Woman's or Womans' or Womans: Which is Correct?

Are you wondering which to use the words ‘womans,’ ‘woman’s’ or ‘womans’’? We can help you make the right choice, so your writing doesn’t suffer. We can also teach you how to use the correct version of this word in a sentence, as well as pronounce it correctly.

Need an answer immediately? The quick answer is:

• The correct version of this word is woman’s. The word can be a contraction for ‘woman is,’ and it can also show possession (i.e., 'the woman’s coat').
• Womans is incorrect.
• Womans' is incorrect.

Therefore, you should avoid using them in your writing. And make sure you don’t use ‘women’s' in the place of ‘woman’s' because they don’t mean the exact same thing.

'Woman’s' Versus 'Women’s'

We’ve just discussed how ‘woman’s’ is the only correct version of the three mentioned.

But what about ‘women’s?’

The plural possessive form of women is women’s.

For example:

‘Look at that women’s jacket in the window. I think I want one.’

However, ‘woman’s’ is the singular possessive form of woman.

For example:

‘Look at that woman’s jacket. She looks cute in it.’

Womans or Woman’s or Womans’ – English Grammar Explained  

As we just went over, the only correct way to say or write this phrase is ‘woman’s.’

The correct plural version of woman is women, not ‘womans.’

It doesn’t follow the standard rules for pluralization in the English language for nouns, which state that you should add an ‘s’ or ‘es’ to the end of a word to make it plural.

However, ‘woman’s’ can be a contraction (meaning ‘woman is’), or it can be used to show possession.

For example:

‘That woman’s dress is so tacky. I wonder where she bought it.’

Definition and Meaning of ‘Woman’s’

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines ‘woman’ as:

• An adult female person or distinctively feminine nature.
• It can be used to describe womanliness and womankind.
• It could also mean a servant or personal attendant.

Wives, girlfriends, and mistresses are all women. You might have also heard the term lady.

Pronunciation: How to Pronounce ‘Woman’s’

Are you unsure of how to pronounce this word? Here’s a short guide.

To pronounce the word correctly, here’s the phonetic spelling:
WIM-MIN

How to Use ‘Woman’s’ in a Sentence

Now that we’ve gotten the definition and pronunciation out of the way let’s take a look at some examples of how to use it in a sentence.

• I don’t think I want to go to that woman’s house. She’s never been nice to me in all the time I’ve known her.
• Yeah, I think we should tell Maria that her women’s jacket is really a girl’s jacket.
• Grab that woman’s purse. It’s about to fall over the balcony!
• That woman’s been reading War and Peace for over ten years. She said it’s hard to read.
• I’m not sure that woman’s been vetted. Maybe we should do a background check on her.
• A woman’s place is no longer in the kitchen, Ms. Ross always says. But I guess it depends on your beliefs because some people have old-fashioned views.
• The plaintiff was a man wearing a woman’s dress. We all thought it was pretty strange, but no one reacted.
• There's no food in this woman's bag. I don't know what you expected to find.

Final Advice on ‘Womans,’ ‘Woman’s,’ and ‘Womans’’

To recap, we learned that:

• The correct version of the word is ‘woman’s.’ It might be used as a contraction for ‘woman is,’ and it can be used to also show possession (i.e., the woman’s earring).
• Any other spelling of this word in this form would be incorrect and ungrammatical.

Therefore, you should only use the correct version in your writing.

If you ever get stuck on anything, you can always come back to review what you have already learned. You can also browse our other content on confusing words and phrases. There’s a ton of content on confusing words you might encounter while you’re learning English. Don’t be afraid to come back when you need to.