Wont!

[Florence Fennel]

I do a bit of part time work transcribing from audio tapes for Consultant Physicians and I am always uncomfortable when they dictate "wont". I never type it, I convert it to "will not" and not one of them have ever insisted upon it being changed back. What do you think all you grammar gurus?

[Bigmallly]

I think the Consultants know that you'll (sorry you will )change it & are taking the mik........

[Florence Fennel]

Don't think I've made myself clear here. Wont is a past participle of a now obsolete verb meaning "accustomed", or a noun meaning "custom" or "habit" (as is his wont). I don't think it should be used as an abbreviation of will not?

[OllieMartin]

My Dad doesn't believe in "can't" "won't" etc. My mum always used to say "there's no such word as can't" to stop me saying I can't do something. (Didn't take long to work out that there was a word "cannot"!)
I don't mind either way. The purpose of language is to convey meaning, if it does that, it's not too important how you use it.

My mum once typed up my grandad's memoirs and was suprised to hear him pronounce "data" as "darta" in the American style. Turned out he only did it so she didn't confuse it with "date" if the recording was bad.

[Florence Fennel]

My Dad doesn't believe in "can't" "won't" etc. My mum always used to say "there's no such word as can't" to stop me saying I can't do something. (Didn't take long to work out that there was a word "cannot"!)
I don't mind either way. The purpose of language is to convey meaning, if it does that, it's not too important how you use it.

My mum once typed up my grandad's memoirs and was suprised to hear him pronounce "data" as "darta" in the American style. Turned out he only did it so she didn't confuse it with "date" if the recording was bad.

Thought you'd be along soon Ollie - so where would you put the apostrophe in wont, to signify will not?

[OllieMartin]

Thought you'd be along soon Ollie - so where would you put the apostrophe in wont, to signify will not?

Sorry, think I misunderstood what you were saying as well.
"wont" and "won't" are two different words (or three depending on how you see "won't"). "wont" is pronounced "want", so it should be clear which one they mean. In text the apostrophe should define the difference.

I'm no definitive source though. That's just my understanding. I would have thought "wont" was an archaic word which is out of use these days.

[Florence Fennel]

Is "won't" the abbreviated form of "would not", maybe that's what I am missing here? Sorry, still don't get it, think I may as well give up!

[HotStuff]

So maybe we should say win't?

[OllieMartin]

Is "won't" the abbreviated form of "would not", maybe that's what I am missing here? Sorry, still don't get it, think I may as well give up!

"won't" is an abbreviation of "will not" (techinically it should be "w'n't" if we're using apostrophes religiously!)
"wouldn't" is the accepted abbreviation of "would not"

As ever there are different standards. "shall not" has been written "sha'n't" as well as the more accepted "shan't".
Some people don't accept abbreviations at all and technically you should write things in full if you're being totally professional. My Dad doesn't accept "adverts" and will rebuke me if I don't call them "advertisments" (Also have to pronounce it 'adver-tiss-ments' not 'add-vertize-ments', that would get me a slap!)

[zazen999]

It's been around a while though....

won't - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

As with everything, it all depends on the context.

[Bigmallly]

English must be such a hard language to learn. Not only do we have lazy apostrophes but also words that sound the same with different spellings. i.e coughing, coffin. brough, brow or is it brough bruff?

[OllieMartin]

English must be such a hard language to learn. Not only do we have lazy apostrophes but also words that sound the same with different spellings. i.e coughing, coffin. brough, brow or is it brough bruff?

You think that's ambiguous. Check out the definition for the word "set":
Set Definition | Definition of Set at Dictionary.com
99 different definitions!

[Bigmallly]

You think that's ambiguous. Check out the definition for the word "set":
Set Definition | Definition of Set at Dictionary.com
99 different definitions!

Think I will learn a different language & emigrate......

[Florence Fennel]

"won't" is an abbreviation of "will not" (techinically it should be "w'n't" if we're using apostrophes religiously!)
"wouldn't" is the accepted abbreviation of "would not"

As ever there are different standards. "shall not" has been written "sha'n't" as well as the more accepted "shan't".
Some people don't accept abbreviations at all and technically you should write things in full if you're being totally professional. My Dad doesn't accept "adverts" and will rebuke me if I don't call them "advertisments" (Also have to pronounce it 'adver-tiss-ments' not 'add-vertize-ments', that would get me a slap!)

You are getting another rebuke - you've misspelt the ads! In Yorkshire we have "waint" for will not. Just thought I'd put that in as an aside.

[Flummery]

It's winnot in some parts!
If they say won't and mean will not and you are typing wont, you are not putting what they mean. They mean won't WITH the apostrophe.