Which to use
“don” is a noun and “don't” is a contraction - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,033
- “don” frequency rank
- #8,647
- “don't” frequency rank
- 9680
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | don | don't |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Cosa cualquiera que se da de forma voluntaria y gratuita. | Contracción de do not, no hagas, no hacer... |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set don and don'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: don is [ˈd̪õn] while don't is /dəʊnt/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “don” sits inside “don't”, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs contraction), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 9680, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
don is recorded at frequency rank #1,033, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈd̪õn]. don't is at rank #8,647, tagged as acontraction, pronounced /dəʊnt/.
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 9680, this pair ranks #301,166 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of don vs don't
Shared letters: dno. Private to "don": -. Private to "don't": t.
"don" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "don't" · 4 letters · shape CVCC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "don" and "don't" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "don" or "don't"?
Remembering don vs don't
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “don”; for a contraction, it's “don't”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “don” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable