As They Are Wont to Do

While adding notations to interview with Sammi, I came across something in English I was unaware of.  Sammi said, “as they are WANT to do.”  It sounded correct to me, but we were both wrong.  The American / Canadian pronunciation of wont sounds quite close to ‘want’.  The correct phrase is, as they are wont to do.

I always wondered why Microsoft Word never corrected me for using wont instead of won’t.  I guess I was never curious enough to look it up.  To save you some time, wont is a normal behavior for a situation (n.) or in habit of doing something (adj).  There is also an archaic meaning of wont: to make or be accustomed to.

Example (n.):  His wont was to bow when he met his boss.
Example (adj.):  She was wont to smoking after work. 

However, wont would be uncommon if not for the phrase, “as they are wont to do.”  This phrase is not very common but not uncommon either.  I suspect that most people probably say it incorrectly like Sammi and I.  You should use this phrase is when you are talking about a common habit.  You usually tag it (add it) on the end of a sentence to add emphasis.

Example:  Little boys get dirty when they play, as they are wont to do. 

So, do you say, “as they are want to do” or “as they are wont to do”?

For more English phrases and quotes, follow me on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/ESL-ToyBox-112152010890485

Reference:
https://www.thefreedictionary.com/wont
https://terriblywrite.wordpress.com/2013/03/20/as-they-are-wont-to-do-3/