Gonna vs Going to

“Going to” is used for talking about the future.

But people often use “gonna” in the same way.

Which one is correct?

To learn more, read on.

 

Going to vs Gonna

If you want to learn how to use going to, you can click on the link and see how we use it in everyday English.

In essence, we use it when talking about the future and it is one of the most common expressions in English.

So what’s the difference between “going to” and “gonna”?

The answer is that there is no difference. Both of these words mean exactly the same thing.

The word “gonna” is simply a shorter way of saying “going to”.

But even though there is no difference in meaning, there are two things you need to know about to use the phrases correctly.

 

Pronunciation

“Gonna” is exceedingly common in spoken English all over the world.

It is used in both informal and formal language. Everybody uses it.

“Going to” would only be used when the speaker is trying to make sure that he is understood.

In a relaxed speech, “gonna” is always preferred.

I am going to go to the mall. I’m gonna go to the mall.

Are you going to eat this? A ya gonna eat this?

We are going to order a pizza. We’re gonna order a pizza.

 

Spelling

In writing, “gonna” is considered to be incorrect and should always be spelled as “going to”.

It is a very common spelling mistake made by native and non-native speakers of English.

I am going to go to the mall. I’m gonna go to the mall.

Are you going to eat this? A ya gonna eat this?

However, you can use “gonna” in informal, casual writing. This is because the rules are not strict when we use the language casually and you will encounter “gonna” a lot in those situations.

You can also use it when you are directly quoting someone’s speech, for example, in a dialogue.

And then he asked: ‘Are you going to eat this?’ And then he asked: ‘A ya gonna eat this?’

But other than those two exceptions, “gonna” is wrong and should be avoided.

Make sure to never make that mistake in formal or academic writing. It is a very bad error.

 

Summary

• “Going to” is the correct expression used for talking about the future,
• “Gonna” is used the same way. It is very common in speech, but not correct in writing.