Shall and Will - Pronunciation and Contractions

Pronunciation and Contractions

Shall is pronounced in two different ways:

• The non-stressed form: /ʃəl/
• The strong form: /ˈʃæl/

Both shall and will may be contracted to -’ll in affirmative statements (and much less commonly in questions).

The negative form of shall is shall not, for which the contraction may be -’ll not or shan't. Shan't is pronounced /ʃɑːnt/ in England, New Zealand, South Africa etc.; it is pronounced /ʃænt/ in North America (although it is rarely used), and both are acceptable in Australia (due to the unique application of the trap–bath split).

The negative form of will is will not, for which the contraction is -’ll not or won't, e.g. "I'll not go out today" or "I won't go out today".