Unavoidable words

Behold, the mighty apostrophe! The tiny symbol makes us all talk faster

Image: Vitaly Gariev

Aside from their use to describe the pains of childbirth, contractions are little shortcuts that make English sound natural and easy in everyday speech. They work by blending words and dropping letters, usually with an apostrophe standing in their place. We all use them daily, often without even thinking about it. Let’s take a look at 12 of the most common ones.

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The first item on our list is the contraction of "I am." It entered English centuries ago, as speakers sought smoother and faster ways to communicate. Here, the apostrophe replaces the missing "a."

Today, "I’m" is one of the most common contractions in both conversation and casual writing. You’ll hear it everywhere—from introductions like "I’m John" to everyday statements such as "I’m hungry."

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"You’re" blends "you are" into a quicker form. The apostrophe stands in for the dropped "a." Its use became widespread in both spoken and written English over time.

Today, "you’re" is essential in everyday communication. Whether in texts, casual notes, or speech, most people favor it over the more formal "you are" in informal settings.

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"He’s" is the contraction of either "he is" or "he has." The meaning depends on context: "He’s running" means "he is running," while "He’s gone" means "he has gone."

It’s one of the most common spoken contractions, helping speech and writing sound more natural. You’ll see it in conversations, books, and movies, adding natural flow.

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There’s no "he’s" without a "she’s." This contraction can mean "she is" or "she has," depending on how it’s used. Like many others, it reflects the natural rhythm of spoken English.

Like its masculine counterpart, "she’s" is an everyday staple, heard in phrases like "She’s ready" or "She’s been there." It makes speech and writing quicker, more direct, and more conversational.

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"It’s" is the contraction of either "it is" or "it has," with the apostrophe marking the missing letter. It is often confused with its, the possessive form (as in "The dog wagged its tail").

In current use, "it’s" is one of the most common contractions in English, referring to things or animals. Common sentences like "It’s cold outside" or "It’s been fun" show just how indispensable it is.

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"We’re" is the contraction of "we are," with the apostrophe replacing the missing "a." It has been in use for centuries as a way to make speech and writing smoother and more efficient

Today, "we’re" is common in everyday English, especially in collaborative or group contexts. You’ll hear it in phrases like "We’re going out" or "We’re ready."

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"They’re" blends "they are," again with the apostrophe marking the missing letters. It’s often confused with the homophones their (possessive) and there (location), which makes it challenging for many learners.

Today, "they’re" is frequently used in both speech and informal writing. Common examples include "They’re happy" and "They’re working," showing how practical and natural the contraction is in everyday English.

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"Don’t" is the shortened form of "do not." Its first known use dates back to the 17th century, when written English began reflecting casual speech.

Today, it’s one of the most common negative contractions. You’ll hear it everywhere, in phrases like "Don’t worry," "Don’t move," and "Don’t forget." It may be informal, but it’s practically universal.

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"Can’t" contracts "cannot," with the apostrophe replacing the missing "no." This form has been part of spoken English for centuries, reflecting natural speech patterns.

Today, it’s one of the most common contractions, used to express inability or prohibition. Phrases like "I can’t swim" or "You can’t do that" are everyday examples of its use.

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The third and final negative contraction on this list, "won’t," is the shortened version of "will not." Unlike most contractions, it does not follow the usual pattern of dropping letters, as it evolved from older English forms such as "wonnot" or "wynnot."

Currently, "won’t" is one of the most familiar negative contractions. Frequently used in speech and writing, it appears in everyday phrases like "I won’t go" or "He won’t listen."

Image: Tonia Kraakman

"I’ve" shortens "I have," usually when "have" acts as an auxiliary verb. The contraction drops the "ha" and replaces it with an apostrophe.

Today, "I’ve" is commonly used in casual speech: for example, "I’ve seen that movie" or "I’ve been there." It helps make everyday expressions smoother and more natural.

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"Let’s" comes from "let us," and has been used for centuries to invite joint action. The apostrophe shows the missing "u."

Today, "let’s" is common in casual English. From "Let’s go" to "Let’s see," it provides a friendly, inclusive way to suggest doing something together.

Some names stick around

From Table Tap Joe to Ziggy Stardust: Who are the best song characters?

Sometimes, a character is the perfect alter-ego to write a song about oneself without self-referencing so much. Other times, a character is just a character. Over the years, musicians have come up with lonely dreamers, fearless heroes, mysterious strangers, and even supernatural villains who have become just as famous as the songs themselves. Some were inspired by real people, others sprang entirely from imagination, but all of them left a lasting mark on music history. Which of these 12 do you remember?

Tom Waits has always had a soft spot for society's oddballs, and few are even stranger than Table Top Joe. Introduced on the 2002 album Alice, Joe is born with only a head and hands, yet grows into a brilliant piano player whose extraordinary talent earns him fame despite the odds stacked against him.

The song unfolds like a forgotten American folk tale, complete with references to Coney Island's legendary Dreamland amusement park and composer Igor Stravinsky. Although many listeners assume the story is based on an old carnival legend, Table Top Joe is entirely Tom Waits' own creation.

