{"id":3245,"date":"2026-07-31T10:28:56","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T10:28:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/?p=3245"},"modified":"2026-10-15T03:30:13","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T03:30:13","slug":"meant-or-meant-the-correct-spelling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/meant-or-meant-the-correct-spelling\/","title":{"rendered":"Meant or Mean&#8217;t? The Correct Spelling Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The correct spelling is &#8220;meant&#8221;, with no apostrophe.<\/strong> <em>Meant<\/em> is the past tense and past participle of the verb <em>mean<\/em>. &#8220;Mean&#8217;t&#8221; is not a word in standard English. This guide explains why people add the apostrophe, how to use <em>meant<\/em> correctly, and how to say the negative (&#8220;I didn&#8217;t mean to&#8221;).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Written by Mitch Rankin, CEO and owner of EnglishForward.com since 2018. Last reviewed 10 October 2026.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why people write &#8220;mean&#8217;t&#8221;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many common negative contractions end in <em>-n&#8217;t<\/em>: <em>can&#8217;t<\/em>, <em>don&#8217;t<\/em>, <em>isn&#8217;t<\/em>, <em>won&#8217;t<\/em>. In these words, the apostrophe replaces letters in the word <em>not<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th>Full form<\/th><th>Contraction<\/th><th>Letters replaced<\/th><\/tr><tr><td>do not<\/td><td>don&#8217;t<\/td><td>o<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>is not<\/td><td>isn&#8217;t<\/td><td>o<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>cannot<\/td><td>can&#8217;t<\/td><td>no<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Meant<\/em> ends in the sound &#8220;-nt&#8221;, and writers sometimes think it is <em>mean + not<\/em>. It is not. It is one word, and there is nothing missing, so there is no apostrophe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The verb <em>mean<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th><\/th><th>Present<\/th><th>Past simple<\/th><th>Past participle<\/th><\/tr><tr><td>Form<\/td><td>mean<\/td><td>meant<\/td><td>meant<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Example<\/td><td>I mean what I say.<\/td><td>I meant to call you yesterday.<\/td><td>She has always meant well.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Mean<\/em> is an irregular verb. Instead of adding <em>-ed<\/em>, it changes its vowel sound (&#8220;meen&#8221; becomes &#8220;ment&#8221;) and adds <em>-t<\/em>. <em>Meant<\/em> rhymes with <em>went<\/em> and <em>sent<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Common uses of <em>meant<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Intended:<\/strong> <em>I meant to call you.<\/em> <em>She didn&#8217;t mean any harm.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Was supposed to:<\/strong> <em>You were meant to arrive at nine.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Had a particular meaning:<\/strong> <em>What he said meant a lot to me.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Was for someone:<\/strong> <em>The gift was meant for you.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to write the negative<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You cannot make a negative by adding <em>n&#8217;t<\/em> to <em>meant<\/em>. Use an auxiliary verb (<em>do<\/em>, <em>did<\/em>, <em>have<\/em>, <em>was<\/em>) with <em>not<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Not correct: <em>I mean&#8217;t to hurt your feelings.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Correct: <em>I didn&#8217;t mean to hurt your feelings.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Correct: <em>I never meant to hurt your feelings.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Correct: <em>She does not mean any harm.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Correct: <em>You weren&#8217;t meant to see that.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Other irregular verbs that end in -t<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many verbs form the past tense in the same way, and none of them takes an apostrophe:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th>Present<\/th><th>Past<\/th><\/tr><tr><td>mean<\/td><td>meant<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>send<\/td><td>sent<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>bend<\/td><td>bent<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>spend<\/td><td>spent<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>lend<\/td><td>lent<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>feel<\/td><td>felt<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>keep<\/td><td>kept<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>sleep<\/td><td>slept<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you are unsure, ask whether you can add an apostrophe to <em>sent<\/em> or <em>kept<\/em>. You can&#8217;t, and the same applies to <em>meant<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Other mistakes with <em>meant<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>&#8220;Ment&#8221;:<\/strong> a common typing error. The word has an <em>a<\/em>: m-e-a-n-t.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>&#8220;Mean&#8221; for &#8220;meant&#8221;:<\/strong> <em>Yesterday I mean to call you<\/em> should be <em>Yesterday I meant to call you<\/em>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Confusing <em>mean<\/em> the adjective:<\/strong> <em>mean<\/em> can also mean &#8220;unkind&#8221; (<em>a mean remark<\/em>). That is a different word, and its comparative is <em>meaner<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Quick memory tricks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Rhyme with <em>went<\/em>.<\/strong> <em>Meant<\/em>, <em>went<\/em>, <em>sent<\/em> and <em>bent<\/em> all end in <em>-ent<\/em> and have no apostrophe.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The &#8220;not&#8221; test.<\/strong> Ask: &#8220;Am I trying to say <em>mean not<\/em>?&#8221; If you are, use <em>didn&#8217;t mean<\/em> or <em>do not mean<\/em>. If you mean the past tense of <em>mean<\/em>, write <em>meant<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Quick quiz<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Choose the correct sentence:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>(a) I mean&#8217;t to tell you. (b) I meant to tell you.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>(a) She never meant to be late. (b) She never mean&#8217;t to be late.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>(a) I didn&#8217;t mean to shout. (b) I didn&#8217;t meant to shout.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Answers: 1. b. 2. a. 3. a. (After &#8220;didn&#8217;t&#8221;, use the base form: mean.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently asked questions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Is &#8220;mean&#8217;t&#8221; ever correct?<\/strong> No. Standard dictionaries list only <em>meant<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Is &#8220;meant&#8221; a contraction?<\/strong> No. It is a complete verb form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Do I say &#8220;didn&#8217;t meant&#8221; or &#8220;didn&#8217;t mean&#8221;?<\/strong> Say &#8220;didn&#8217;t mean&#8221;. After <em>didn&#8217;t<\/em>, use the base form of the verb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What is the past tense of &#8220;mean&#8221;?<\/strong> <em>Meant<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>A common mistake English learners make is adding an apostrophe to meant because they assume it is a contraction of \u201cmean\u201d and \u201cnot\u201d or \u201cmean\u201d and \u201cit.\u201d In fact, \u201cmeant\u201d is the correct spelling of the past tense and past participle of mean, and \u201cmean\u2019t\u201d is incorrect. A useful tip is to remember that apostrophes show possession or omitted letters, not the formation of regular past-tense verbs such as meant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Related guides<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/which-means-how-to-use-it-correctly-in-a-sentence\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&#8220;Which means&#8221;: how to use it correctly<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/years-old-or-years-old-when-the-hyphen-is-required\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&#8220;Year-old&#8221; or &#8220;years old&#8221;? When to use hyphens<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not sure about a word? Ask it in the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/question\/meant-vs-meant-1692037069\">English Forward community thread<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The correct spelling is &#8220;meant&#8221;, with no apostrophe. Meant is the past tense and past participle of the verb mean. &#8220;Mean&#8217;t&#8221; is not a word &#8230; <a title=\"Meant or Mean&#8217;t? The Correct Spelling Explained\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/meant-or-meant-the-correct-spelling\/\" aria-label=\"More on Meant or Mean&#8217;t? The Correct Spelling Explained\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2236,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3245","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","infinite-scroll-item","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Meant or Mean&#039;t? The Correct Spelling Explained - English Forward<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The correct spelling is &quot;meant&quot;, with no apostrophe. &quot;Mean&#039;t&quot; is wrong. 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