We'll or will?
we'll is a contraction meaning “we will”; will is a verb meaning “Used to express the future tense, sometimes with an implication of volition or…”. Use we'll as a contraction and will as a verb. In written English (wordfreq, 2021 data) will is about 36 times as common as we'll.
What is the difference between we'll and will?
| we'll | will | |
|---|---|---|
| Part of speech | contraction | verb, noun |
| Meaning | we will we shall | Used to express the future tense, sometimes with an implication of volition or determination when used in the first person. Compare shall To be able to, to have the capacity to One's independent faculty of choice; the ability to be able to exercise one's choice or intention |
| Example | none recorded | Do not forget, will you? |
| Forms | we'l | willing, would wills, willing, willed |
| Pronunciation | /wiːl/ /wil/ /wi.əl/ | /wɪl/ [wɪɫ] [wɪo̯] |
| In writing | 78 times per million words | 2,818 times per million words |
Sources: we'll and will in the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
Every current meaning of we'll and will
we'll
- 1
we will
- 2
we shall
will
- 1
Used to express the future tense, sometimes with an implication of volition or determination when used in the first person. Compare shall
Do not forget, will you?
- 2
One's independent faculty of choice; the ability to be able to exercise one's choice or intention
Of course, man's will is often regulated by his reason
- 3
To instruct (that something be done) in one's will
- 4
A weak-side linebacker
- 5
To be able to, to have the capacity to
Unfortunately, only one of these gloves will actually fit over my hand
- 6
The act of choosing to do something; a person’s conscious intent or volition
Most creatures have a will to live
- 7
To bequeath (something) to someone in one's will (legal document)
He willed his stamp collection to the local museum
- 8
Expressing a present tense or perfect tense with some conditional or subjective weakening: "will turn out to", "must by inference"
He will be home by now. He always gets home before 6 o'clock
Source: the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); obsolete, archaic, dialect and rare senses left out.
Which is more common, we'll or will?
we'll appears 78 times per million words; will 2,818 times per million words.
we'll 78 times per million wordswill 2,818 times per million words
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).