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Can I contract "Where are" to "Where're"?

Even if it's not wrong, it's unusual?

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    See Using the contraction of “are”
    – user3169
    Jul 30, 2015 at 21:05
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    This is a bit off-topic, but English contractions can get weird
    – Scott Baker
    Jul 30, 2015 at 23:11
  • It's pretty common in spoken English. When transcribed, often people will write "Where you going?" or "Where ya going?" instead of "Where're you going?".
    – Chris Down
    Jul 31, 2015 at 1:06
  • @ScottSEA Thanks for the link, the awkwardness of where're is nothing compared to those!
    – talles
    Jul 31, 2015 at 3:11
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    @talles Out of those, the ones that reduce both "not" and "have" are probably the most common, but I think they are more common in British English (mightn't've, wouldn't've, etc). Also, where I live in the Deep South, "d'y'all" is quite common. There are many that I have never even seen or conceived of on that list though.
    – Crazy Eyes
    Jul 31, 2015 at 16:01

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It's not as unusual as you think, and it's not even very awkward to say (at least to me, being a native English speaker).

It is indeed contracted just like that, "where're."

"Where're you going?" is probably the most common usage. Remember contractions are always considered at least a little informal, so don't say this if you're trying to deliver grave news or a formal speech.

I don't keep statistics, but if I had to guess I would say that where're is not as popular as it once was in vernacular. I think it's also more commonly said by children, who sometimes slur syllables together since they're not as experienced using the language.

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  • +1 Note that this is eye dialect and doesn't reflect the actual pronunciation, which is more like /'hwɛɹ̥/, with an extended /ɛ/ and a strongly syllabic /ɹ̥/
    – StoneyB on hiatus
    Jul 30, 2015 at 21:47
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In informal spoken English, sure. But I wouldn't use the contraction in written English (I never see it written), unless you're writing dialogue.

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  • Yeah, people don't write where're very much, even though reducing are in speech is very common.
    – user230
    Jul 30, 2015 at 22:27
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Yes it's fine.

Note that in non-rhotic English, "where're" is pronounced "where-ə"

"Where-ə you going?"

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