It'll is the contracted form of 'it will' used as a pronoun-subject followed by the contracted auxiliary verb will. In speech it typically functions as a future marker in informal contexts. Phonetically, it encompasses a strong /ɪ/ or reduced vowel in 'it' with a light, unstressed /l/ and a reduced /w/ in the contraction, often realized as /ɪtəl/ or /ɪtl̩/ depending on liaison to the following word.
"It'll rain tomorrow, so bring an umbrella."
"If you hurry, it'll be ready by noon."
"It'll probably take longer than we think."
"It'll be fine once you get used to it."
It'll originates from the contraction of it + will, a common English contraction pattern dating back to Middle English and evolving through Early Modern English. The word 'it' comes from Old English 'hit' or 'hit', with neuter pronouns often undergoing phonetic elision in connected speech. The auxiliary 'will' derives from the Germanic verb for 'to want' or 'to wish' and was historically used to express future tense; in English, 'will' started as a main verb and later reanalyzed as a future auxiliary. Contractions like it'll became increasingly common in the 15th to 17th centuries as spoken English simplified common verb phrases. Pronunciation shifted toward rapid assimilation in connected speech, typically reducing 'will' to a light /l/ and combining final consonants with the preceding vowel or with the following vowel in fluent speech. In American and British varieties, the contraction is widely used in informal registers, with minor variations in vowel quality depending on surrounding phonemes and tempo. First recorded spellings include forms like 'it will' becoming 'it'll' in printed texts from the 17th century onward, reflecting a broader trend toward apostrophe contractions in English. Overall, it'll embodies a pragmatic, time-leaning way to express future action in colloquial speech with a compact phonetic realization.
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Words that rhyme with "It'll"
-tle sounds
-tal sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce it as /ɪtəl/ (US) or /ˈɪt(ə)l/ (UK/AU). The first syllable has a short lax 'i' as in 'kit', the second is a light, unstressed 'l' sound, with a subtle schwa or reduced vowel before the final 'l'. In rapid speech you may hear it reduced to a syllabic /l/ at times, like /ɪl̩/ after attach to a following vowel. Place your tongue high-front for the /ɪ/, lightly touch the tip to the ridge for the /t/, then gently depress the tip and lightly articulate the /l/ with the tongue tip at the alveolar ridge. IPA notes: US /ɪtəl/; UK/AU /ˈɪt(ə)l/. Audio reference: listen to fast conversation where 'It'll' blends with 'be' or 'rain' for natural rhythm.
Common errors include over-articulating the /t/ making it a full stop sound (/ɪtɪl/), and adding extra vowel length before the final /l/ (/ɪtɛl/). Another mistake is pronouncing a full vowel before the final /l/ rather than a reduced vowel, leading to /ɪtəɫ/ with unnecessary diphthongs. To correct: keep the /ɪ/ short, quickly release the /t/, then swiftly slide into a light, syllabic or near-syllabic /l/ with minimal vowel between. Practice with minimal pairs like it’ll versus it will to ingrain the contracted rhythm.
US tends to flap or alveolar tap in connected speech, making /t/ or /d/ sound like a quick /ɾ/ when between vowels, but in 'It'll' the /t/ is often released as a stop before the final /l/. UK typically preserves a crisper /t/ and a lighter, non-voiced or lightly voiced /l/ with less vowel reduction. Australian English mirrors UK patterns but with slightly more vowel reduction and a more pronounced schwa in the middle vowel for comfort. In all, the vowel in the middle is reduced (often /ə/ or /ɪ/), and the final /l/ remains light; the biggest differences are the quality of the middle vowel and the possible alveolar tap in rapid US speech.
The difficulty lies in balancing a brief, stressed onset with a very light, liquid final consonant in a contracted form. You have to contract two phonemes into a compact sequence: a short /ɪ/ vowel, a quick /t/ release, and a barely audible or syllabic /l/. In fast speech the middle vowel is often reduced, and the /t/ may blend with the following vowel, creating a near-syllabic /l/ or even /ɾ/ in US speech. Mastery requires exact timing and coordination of tongue-tip position and voicing, with minimal vowel length. IPA cues help you rehearse by comfort rather than force.
The unique feature of it'll is the phonetic elision that creates a near-syllabic or syllabic /l/ after a very short /ɪ/ and a near-instant /t/ release. You’ll focus on the rapid transition from /ɪ/ to /t/ to /l/ without a full vowel between. This contraction also often triggers vowel reduction depending on surrounding sounds, so listen for a quick, light middle vowel (or its absence) and a faint boundary before the following word. Practicing with connected phrases like ‘It’ll be’ helps stabilize the rhythm and reduces over-articulation.
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