Imagine you are deciding whether to buy an expensive course, take a long trip, or spend hours learning a new skill. You want to say that the result justifies the time, money, or effort, so you write, “It worth it.” But something seems missing.
The confusion comes from the small word is. English requires a linking verb between the subject it and the adjective worth in this construction. As a result, “It is worth it” is the correct standard form, while “It worth it” is grammatically incorrect.
Quick Answer
“It is worth it” is correct. “It worth it” is incorrect in standard English.
You can also use the natural contraction “It’s worth it.”
| Form | Correct? | Use |
| It is worth it. | ✅ Yes | Complete standard form |
| It’s worth it. | ✅ Yes | Natural contraction |
| It worth it. | ❌ No | Missing the linking verb |
| Is it worth it? | ✅ Yes | Correct question |
| Was it worth it? | ✅ Yes | Correct past-tense question |
| It will be worth it. | ✅ Yes | Correct future form |
The expression “worth it” means that something has enough value, benefit, usefulness, or enjoyment to justify the money, time, effort, difficulty, or risk involved. Cambridge Dictionary defines “worth it” as being useful or enjoyable enough despite the effort required.
Meaning and Definition
Meaning of It Is Worth It
“It is worth it” means that something is valuable enough to justify what you have to spend or experience to get it.
The cost does not always have to be financial. It can involve:
- Money
- Time
- Effort
- Pain
- Difficulty
- Risk
- Sacrifice
- Patience
For example:
The course is expensive, but it is worth it.
Here, the speaker means that the benefits of the course justify its price.
Similarly:
The hike was exhausting, but it was worth it.
This means the experience or result made the difficult hike worthwhile.
Definition of It Is Worth It
It is worth it is a complete English expression used to say that something provides sufficient value or benefit to justify its cost, effort, time, or difficulty.
The structure contains the subject it, the linking verb is, and the adjective worth followed by it. Cambridge Grammar explains that worth is an adjective commonly used after verbs such as be, seem, and look.
The final it usually refers to something already understood from the context, such as the money spent, the effort made, or the experience involved.
Main Difference
The main difference is grammatical completeness.
“It is worth it” contains the linking verb is, so it forms a complete sentence.
“It worth it” does not contain a verb. In this construction, worth cannot replace is because worth is functioning as an adjective rather than as the main verb.
Compare these sentences:
- It is useful.
- It is valuable.
- It is important.
- It is worth it.
In each sentence, is connects it with a description.
Without the linking verb, the sentence becomes incomplete:
- ❌ It useful.
- ❌ It valuable.
- ❌ It important.
- ❌ It worth it.
The correct versions are:
- ✅ It is useful.
- ✅ It is valuable.
- ✅ It is important.
- ✅ It is worth it.
So the issue is not really about the meaning of worth. It is about the grammatical structure of the sentence.
Which One Is Correct?
“It is worth it” is correct.
“It’s worth it” is also correct.
“It worth it” is incorrect in standard English.
The contraction it’s simply combines it and is:
It is worth it.
It’s worth it.
The meaning remains the same.
The incorrect version removes is completely:
❌ It worth it.
That leaves it without the linking verb needed before worth.
It is important not to confuse “it worth it” with the perfectly natural short response “Worth it!”
For example:
“Was the expensive dinner worth it?”
“Absolutely. Worth it!”
In this informal reply, words have been omitted because the meaning is obvious from the conversation. However, “Worth it!” should not be treated as the full grammatical equivalent of “It worth it.”
Grammar and Usage
The grammar becomes easier when you break the sentence into parts.
In:
It is worth it.
- It = subject
- is = linking verb
- worth = adjective
- it = complement referring to the relevant cost, effort, experience, or sacrifice
The word worth commonly appears after a form of be.
For example:
The car is worth $20,000.
The trip was worth the money.
The experience is worth the effort.
It will be worth it.
Cambridge Grammar notes that worth is used after verbs such as be, and that be worth doing something is a common English construction.
This is why you should not treat worth as if it were a normal action verb.
Why “It Worth It” Is Incorrect
The problem is simple: there is no verb in the sentence.
The sentence starts with the subject it, but the word worth does not supply the required linking verb.
Incorrect:
❌ It worth it.
Correct:
✅ It is worth it.
Also correct:
✅ It’s worth it.
The contraction is particularly common in everyday speech and informal writing.
Tense Changes
The linking verb changes when you change the tense.
