oughtn't
English
Etymology
ought + -n't
Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA(key): /ɔːnt/, /ˈɔː.tənt/
- (US) IPA(key): /ˈɔt.n̩t/, (cot-cought merger) /ˈɑt.n̩t/
Audio (US) (file)
Verb
oughtn't
- (Britain) (US, Canada, dated, rare) ought not (negative auxiliary[1]).
Usage notes
Both oughtn't and ought not have become rare in North America. Oughtn't in particular may not be understood.
See also
- oughten
- Appendix:English modal verbs
- Appendix:English tag questions
References
- Arnold M. Zwicky and Geoffrey K. Pullum, Cliticization vs. Inflection: English n’t, Language 59 (3), 1983, pp. 502-513