One's
Pronunciation
- US IPA: /wÊŒns/, /wÊŒnz/
- one and once are pronounced differently from the related words alone, only and atone. Stressed vowels often become diphthongs over time (Latin bona → Italian buona and Spanish buena), and this happened in the to the words one and once, first recorded ca 1400: the vowel underwent some changes, from Ån → ÅÅÅn → wÅn → wÅÅn → wÅÅn → wÅn.
Usage notes
Unlike all other possessive pronouns (yours, hers, theirs) one’s is spelled with an apostrophe.