innit

IPA/ˈɪnɪt/
IPA/ˈɪnɪt/

innit — exclamation

1. a very informal tag added to the end of a statement when the speaker wants agree

1.exclamationB1
Definition

a very informal tag added to the end of a statement when the speaker wants agreement, used where standard English would usually end with 'isn't it?'

Example

The curry is too spicy for Leo, innit?

tag question after a statement with be

That new cafe by the station is yours, innit, Karim?

statement plus innit asking the listener to agree

Synonyms
  • isn't it

    the standard full tag with the same basic meaning

  • right

    informal agreement-seeking tag, but less tied to British dialect speech

  • eh

    another short tag for checking agreement, common in some regional varieties

Grammar Patterns

[statement with be], innit?

It's ..., innit?

Usage Note

Mostly heard in very informal British speech and in writing that tries to show local spoken style. This sense stays closest to the original meaning of 'isn't it?' after statements with 'be'.

Common Mistakes

The report is finished, innit?' in a job interview.
The report is finished, isn't it?
'innit' is very informal and non-standard, so use the full tag in formal Standard English.
It are late, innit?
It's late, innit?
even when a speaker uses 'innit', the statement before the tag still needs normal verb agreement.

2. a very informal tag that some speakers use after many kinds of statements, even

2.exclamationB2
Definition

a very informal tag that some speakers use after many kinds of statements, even when standard English would normally change the ending to match the verb and subject in the clause

Example

You booked the train tickets online yesterday, innit?

innit used where standard English would use a past-tense tag

Felipe has finished the garden gate already, innit?

innit replacing a have-based question tag

Synonyms
  • right

    an informal fixed tag that can follow many statements without changing form

  • eh

    a short follow-up tag used in some varieties to check agreement

  • you know

    checks shared understanding, though it is weaker and less question-like than 'innit'

Grammar Patterns

[past statement], innit?

[have statement], innit?

[negative statement], innit?

Usage Note

Some speakers extend 'innit' far beyond literal 'isn't it?' and use it as one general tag after many verb forms. Distinguish this from sense 1, where the tag stays with statements that would normally end in 'isn't it?'.

Common Mistakes

You booked the tickets, innit?' in standard school writing.
You booked the tickets, didn't you?
in Standard English, the tag must match the main verb and subject.
Felipe has finished, innit?' on an exam.
Felipe has finished, hasn't he?
outside quoted dialect speech, use the matching standard tag instead of invariant 'innit'.

Synonym discussion

Sense: exclamation/1

'Innit' and 'isn't it' both ask the listener to agree, but they belong to very different registers. 'Isn't it' is the standard tag in normal written and spoken English. 'Innit' is a non-standard spelling that represents very informal British speech, so it is common in dialogue, lyrics, and social talk but not in formal situations. 'Right' is also informal, yet it is broader and less strongly tied to one regional dialect. 'Eh' is another short tag used in several English varieties to check that the listener agrees or is following. In short, use 'isn't it' for standard English, 'right' or 'eh' for casual conversation, and 'innit' only when you want distinctly colloquial British spoken flavour.

innit ↗isn't itright ↗eh ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • [statement], innit?

Etymology

Englishcolloquial British English

Developed in colloquial British English as a reduced spoken form of 'isn't it?'. In some kinds of speech it later spread beyond that original shape and came to be used as a general tag after many different statements.