Elision

Elision is when a sound or letter is removed from a word when it is spoken or written. For example, instead of saying "I am going to the store," you might say "I'm going to the store." The word "am" is elided, or removed, in this shortened version. Similarly, when writing a contraction like "can't" instead of "cannot," the letter "o" is elided. Elision can make words easier and quicker to say or write, and it is common in many languages.