples
What are contractions (words)?
Contractions are short words that are made by combining two words. This is often done by deleting certain letters and replacing them with an apostrophe (e.g., “do not” becomes “don’t”). · Although contractions are common in everyday speech, they should generally be avoided in formal or academic writing. However, there are exceptions (e.g., when writing dialogue in a story or directly quoting an author who uses contractions in your paper). · A good rule of thumb is to consider your audience and the intended effect of your writing when deciding whether to use contractions.
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scribbr.com
scribbr.com › home › contractions (grammar) | definition & examples
Contractions (Grammar) | Definition & Examples
What is the difference between a contraction and a portmanteau?
Contractions and portmanteaus are similar in that they are both formed by combining two words and omitting some letters. However, there is a difference between them: · Contractions usually combine two words that are often used together (e.g., “do not” becomes “don’t”). A contraction has the same meaning as its uncontracted form. · A portmanteau is formed by blending two words together to create a new word with a different meaning. For example, “brunch” is a combination of “breakfast” and “lunch.” This is also called a neologism.
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scribbr.com
scribbr.com › home › contractions (grammar) | definition & examples
Contractions (Grammar) | Definition & Examples
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GCFGlobal
edu.gcfglobal.org › en › grammar › contractions › 1
Grammar: Contractions
For instance, the contraction couldn't means could not. As you can see, the o in not isn't in the word couldn't.
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University of Nevada, Reno
unr.edu › university › writing & speaking center › writing & speaking resources › contractions
Contractions | University Writing & Speaking Center | University of Nevada, Reno
Contractions that take out the second letter of the second word: Note: Contractions that use the word “not” will replace the “o” with an apostrophe (‘). Shouldn’t = Should not · Wouldn’t = Would not · Couldn’t = Could not · Don’t = Do not ·
Top answer
1 of 6
47

Wiktionary says:

Abbreviation of wollnot or woll + not, negations of archaic form of will.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology agrees:

XVII. contr. of wonnot, assim. of wol not

As to other forms, Etymonline only mentions wynnot:

first recorded mid-15c. as wynnot, later wonnot (1580s) before the modern form [won't] emerged 1660s.

2 of 6
42

Won’t actually has a pretty interesting and complex history. Ultimately it does come from a contraction of will and not, but it all happened in a rather roundabout way.

It all started off with the Old English verb willan/wyllan, meaning to will, wish, or want. Even in Old English it was used occasionally to denote a future intent. “Ic wille gan” could mean “I want to go” or “I will go”, depending on context.

Now, the thing about negatives in Old English is that they were often reduced:

na(w)ðer = nahwæðer = ne + hwæðer
neither = not + whether

næfre = ne + æfre
never = not + ever

nabbað = ne + habbað
haven’t = have + not

We nabbað naðor ne hlaf ne wæter.
We have neither bread nor water.

Not comes from naht via noht. Related to nawiht meaning naught, it originally meant in no way, but came to be used as an emphatic form of ne. Subsequently it became unstressed and supplanted ne altogether. This is an example of Jespersen’s Cycle.

All these things combined led to a new negative form of willan, wynnot. The past forms of willan began with wold-, which is where we get would. Under the influence of these forms and the related verb wol, wynnot became wonnot by the late 1500s.

Finally, the modern form won’t emerged by the 1660s as a result of reducing the final vowel in wonnot. It appears to be the first word so contracted; most of the other -n’t contractions we use today (can’t, couldn’t, shouldn’t, &c.) arose in the 1700s, modelled after won’t. In modern English, cannot is the only uncontracted -not compound that survives.

As for the other contractions such as -’ll and -’ve, their history is just as long, though perhaps slightly less convoluted. But that’s a story for a different question. ;)

Also, remember that spelling in Old English was less standardised than in modern English. There were often several equally valid ways to spell the same word, especially when you took different accents and dialects into account. So sometimes it’s difficult to get a good historical account of pronunciation and usage changes. Still, as far as I can tell, this is basically how it went down.

Source: The Online Etymology Dictionary.

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Scribbr
scribbr.com › home › contractions (grammar) | definition & examples
Contractions (Grammar) | Definition & Examples
May 2, 2025 - Examples: ContractionsI can’t speak Spanish. It’s getting dark. They’re not coming for dinner.
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University of Hull Library
libguides.hull.ac.uk › writing › contractions
Contractions - Writing academically - Library at University of Hull
This page gives examples of common contractions and what to use instead. * It is a common misconception that the non-abbreviated form of could've and should've is 'could of' and 'should of'. Please note this is not the case and the full form uses the word 'have'.
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Southern Living
southernliving.com › news › why-is-will-not-conjunction-wont
The Reason The Contraction For Will Not Isn't "Willn't"
December 15, 2023 - Take the contraction for will not, for example. If it were normal (like could not and have not), it would be shortened to willn't instead of won't. You're not alone if you're wondering where the logic is in all that.
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Wikipedia:List_of_English_contractions
Wikipedia:List of English contractions - Wikipedia
This list is part of the internal Wikipedia Manual of Style. For encyclopedic information see English auxiliaries and contractions. This is a list of contractions used in the Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Abbreviations; these are to be avoided anywhere other than in direct quotations in encyclopedic ...
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University of Sussex
sussex.ac.uk › informatics › punctuation › apostrophe › contractions
Contractions : The Apostrophe
In standard English, this generally ... ... Note in each case that the apostrophe appears precisely in the position of the omitted letters: we write can't, not *ca'nt, and aren't, not *are'nt....
Top answer
1 of 2
27

No, double or multiple contractions are not formal.

