Las contracciones están en todas partes en el inglés hablado. I will se vuelve I'll, will not se vuelve won't, should have pasa a should've. Cada contracción tiene su regla de pronunciación, y el apóstrofe es solo una convención de escritura. Con los patrones claros, decirlas y reconocerlas se vuelve fácil.
Categorías de Contracciones
1. Sujeto + Auxiliar (I'm, he's, we'll, they've, she'd)
El auxiliar pierde su vocal y se funde con el pronombre. La regla: pronuncia el pronombre y añade la consonante del auxiliar.
- I am → I'm /aɪm/
- You are → you're /jʊr/ o /jər/
- He is → he's /hiz/
- She is → she's /ʃiz/
- It is → it's /ɪts/
- We are → we're /wɪr/
- They are → they're /ðɛr/ (¡igual que there!)
- I will → I'll /aɪl/
- You will → you'll /jul/
- I have → I've /aɪv/
- I had / I would → I'd /aɪd/
- She would → she'd /ʃid/
2. Contracciones Negativas (don't, won't, wouldn't, isn't)
El auxiliar mantiene su vocal y añade -n't, pronunciado /nt/. En habla rápida, la /t/ cae o se hace golpe glotal y la /n/ pasa a silábica.
- do not → don't /doʊnt/
- does not → doesn't /ˈdʌzənt/
- did not → didn't /ˈdɪdn̩t/
- is not → isn't /ˈɪzənt/
- are not → aren't /ɑrnt/
- was not → wasn't /ˈwʌzənt/
- were not → weren't /wɜrnt/
- have not → haven't /ˈhævənt/
- has not → hasn't /ˈhæzənt/
- will not → won't /woʊnt/ (¡irregular, cambia la vocal!)
- would not → wouldn't /ˈwʊdn̩t/
- should not → shouldn't /ˈʃʊdn̩t/
- could not → couldn't /ˈkʊdn̩t/
- must not → mustn't /ˈmʌsənt/ (/t/ muda en must)
3. Modal + have (should've, would've, could've)
Lo más engañoso: have se reduce a /əv/ y se pega al modal. Muchos escriben «should of», incorrecto en grafía pero correcto en sonido.
- should have → should've /ˈʃʊdəv/
- would have → would've /ˈwʊdəv/
- could have → could've /ˈkʊdəv/
- must have → must've /ˈmʌstəv/
- might have → might've /ˈmaɪtəv/
4. There's, here's, where's, what's
- there is → there's /ðɛrz/
- here is → here's /hɪrz/
- where is → where's /wɛrz/
- what is → what's /wʌts/
- that is → that's /ðæts/
Contracciones de Práctica
Las Engañosas
| Contracción | Expansión | Ojo con |
|---|---|---|
| won't | will not | Vocal /woʊ/, no /wɪ/ |
| they're / their / there | they are / posesivo / lugar | Tres homófonos /ðɛr/ |
| it's / its | it is / posesivo | Ambos /ɪts/ |
| you're / your | you are / posesivo | Ambos /jər/ átonos |
| who's / whose | who is / posesivo | Ambos /huz/ |
| I'd | I had / I would | El contexto decide |
| he'd | he had / he would | Igual que I'd |
Regla de la N Silábica
En las contracciones con -n't, la /n/ forma su propia sílaba sin vocal previa. Didn't no es /ˈdɪ-dənt/ sino /ˈdɪd-n̩t/. Lo mismo en wouldn't, couldn't, shouldn't, hadn't. Decir /ˈdɪ-dent/ con vocal plena te delata.
Caída de /h/ en he, his, him, her
- give him → give 'im /ɡɪvɪm/
- tell her → tell 'er /tɛlər/
- what is he → whatsee /ˈwʌtsi/
Excepciones y Notas
- Ain't es contracción no estándar para am not, is not, are not, has not, have not. Común en habla informal y letras de canción, no en escritura formal.
- 's también significa has. She's gone. = She has gone. Suena igual que she is.
- No se contrae al final de oración. Yes, I am. y no Yes, I'm.
- Importa el acento. I'd love to! es /aɪd/ acentuado; I'd already gone reduce más.
Cómo Practicar
- Toma un diálogo. Contrae todos los auxiliares.
- Léelo en voz alta. ¿Reduces la vocal?
- Grábate y compara.
- Entrena los finales /n̩t/: didn't, wouldn't, couldn't, shouldn't, hadn't.
Puntos Clave
- La contracción es una sola palabra con una pronunciación; el apóstrofe es cosmético.
- -n't suele llevar /n/ silábica y /t/ débil o nula.
- Should've, would've, could've suenan como should of.
- No se contrae al final de frase.
- Dominar las contracciones te hace sonar mucho más natural.