Cannot or Can Not | Difference, Meaning & Spelling
Cannot (one word) is the negative form of the modal verb “can.” Spelling it as “can not” (two words) is incorrect.
Occasionally, however, you need to use the verb “can” followed by “not” as part of a subsequent phrase (e.g., when using the construction “not only… but also”). So, it’s sometimes correct to write “can” directly followed by “not.”
| Cannot in a sentence | Can not in a sentence |
|---|---|
| I cannot play the piano. I can not play the piano. |
The talented 10-year-old can not only sing but also play the piano. The talented 10-year-old cannot only sing but also play the piano |
| You cannot force me to go to the party. You can not force me to go to the party. |
Nobody’s forcing you; you can not go if you want to. Nobody’s forcing you; you cannot go if you want to. |
Table of contents
Can’t or cannot
Can’t is the contraction (short form) of cannot.
Contractions are shortened forms of word combinations frequently used in speech. For instance, “it’s” is the contraction of “it is,” “wanna” is the contraction of “want to,” and “can’t” is the contraction of “cannot.”
It’s generally best to avoid contractions in formal writing (e.g., academic writing).
| Can’t in a sentence | Cannot in a sentence |
|---|---|
| I can’t find my keys anywhere. | The management cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage of personal items. |
| Can’t you hurry up? We’re going to be late! | However, this theory cannot fully explain the phenomenon in all its complexity. |
Frequently asked questions about can not vs cannot
- How do you spell can’t?
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Can’t (the contraction of “cannot”) is spelled with an apostrophe between the “n” and the “t” (i.e., “cant” is a common misspelling of “can’t”).
Along the same lines, confusion over can not or cannot leads to the common misspelling of “cannot” as “can not” (two words).
The word “cant” (with no apostrophe, and pronounced so it rhymes with “ant”) is an uncountable noun referring to statements that are not genuinely believed by the person who makes them but said because they are the normal, accepted thing to say in the given situation (e.g., “His speech was filled with empty platitudes and cant”).
You can use QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker to help you avoid misspellings and typos such as “cant” for “can’t.”
- Is can’t a word?
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Yes, can’t is the contraction of “cannot” (i.e., the negative form of the modal verb “can”).
It’s generally best to use “cannot” instead of “can’t” in formal writing.
Along the same lines, confusion over cannot vs can not sometimes leads to the misspelling of “cannot” as “can not” (two words instead of one).
“Cant” (with no apostrophe) is a noun referring to statements that the speaker doesn’t really believe in, often made because they are considered the usual, accepted thing to say in the given situation (e.g., “It was nothing more than cant; stock phrases and jargon that told us nothing new”).
You can use QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker to help you avoid missing out apostrophes in contractions like “can’t.”
- What type of word is can’t?
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Can’t is a contraction. It is the contraction of “cannot” (i.e., the negative form of the modal verb “can”).
Other commonly used contractions include “I’m,” “we’ve,” and “mustn’t.”
These short forms are very common in everyday speech, but they are generally avoided in formal writing (e.g., academic writing).
It’s important to note that “cannot” is not a contraction, and cannot and can not are not interchangeable. The correct negative form of “can” is “cannot” (written as one word).
Use QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker to help you use contractions correctly in your writing.
- Is cannot a contraction?
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Cannot is not a contraction. It is the full negative form of the modal verb “can” (e.g., “I cannot attend the meeting today”).
It’s important to note that cannot and can not are not interchangeable.
A contraction is a short form of word combinations we commonly use in speech. For instance, “I’m” is the contraction of “I am,” “let’s” is the contraction of “let us,” and “can’t” is the contraction of “cannot.”
Most contractions have an apostrophe where a part of the full form is left out, but some don’t (e.g., “gonna” for “going to).
We don’t generally use contractions in formal writing (e.g., academic writing).
You can use QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker to help you use contractions appropriately in your writing.
