isn't

[ iz-uhnt ]

  1. contraction of is not.

usage note For isn't

pronunciation note For isn't

Isn't is often pronounced [id-nt] /ˈɪd nt/ in the South Midland and Southern U.S., with [d], /d/, a stop consonant, substituting for [z], /z/, a sibilant. This substitution results from an assimilatory process in which the tip of the tongue, in anticipation of the articulatory position for the following [n], /n/, touches the upper alveolar ridge. This same process gives [wuhd-nt] /ˈwʌd nt/ for wasn't and [bid-nis] /ˈbɪd nɪs/ for business. These pronunciations are heard from speakers on all social levels.

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British Dictionary definitions for isn't

isn't

/ (ˈɪzənt) /


contraction of
  1. is not

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012