While some style guides support the moderate use of common contractions, even single contractions are sometimes discouraged in formal writing. See MLA style on contractions and this roundup of views on contractions.

Edit to address some of the points in the comments:

  • In formal writing, it is appropriate to use contractions if you are quoting a line of text or speech that contains contractions, or if the topic you are discussing is the use of contractions.

  • O'clock is standard and formal.

  • Diacritical marks in words like Qur'an, Hawai'i and Xi'an are not contractions and are not discouraged.

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5

I agree with Katy's answer that in quite formal contexts even individual contractions are frowned upon. But, since you ask about double contractions, you may be interested in writing that is informal enough that contractions are acceptable, but still somewhat formal. And, generally, your intuition is valid that doubling up contractions increases the informality. For instance, a news article about trade negotiations is generally written in a fairly formal style, but contractions are often shown in quoted speech. But, if someone said "wouldn't've" out loud, that would show up as "wouldn't have" in the article.

On the other hand, the way you write dialogue in a novel is part of your style. You may want to convey more about how the speech is being delivered than what comes across in standard, cleaned-up prose. I would still advocate restraint. Complicated contractions, like dialect respellings, tend to stand out and can distract the reader.

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QuillBot
quillbot.com › home › is cannot a contraction?
Is cannot a contraction?
March 7, 2025 - Cannot is not a contraction. It is the full negative form of the modal verb “can” (e.g., “I cannot attend the meeting today”). It’s important to note that
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Grammarly
grammarly.com › blog › grammar › contractions
What Are Contractions in Writing? Definition and Examples | Grammarly
August 10, 2022 - Contractions are a unique type of word that combines two or more other words in a shortened form, usually with an apostrophe. Contractions take words that usually go together, like can not or I have, and then remove certain letters to shorten them and make other words, like can’t or I’ve.
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Quora
quora.com › Is-can-t-always-a-contraction-of-cannot-If-so-does-that-mean-a-question-such-as-What-can-t-you-live-without-is-grammatically-incorrect-You-wouldn-t-ask-What-cannot-you-live-without
Is “can’t” always a contraction of “cannot”? If so, does that mean a question such as, “What can’t you live without?” is grammatically in...
Answer (1 of 28): Yes, “can’t” exists in the English language only as a contraction of “cannot.” It has no other meaning. The same is true of isn’t (is not), aren’t (are not), doesn’t (does not) and haven’t (have not). Contractions exist for these very common verbs in the ...
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Quora
quora.com › If-can-t-is-a-contraction-of-cannot-and-won-t-is-a-contraction-of-will-not-then-what-is-ain-t-a-contraction-of
If “can’t” is a contraction of “cannot,” and “won’t” is a contraction of “will not,” then what is “ain’t” a contraction of? - Quora
Answer (1 of 9): From: ain't | Definition of ain't in English by Oxford Dictionaries “I ain’t coming to your party.” - “I’m not coming to your party.” “I ain’t got a penny.” - “I have not got a penny.” “It’s pretty, ain’t it?” - “It’s pretty, isn’t it?” Note though, that although “ain’t” is w...
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Enchanted Learning
enchantedlearning.com › grammar › contractions › index.shtml
Contractions - Enchanted Learning
March 9, 2006 - Some contractions are: I’m (I am), can’t (cannot), how’s (how is), and Ma’am (Madam).
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Quora
quora.com › If-would-ve-could-ve-and-should-ve-are-proper-English-contractions-why-aren-t-wouldn-t-ve-shouldn-t-ve-and-couldn-t-ve
If would’ve, could’ve, and should’ve are proper English contractions, why aren’t wouldn’t’ve, shouldn’t’ve, and couldn’t’ve? - Quora
Answer (1 of 83): I use those words (wouldn’t’ve, shouldn’t’ve and couldn’t’ve) all the time, usually only in speech. But that is only because my writing (although I flatter myself that I try to mime the spoken word) does not often use those words, (Too hard to type for a lazy like ...
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Cambridge Dictionary
dictionary.cambridge.org › grammar › british-grammar › contractions
Contractions - Grammar - Cambridge Dictionary
We use contractions (I’m, we’re) in everyday speech and informal writing. Contractions, which are sometimes called ‘short forms’, commonly combine a pronoun or noun and a verb, or a verb and not, in a shorter form.