Few fictional musicians have ever become as famous as Ziggy Stardust. Introduced in 1972, Ziggy is an alien rock star sent to Earth shortly before humanity's end, only to be consumed by the very fame that makes him a savior to millions.

David Bowie blurred the line between fiction and reality by performing as Ziggy onstage for more than a year. When he unexpectedly announced Ziggy's retirement during a concert at London's Hammersmith Odeon in 1973, many fans believed the character, and perhaps Bowie himself, had truly reached the end of the story.

Tommy Walker isn't just the hero of a song, he's the central figure of one of rock music's first great operas. After witnessing a traumatic event as a child, Tommy becomes deaf, mute, and blind, yet somehow develops astonishing pinball skills that transform him into an unlikely celebrity.

Pete Townshend built an entire musical world around Tommy, exploring themes of trauma, faith, and redemption. First released in 1969, Tommy later became a hit film, a Broadway production, and one of the most influential concept albums ever recorded.

Johnny B. Goode is every aspiring musician's dream. Growing up in rural Louisiana with little more than a guitar and natural talent, he plays so brilliantly that listeners predict "his name will be in lights."

Chuck Berry based the character partly on himself and partly on pianist Johnnie Johnson. Originally described as a "colored boy," Johnny became a "country boy" in the final lyrics, making the song more likely to receive airplay during the segregation era. Nearly two decades later, Johnny's anthem would even travel into space aboard NASA's Voyager Golden Record.

Few fictional characters have captured loneliness as powerfully as Eleanor Rigby. She quietly moves through life unnoticed, while Father McKenzie delivers sermons that no one hears, creating one of popular music's saddest portraits of isolation.

Paul McCartney later explained that Eleanor's name came from actress Eleanor Bron and the Liverpool shop Rigby & Evens. The discovery of an actual Eleanor Rigby gravestone in Liverpool only deepened the song's mystique, though McCartney maintained the coincidence was unintentional.

Billie Jean may be one of pop music's most famous women, yet Michael Jackson insisted she wasn't a real person. Instead, she represented several women who falsely claimed that he had fathered their children during the height of the Jackson 5's fame.

Released in 1983 as part of Thriller, the song became a global phenomenon. It also provided the stage for Jackson's legendary moonwalk during Motown 25.

Unlike many legendary song characters, Stagger Lee actually existed. His real name was Lee Shelton, a St. Louis criminal who murdered Billy Lyons during an argument over a hat on Christmas Eve in 1895.

The shocking crime quickly entered American folklore through countless folk songs before Lloyd Price transformed it into a chart-topping hit in 1958. More than a century later, Stagger Lee remains one of the most enduring antiheroes in American music.

Tom Dooley was inspired by Thomas Dula, a Confederate veteran executed in North Carolina in 1868 after being convicted of murdering Laura Foster. His surname was locally pronounced "Dooley," giving the ballad its familiar title.

The Kingston Trio revived the old Appalachian folk song in 1958, turning it into an international hit and helping launch America's folk music revival.

When the narrator of "Lola" meets an intriguing stranger in a Soho nightclub, expectations quickly give way to surprise. Ray Davies crafted one of rock's earliest mainstream stories exploring gender ambiguity, decades before the topic entered popular conversation.

The recording rarely reached British radio. Because BBC rules prohibited commercial product names, Davies had to interrupt a U.S. tour and fly back to London simply to replace the lyric "Coca-Cola" with the now-famous "cherry cola."

Unlike most famous song characters, the Piano Man is really Billy Joel himself. Before becoming a superstar, Joel spent six months in 1972 and 1973 performing under the pseudonym Bill Martin at the Executive Room, a piano bar in Los Angeles, after becoming trapped in a bad recording contract. The song transforms those experiences into a bittersweet portrait of ordinary people searching for escape at the end of another week.

Joel has said that virtually every character in the song was based on a real person, from bartender John to "Paul, the real estate novelist" and Davy, who really was in the Navy. Yet the Piano Man himself became the story's most enduring character: a quiet observer who offers music as a brief refuge for dreamers, lonely souls, and regulars alike. More than fifty years after its 1973 release, "Piano Man" remains Billy Joel's signature song, and its title has effectively become his lifelong nickname.

Standing nearly seven feet tall and missing an arm, Amos Moses roams the Louisiana swamps hunting alligators. Jerry Reed filled the song with colorful Southern expressions and exaggerated storytelling that make Amos feel like an authentic folk legend.

Although fictional, Amos embodies the larger-than-life heroes found throughout American tall tales. His adventures turned the song into one of Reed's biggest crossover hits and secured Amos a permanent place among country music's greatest characters.

Big Bad John hardly says a word, but he doesn't have to. The towering coal miner earns everyone's respect through quiet strength before sacrificing his own life to save fellow workers when a mine collapses.

Jimmy Dean's 1961 ballad became a smash hit, winning a Grammy and inspiring several sequel songs. More than sixty years later, Big Bad John still stands as one of country music's defining working-class heroes.