Present:
It is worth it.
Past:
It was worth it.
Future:
It will be worth it.
Conditional:
It would be worth it.
These are all grammatical because the appropriate form of be appears before worth.
How to Use It Is Worth It
The expression can be used in many situations where you are judging whether something provides enough benefit to justify a cost or sacrifice.
Talking About Money
Use “it is worth it” when the benefit seems sufficient for the price.
The phone is expensive, but it is worth it.
The hotel costs more than we expected, but it is worth it for the location.
The premium subscription is worth it if you use the service every day.
Talking About Time
The expression can also describe whether an activity deserves the time it requires.
Learning a new language takes time, but it is worth it.
The extra hour of study is worth it.
Waiting for the right opportunity was worth it.
Talking About Effort
You can use worth it when the result justifies hard work.
The project was difficult, but it was worth it.
Training every morning is tiring, but it is worth it.
The extra effort was worth it in the end.
Talking About Experiences
The phrase is also common when discussing travel, entertainment, food, and personal experiences.
The flight was long, but it was worth it.
The concert was expensive, but it was worth it.
The restaurant had a long wait, but the food was worth it.
Examples
It Is Worth It
- The course is expensive, but it is worth it.
- The long drive was worth it because we had such a great time.
- Learning these skills is difficult, but it is worth it.
- The extra money is worth it for better quality.
- The wait was frustrating, but it was worth it.
- The trip took several hours, but it was worth it.
- The job requires a lot of travel, but the experience is worth it.
- The book is long, but it is worth it.
- The upgrade costs more, but it is worth it if you need the extra features.
- The early morning start was worth it for the beautiful view.
It’s Worth It
“It’s worth it” is simply the contracted version of “It is worth it.”
The extra work is difficult, but it’s worth it.
Don’t worry about the price. It’s worth it.
The journey is tiring, but it’s worth it.
I know it takes time, but it’s worth it.
Both forms are grammatically correct. The full form “it is” can sound slightly more deliberate or emphatic, while “it’s” is extremely natural in everyday communication.
Examples of Questions
The expression is also frequently used in questions:
Is it worth it?
Was it worth it?
Will it be worth it?
Would it be worth it?
These questions ask whether the expected or actual benefit justifies the cost, effort, time, or difficulty.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Writing “It Worth It”
Incorrect:
❌ It worth it.
Correct:
✅ It is worth it.
The mistake happens because worth may look like a verb to learners. In this construction, however, it functions as an adjective, so the linking verb is needed.
Mistake 2: Saying “It Worths It”
Incorrect:
❌ It worths it.
The word worth does not take -s here.
Correct:
✅ It is worth it.
Do not treat worth as an ordinary verb such as help, cost, or benefit.
Mistake 3: Asking “Does It Worth It?”
Incorrect:
❌ Does it worth it?
Correct:
✅ Is it worth it?
Because worth is functioning as an adjective in this construction, the question uses a form of be, not do.
Mistake 4: Confusing “It’s” and “Its”
It’s is a contraction of it is or it has.
Its is a possessive determiner.
Correct:
It’s worth it.
Incorrect:
❌ Its worth it.
The apostrophe matters because it changes the meaning and grammatical function of the word.
Linguistic Insight
The word worth has a somewhat unusual grammatical role in modern English. It can function as an adjective, especially when it follows a linking verb such as be.
For example:
The painting is worth $5,000.
The experience was worth the effort.
The trip is worth taking.
The word can express monetary value, but its meaning is broader than money. It can describe whether something is sufficiently useful, important, enjoyable, or beneficial to justify what is required.
This explains why “worth it” works in situations involving time, effort, risk, and difficulty as well as financial cost. Cambridge Dictionary gives both monetary and broader value-related uses of worth, including the expression “be worth it.”
The grammatical pattern also explains why “it worth it” does not work. English does not normally allow an adjective to sit directly after the subject as the predicate of a complete sentence. A linking verb is needed:
It is useful.
It is valuable.
The same pattern appears with other forms of be:
It was worth it.
Usage Tips
A simple way to remember the correct form is to ask yourself:
“What is the verb?”
If your sentence is:
It ___ worth it.
The missing word is is.
So:
✅ It is worth it.
You can also remember the contraction:
It is → It’s
Therefore:
It is worth it → It’s worth it
Another useful pattern is:
be + worth + noun/pronoun/gerund
Examples:
It is worth it.
