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.

Answer from Katy on Stack Exchange
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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 13, 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.
Discussions

Is “cannot” a contraction of “can not?” Should you stick with “can not” in formal writing?

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.

I cannot do X.

"Doing X is not within my power."

I can not do X.

"Not doing X is within my power."

More on reddit.com
🌐 r/grammar
26
3
May 13, 2015
Help me understand how “aren’t” is a contraction in this type of usage: “You’re him, aren’t you?”
I think it's easier to understand if you remove the introductory clause and just leave it as, "Aren't you him?" It's true that in modern English, we probably wouldn't ask, "Are not you him?" However, it is grammatical. In Shakespeare's The Tempest, Miranda asks, "Sir, are not you my father?" Over time, the "are not you" got contracted and then the phrase "aren't you" became a common confirmatory tag. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/grammar
125
47
June 2, 2024
Was always told to not use contractions like "don't" "couldn't" "wouldn't" - should I/can I use these if it's a first person teenage PoV who would realistically use these?
Not using contractions is a scholarly writing rule. In fiction writing, you can disregard all those. please use contractions More on reddit.com
🌐 r/writing
28
15
April 15, 2021
Why do contractions sometimes work and sometimes don't? Like in this sentence: "I want to be a doctor like you're." Is there an official rule for this?
Yes! There is a rule! Some contractions, namely ’s (has or is), ’m (am), ’re (are), ’ve (have), ’ll (will), and ’d (had or would) are a type of “weak form” of the word, in which the vowel is reduced. There are some grammatical contexts that require strong forms, and one of those contexts is where the word has prosodic stress, because a word can’t be both stressed and weak. You can see that this is the reason if you look at two ‘ve sentences, one that works and one that doesn’t: We should appreciate what we’ve. This doesn’t work because “have” should be stressed. Yes, we could’ve. This works because “could” is stressed. Wikipedia article on stress and vowel reduction. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/ENGLISH
116
69
June 9, 2023
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.

2 of 2
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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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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Quora
quora.com › What-is-the-short-form-for-could-not
What is the short form for “could not”? - Quora
Answer (1 of 6): The short form, also called a CONTRACTION, for the two-word negative “could not” is COULDN’T. The apostrophe takes the place of the missing letter “O.”
Find elsewhere
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Style Manual
stylemanual.gov.au › grammar-punctuation-and-conventions › shortened-words-and-phrases › contractions
Contractions | Style Manual
It is consistent with the sixth edition requirement not to use full stops with contractions. It changes the recommendation to use a full stop with the contraction ‘no’ for the word ‘number’ (or numero).
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Twinkl
twinkl.co.uk › teaching-wiki › contracted-form
What is a contraction in English? - Definition and Examples
Twinkl's Teaching Wiki gives explanations of common terms and key vocabulary used in teaching, and shows related Twinkl resources for each term.
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San Jose State University
sjsu.edu › writingcenter › docs › handouts › Contractions.pdf pdf
Contractions [pdf]
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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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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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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Cambridge Dictionary
dictionary.cambridge.org › us › grammar › british-grammar › contractions
Contractions - English Grammar Today - Cambridge Dictionary
The following are the most common contractions. ... She is not is contracted to she isn’t or she’s not. I am not is only contracted to I’m not. Not: I’m n’t or I am n’t. They are not is contracted to they aren’t or they’re not. The isn’t / aren’t contractions are more common after nouns.
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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 ·
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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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Learn English
learnenglish.ecenglish.com › lessons › contractions
Contractions | Learn English
Native speakers usually use contractions especially when speaking. We make contractions by connecting two or more words together.
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QuillBot
quillbot.com › home › contractions (grammar) | definition, list & examples
Contractions (Grammar) | Definition, List & Examples
A contraction in English is a word with an apostrophe that combines two words that often go together (e.g., “won’t” for “will not”). The apostrophe represents one or more letters in the second word (e.g., the “o” in “not”). Only certain words can be part of contractions. Most contractions include frequently used verbs (e.g., “is” or “could”).
Published   May 12, 2025