What is the difference between let's and lets?

Answer 1

Let's is a contraction for "let us."

Lets is the third person singular of the verb "let."

Generally, the only place you would use "let's" is at the beginning of a sentence or a clause when you are trying to encourage someone to do something. Another way to remember is if you can replace "let's" with "let us" and the sentence still makes sense, then use the apostrophe. If the sentence no longer makes sense when you replace "lets" with "let us" then don't use the apostrophe.

Some examples may help:

Let's go to the park! (Let's is short for let us.)

Mother lets her children go to the park. ("Let us" in place of "lets" would make no sense here.)

Mother lets go of her purse. (Again, "let us" makes no sense here.)