Which to use
“innit” is a contraction and “isn't” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #39,861
- “innit” frequency rank
- #376
- “isn't” frequency rank
- 40237
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | innit | isn't |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Contraction of isn't + it. | Contraction of is + not (negative auxiliary). |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set innit and isn't apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: innit is /ˈɪn.ɪt/ while isn't is /ˈɪz.ənt/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (contraction vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 40237, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
innit is recorded at frequency rank #39,861, classified as acontraction, pronounced /ˈɪn.ɪt/. isn't is at rank #376, tagged as averb, pronounced /ˈɪz.ənt/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 40237, this pair ranks #269,383 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of innit vs isn't
Shared letters: int. Private to "innit": -. Private to "isn't": s.
"innit" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC · "isn't" · 4 letters · shape VCCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- innit ← inint · innitt · innti · ninit
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "innit" and "isn't" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "innit" or "isn't"?
Remembering innit vs isn't
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a contraction, it's “innit”; for a verb, it's “isn't”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “innit” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable