shan't
/ʃænt/obsolete
shan't is spelled S-H-A-N-T: 5 letters. It appears about once in every 6 million words in written English, the 74,980th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, shan't means “Contraction of shall + not (negative auxiliary)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in shan't?
| Letters | 5: S-H-A-N-T |
|---|---|
| In writing | about once in every 6 million words; the 74,980th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is shan't?
Shan't appears about once in every 6 million words in written English, the 74,980th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce shan't?
- UK /ʃɑːnt/
- /ʃant/
- US /ʃænt/
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-shan't.wav, En-us-shan't.oga, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with shan't
Also written: shall.
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
What rhymes with shan't?
10 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as shan't from its last stressed vowel (/ænt/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of shan't
- shalln't
- sha'n't
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does shan't mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
CanadaIrelandUKarchaiccolloquialdatedContraction of shall + not (negative auxiliary).
I shan't be coming back after the way you've treated me today.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Where does shan't come from?
From shall + -n't; contraction of shalln't or shall not, historically via shannot.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).