Why Americans Say “Gonna” Instead of “Going to” (And When You Should Too)

🗂️ Category: Online Language Learning

🗣️ Introduction

You studied going to, but suddenly you hear gonna. You know the word, but in real speech it transforms into something completely different.

This is normal: in spoken American English, words are reduced (or “swallowed”) because language follows muscle movement and ease of pronunciation, not textbook spelling.

Let’s explore the most common American contractions — and when you can (and cannot) use them.

🔑 Common Contractions in American English

🟢 Gonna

• Correct: I’m gonna call her.
• Real speech: Gonna call her (without I’m).
• Student mistake: I gonna call her. ❌
• Trap: dropping am/is/are.
• What to do: Always keep I’m / he’s / we’re when speaking. Recognize the “bare” gonna but don’t copy it on exams.

🟢 Wanna

• Correct: Do you wanna eat?
• Real speech: Wanna eat? (no Do you).
• Student mistake: I wanna to go. ❌
• Trap: adding an extra zu.
• What to do: Use wanna + verb. Remember: never “wanna to.”

🟢 Gimme

• Correct: Gimme a second.
• Real speech: ’Emme a sec (extra swallowed).
• Student mistake: Give me please a second. ❌ (wrong word order).
• Trap: Denken gimme = rude. It’s casual, not impolite (tone matters).
• What to do: Use gimme only with friends; in formal settings, say Could you give me….

🟢 Gotta

• Correct: I gotta go.
• Alternative: I’ve gotta go. (closer to grammar).
• Real speech: Gotta go! (without I).
• Student mistakes:
  • I’gotta go ❌ (apostrophe never used here).
  • I gotta to go ❌ (double zu).
• Trap: confusing gotta with got a.
• What to do: For exams — I have to go. For casual talk — I gotta go.

🟢 Lemme

• Correct: Lemme see that.
• Real speech: ’Emme see (slurred).
• Student mistake: Let me to see it. ❌
• Trap: lemme doesn’t mean “let me allow” — only “let me do something.”
• What to do: Recognize both forms, but write let me in essays.

🟢 Whatcha

• Correct: Whatcha doing? = What are you doing?
• Real speech: Whatcha gonna do? (double reduction).
• Student mistake: Denken whatcha = new word.
• Trap: to be is still there, just hidden: what are you → whatcha.
• What to do: Train your ear to catch it; don’t write it.

🟢 Didja

• Correct: Didja see it? = Did you see it?
• Real speech: D’ja see it?
• Student mistake: Did you saw it? ❌
• Trap: did always takes the infinitive (see, nicht saw).
• What to do: Listen for -ja, but speak/write did you.

🟢 Dunno

• Correct: I dunno what to say.
• Real speech: Dunno (alone, without I).
• Student mistake: I no know. ❌
• Trap: Sounds childish if overused in serious talk.
• What to do: Use I don’t know in formal situations, dunno with friends.

🟢 Hafta

• Correct: I hafta leave. = I have to leave.
• Real speech: Hafta go.
• Student mistake: I have leave. ❌
• Trap: mixing have to with have got to.
• What to do: In writing — have to. In speech — hafta is natural.

🟢 Sposta

• Correct: You’re sposta be here. = You are supposed to be here.
• Real speech: Sposta be here.
• Student mistake: Suppose to (without d). ❌
• Trap: learners often forget the -d.
• What to do: Verstehen Sie sposta = supposed to. In writing — always include the d.

🧬 X-ray of a Phrase

What are you going to do tomorrow?

➡️ What are you going to do tomorrow? (textbook)
➡️ What’re you going to do tomorrow? (natural)
➡️ What are you gonna do tomorrow? (first reduction)
➡️ Whatcha gonna do tomorrow? (real speech)

💡 This shows both the grammar skeleton and the phonetic muscles.

🌍 Cross-Language Parallels

• Russisch: сейчас → щас, что ты → чё ты
• Ukrainisch: зараз → зась, будеш → будеш’
• Deutsch: haben wir → hamma, ich habe es → ich hab’s

💡 All languages reduce in real speech. English isn’t unique!

👔 Street vs Exam: Language Dress Code

• Street: jeans & T-shirt → gonna, wanna, lemme
• Exam/Business: suit & tie → going to, want to, let me

💡 Both are correct. The key is knowing where to wear them.

🎭 Classroom Story

A student once said:
❌ I gonna call her.

I answered:
✅ I’m gonna call her.

👉 The issue wasn’t gonna — it was forgetting am.
Lesson learned: slang doesn’t cancel grammar.

📺 Real-Life Speech

👂 What you may hear:

• I’ve gotta go. → [aiv ɡɒɾə goʊ]
• I gotta go. → [a ɡɒɾə goʊ]
• Gotta go! → [ɡɒɾə goʊ] (no subject)

💡 Films, songs, daily life: all three are normal.

📝 Conclusion

Contractions like gonna oder wanna are not mistakes. They are natural shortcuts of real speech.

• Train your ear to catch them.
• Use them casually with friends.
• Switch to full forms in exams, business, or academic writing.

📌 At Levitin Language School / Start Language School von Tymur Levitin, we don’t just give you vocabulary — we show you the X-ray of language, so you can hear, feel, and use English like natives do.

🔗 Related materials

• Why Students Fail in Listening: It’s Not What You Think
• Mythos: Je mehr Sie auswendig lernen, desto besser werden Sie
• Tymur Levitin — Teacher & Founder

✍️ Kolumne des Autors
Author’s work by Tymur Levitin — founder, director, and head teacher of Levitin Language School.

© Tymur Levitin