“Lets” vs. “Let’s”: The Right Way to Use Each Word

At first glance, the let’s vs. lets debate seems silly—the words are similar … right? Not quite. Apostrophes can make a world of difference.

The big question is, of course, when to use them. It’s pretty straightforward when a word requires an apostrophe in all situations. Everyone knows wouldnt, without the apostrophe, is not a word. But with lets vs. let’s, both are real words with specific meanings, so you have to rely on grammar rules to know which one’s right. And that’s when the confusion kicks in.

Reader’s Digest put together this handy guide to common mistakes with lets and let’s so you can feel confident when you’re writing these distinct, and distinctly confusing, words. Keep reading to learn more about lets vs. let’s. 

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What does lets mean?

Lets, without the apostrophe, is a form of the verb to let. Specifically, it’s the third-person present singular form, meaning that it goes with pronouns like “she,” “he” and “it,” as well as nouns that take those pronouns. It is most commonly used in the context of giving permission. However, there are other meanings of the verb let, such as “to release.” 

Examples of lets in a sentence

• He lets his dog sleep in bed with him.
• Mary lets her kids play outside after they finish their homework. 
• The company lets employees go home early on days before big holidays.
• Rover lets out a noisy bark whenever he hears someone at the door. 

What does let’s mean?

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Let’s is a contraction of the phrase let us. As with can’t, it’s and I’m, the apostrophe in let’s replaces a missing letter. It is most commonly used in the context of giving a suggestion. You likely know it from expressions like the simple two-word phrase “Let’s go!” Usually an encouraging command, let’s doesn’t involve permission the way lets does.

Even though let’s technically is short for let us, you won’t hear the contraction let’s in a context like, “Why won’t our parents let’s stay out later?” That just sounds silly and confusing. Even if you were imploring your parents, “Let us stay out later!” you still wouldn’t use let’s because that would sound like you were suggesting that you and your parents stay out later together.

And the opposite is true too. Even though let’s is a shortening of let us, you’ll hardly ever actually hear someone say “let us” in the encouraging-command form let’s most often takes. For example, “Let us go to the mall today!” sounds old-fashioned and strange. You might give a command such as, “The beach awaits; let us go!” for dramatic effect, but in most cases, let’s is the usual choice for this use. So it’s easy to forget that let’s is actually short for “let us.”

Examples of let’s in a sentence

• Let’s go to the beach today.
• Let’s get this party started!
• If we’re going to do something about the economy, let’s start by acknowledging that there is a problem.
• Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Tricks for remembering lets vs. let’s

People often confuse lets with let’s and vice versa. The tips and tricks below should help you differentiate between the two. 

When in doubt, check whether you can expand the word. For example, “Let’s go to the beach” can be expanded to “Let us go to the beach.” In this case, let’s is a contraction (with an apostrophe).

But in the case of “She lets her hair down at home,” lets is not a contraction. (“She let us her hair down at home” would be incorrect.) This is the third-person singular present form of the verb, so you don’t need to use an apostrophe.

Now here’s a trick question: Is it “lets go” or “let’s go”? Both are correct, depending on the context.

• “He lets go of his anger” makes sense in the context of releasing something, letting it go.
• “Let’s go to the circus” makes sense in the context of a suggestion to physically go somewhere.  

Got it? Great! Let’s move on to other confusing pairs of words.

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Sources:

• Editor’s Manual: “Contractions in English”
• Grammarly: “Let’s vs. Lets”

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