Dictionary.com Word FAQs
What two words make the contraction ain't? Is it proper?
Ain't is a contraction of 'am not.' It is not considered proper. Ain't is not accepted by many as it suggests illiteracy and the inability to speak properly. It can be used jokingly. The widely used "aren't I?", though illogical (no one says "I are"), is used in speech, but in writing there is no acceptable substitute for the stilted "am I not?"
