Ah, the age-old dilemma of cannot vs. can not. It’s a problem that’s plagued many writers like myself, from novices to seasoned professionals. So, is there a difference? Is one correct and the other just a mistake? I’ll explain everything you need to know about when to use cannot or can not in writing.
Cannot or Can Not: What’s the Difference?
First of all, let’s clear up the confusion surrounding these two phrases. When looking at just their meaning, there’s absolutely zero difference between auxiliary verbs cannot and can not. They both mean the same thing — an inability to do something or an assertion that something is totally impossible.
Is Cannot a Word?
You’re darn tootin’ it is. Cannot is a real word and is commonly used all over the world. Between cannot and can not, cannot is the more professional choice to go with for formal writing.
Is Cannot One Word?
When you’re writing cannot, always spell it as a single word to be correct. Although can not is an acceptable form that you can also use, it’s usually only in more relaxed settings. If you’re writing for a British audience, people in the UK prefer cannot over can not.
When to Use Cannot
Generally, you should use cannot in more formal or professional situations like work-related stuff, presentations, ad copy, etc. It’s also the preferred form in British English.
When to Use Can Not
But, if you’re doing some informal writing or trying to emphasize a negative idea, using “can not” is acceptable for everyday writing. If you’re trying to say you absolutely can not eat another bite of cake (even though it’s delicious), “can not” would be the way to go in this particular situation.
As an author, I like to use can not as two words when I’m writing dialogue or some internal narrative for a character, and they’re trying to emphasize the word not. I’d write it as can not. But I couldn’t do that if I used the single-word form cannot.
Using Can Not With Correlative Conjunction
There is one other way to use the two words can and not, and that’s with correlative conjunction not only…but also. Here, I’ll show you an example.Â
- As authors, we can not only create stories but also create entire worlds for readers to travel to.
You can’t say this sentence with the contraction can’t or the word cannot; it just wouldn’t make sense.
Another Way to Say Cannot and Can Not
If you want to avoid the confusion altogether, just go with the contraction can’t, which is a mix of the words can and not.
- I cannot eat another bite of cake.
- I can not eat another bite of cake.
- I can’t eat another bite of cake.
All have the same intent and message but show how you can use either of these three words and phrases.
Sentence Examples Using Cannot
- I cannot believe how quickly this year has gone by! It feels like 2020 was yesterday!
- Due to unforeseen circumstances, we cannot attend the meeting tomorrow. I hope that’s okay.
- My dog, Allie, cannot run as fast as she used to because bulldogs are considered old at age eight.
Sentence Examples Using Can Not
- Sorry, as much as I want to go, I can not make it to your party tonight.
- I can not seem to understand the concept of math, no matter how many times you explain it to me.
- I simply can not imagine a world without pizza and sushi.
You Cannot Worry About It
So, there you go! It’s pretty simple when you think about it. Cannot and can not are both the same, but cannot is more formal, and can not is good to use if you want to put emphasis on not. I hope this guide helped you out!