Alternative Spelling guide

'twas

contraction · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

This record is a supporting form or spelling variant of it. Use the canonical entry for the main definition and word-family path.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation, UK: /twɒz/
  • General-American, US: /twʌz/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɒz
  • rhymes with -ʌz
  • CMU ARPABET: T W AH1 Z Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

contraction

Meaning 1

Contraction of it + was, often at the beginning of a line.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, archaic, contraction, poetic

Examples

  • ’Twas the Night Before Christmas

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.