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)
  • Rhymes: -ɔːnt, -ɔːtənt, -ɔtn̩t, -ɑtn̩t

Verb

oughtn't

  1. (UK) (US, Canada, dated, rare) ought not (negative auxiliary[1]).

Usage notes

Oughtn't has become rare in North America, and ought not has itself become much less common than it once was there as well.

See also
  • oughten
  • Appendix:English modal verbs
  • Appendix:English tag questions

References
  1. Arnold M. Zwicky and Geoffrey K. Pullum, Cliticization vs. Inflection: English n’t, Language 59 (3), 1983, pp. 502-513
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