June 2, 2011 - Word of the Day: ain't

Some English teachers will tell you that this isn't a real word, that it represents poor English, but it's so common in spoken English, you must learn about it because you will hear it used. "Ain't" is a contraction of the verb "be" and the adverb, "not."

• She ain't here.
• He ain't going to work today.
• You ain't in the right place.
• They ain't doing their homework.

People who use the word "ain't" are likely to use double negatives, which are not allowed in proper English:

• I ain't got no money.
• The kids ain't had nothing to eat.
• You ain't nothing but a hound dog.

There are more words for you to learn about here.