This pattern can help you recognize why the linking verb is necessary.
Expert Suggestion
If you are writing an email, essay, article, application, or other formal text, use “it is worth it” when you want the complete form.
In normal conversation, “it’s worth it” is equally correct and often sounds more natural.
Avoid “it worth it” in standard English because it leaves out the linking verb.
If you are unsure, replace worth with another adjective:
It is valuable.
It is useful.
Then compare:
It is worth it.
This quick comparison makes the sentence structure easier to remember.
Summary
“It is worth it” is the correct standard expression. It means that something has enough value, benefit, or enjoyment to justify the money, time, effort, risk, or difficulty involved.
“It’s worth it” is also correct because it’s is the contraction of it is.
By contrast, “it worth it” is incorrect because it is missing the linking verb is. The word worth is functioning as an adjective in this construction, not as the main verb.
The same grammar applies when the tense changes:
- It is worth it.
- It was worth it.
- It will be worth it.
- It would be worth it.
For questions, use:
- Is it worth it?
- Was it worth it?
- Will it be worth it?
- Would it be worth it?
The easiest rule to remember is simple: Use a form of “be” before “worth” when “worth” describes the value or benefit of something.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is “it worth it” correct?
No. “It worth it” is incorrect in standard English because the sentence is missing the linking verb is. The correct form is “It is worth it” or, more naturally in many situations, “It’s worth it.”
Is “it is worth it” grammatically correct?
Yes. “It is worth it” is grammatically correct. The word is functions as the linking verb connecting the subject it with worth, which describes the value or benefit of something.
Is “it’s worth it” correct?
Yes. “It’s worth it” is completely correct. Here, it’s is a contraction of it is. It has the same basic meaning as the full form and is especially common in everyday speech and informal writing.
What does “it is worth it” mean?
“It is worth it” means that something provides enough value, benefit, enjoyment, or reward to justify its cost, time, effort, difficulty, or risk. For example, “The course is expensive, but it is worth it” means the benefits justify the price.
Why is “it worth it” wrong?
“It worth it” is wrong because it has no linking verb. In this construction, worth functions as an adjective, so it needs a form of be, such as is, was, or will be.
Is “is it worth it?” correct?
Yes. “Is it worth it?” is correct. It is the question form of “It is worth it.” The speaker is asking whether something provides enough value to justify the money, time, effort, or difficulty involved.
Should I say “does it worth it”?
No. The standard question is “Does it worth it?” is incorrect. Say “Is it worth it?” instead because worth is functioning as an adjective in this expression and requires a form of be.
Can I say “was it worth it?”
Yes. “Was it worth it?” is grammatically correct. It asks whether something that happened in the past was valuable enough to justify the cost, effort, time, or difficulty involved.
Can I say “it will be worth it”?
Yes. “It will be worth it” is correct and refers to a future situation. It means that something is expected to provide enough value or benefit to justify what you will spend or experience.
Is “worth it” a complete sentence?
“Worth it!” can be used as an informal conversational response, especially when the missing words are understood from context. However, it is not the same as the full sentence “It is worth it.” In formal writing, the complete sentence is usually preferable.
Is “it worths it” correct?
No. “It worths it” is incorrect. In the expression “it is worth it,” worth is not being used as a regular verb that takes the third-person ending -s. Use “It is worth it” instead.
What is the difference between “it is worth it” and “it’s worth it”?
There is no meaningful difference in basic meaning. “It’s worth it” is simply the contracted form of “It is worth it.” The full form may sound slightly more deliberate or emphatic, while the contraction is extremely common in everyday English.
Can “worth it” refer to money?
Yes. “Worth it” commonly refers to whether the benefits of something justify its price. For example, “The laptop is expensive, but it is worth it” means the speaker believes the laptop provides enough value to justify its cost.
Can “worth it” refer to time and effort?
Yes. “Worth it” can refer to time, effort, difficulty, risk, or sacrifice as well as money. For example, “The extra studying was difficult, but it was worth it” means the result justified the effort.
Noah Walker is a thoughtful writer who enjoys making English clear, practical, and easy to understand. At Grammer Lord, he creates engaging guides, useful examples, and creative language ideas that help readers learn with confidence. Noah has a genuine appreciation for words and enjoys finding simple ways to explain their meaning and everyday use. He believes good writing should be helpful, natural, and enjoyable. Through his work, he aims to inspire students, writers, and everyday readers to communicate clearly and make every word count.
