Language & Communicationfreq: 59Discovered via Dusty Flow
What's
/wɒts/ or /wɑːts/contraction / interrogative pronoun
ELI5 Mode🧒
What's is a contraction of 'what is' or 'what has', commonly used to form questions or indicate possession in a concise way. In modern English, it's a staple of informal communication, speeding up speech and writing while maintaining clarity, though it's often avoided in formal contexts for a more polished tone.
AI-generated·
Did you know?
Contractions like 'what's' have been reshaping English since the 14th century, but their widespread acceptance in written form didn't occur until the 18th century, thanks to printers and grammarians who standardized them—surprisingly, Shakespeare used over 150 contractions in his plays, helping normalize them in literature.
Verified Sources
Your Usage Frequency
59 / 721