It’s Called vs It Called: Which Is Correct?(2026)

Have you ever wondered whether you should write “it’s called” or “it called”? These two phrases look very similar, but they do not work the same way in English. One is a standard grammatical expression used when giving the name of something, while the other usually needs additional words to make sense.

The confusion often happens because “it’s” can sound like a single word when spoken quickly. In reality, “it’s” is a contraction of “it is” or “it has.” Meanwhile, “it” is simply a pronoun, and “called” is the past-tense or past-participle form of call. Understanding this small difference can help you avoid a common grammar mistake in everyday writing.

Quick Answer

“It’s called” is correct when you mean “it is called” or want to say what something is named.

Example: “It’s called a smartphone.”

“It called” can also be grammatically correct, but it has a completely different structure. It normally means that “it” performed the action of calling.

Example: “It called me yesterday.”

So, if you are talking about the name of something, use “it’s called.”

Why Do People Confuse “It’s Called” and “It Called”?

The confusion comes mainly from the contraction “it’s.”

“It’s” means either:

• it is
• it has

For example:

• It’s beautiful. → It is beautiful.
• It’s been raining. → It has been raining.
• It’s called Blue Moon. → It is called Blue Moon.

By contrast, “it called” contains the pronoun it followed by the verb called.

For example:

• The phone called me. → It called me.
• The company called yesterday. → It called yesterday.

Therefore, the two expressions have different grammatical functions.

It’s Called

“It’s called” is the correct expression when you want to tell someone the name or title of something.

It is short for:

It is called

The expression is commonly used when identifying a person, object, place, product, idea, book, movie, song, or concept.

Examples

• It’s called a dictionary.
• It’s called “The Great Escape.”
• It’s called a solar eclipse.
• It’s called artificial intelligence.
• It’s called the main entrance.
• It’s called a shortcut.

Example in conversation

A: What is this type of coffee called?
B: It’s called a latte.

Here, “it’s called” means “it is called.”

It Called

“It called” is not automatically incorrect. However, it does not mean “it is called.”

Instead, “it called” normally means that something referred to as “it” made a phone call or called someone/something.

Examples:

• It called me last night.
• The machine stopped, and it called the technician automatically.
• My old phone broke, but it called the emergency number before shutting down.

Here, called is an action performed by “it.”

This construction is much less common than “it’s called” when people are discussing names.

Comparison Table

Expression	Meaning	Grammar	Example
It’s called	It is named	“It is” + called	It’s called a telescope.
It called	It performed a calling action	Subject + past-tense verb	It called me yesterday.
It’s	It is / It has	Contraction	It’s interesting.
Called	Named or contacted	Verb/adjective depending on context	She called me.

The easiest distinction

Talking about a name? → “It’s called.”

Talking about an action in the past? → “It called.”

When to Use Each

Use “It’s Called” for Names

Use “it’s called” when identifying what something is named.

Examples:

• What is this flower called? It’s called a sunflower.
• What is that restaurant called? It’s called The Garden.
• What is this process called? It’s called evaporation.
• What is this song called? It’s called “Home.”

Use “It Called” for an Action

Use “it called” when “it” is the subject performing the action of calling.

Examples:

• The alarm system detected smoke, and it called the emergency service.
• My phone was in my bag, but it called the wrong number.
• The device automatically called the support center.

Remember that this meaning is different from naming something.

12 Examples of “It’s Called”

1. It’s called a greenhouse.
2. It’s called a lunar eclipse.
3. It’s called a shortcut.
4. It’s called the water cycle.
5. It’s called a traditional recipe.
6. It’s called “The Lost City.”
7. It’s called a compound sentence.
8. It’s called a digital signature.
9. It’s called an ecosystem.
10. It’s called a reflexive pronoun.
11. It’s called a solar panel.
12. It’s called a common mistake.

In each example, “it’s called” = “it is called.”

8 Examples of “It Called”

1. The machine called the technician.
2. The phone called me accidentally.
3. The system called the emergency number.
4. It called my office yesterday.
5. The device called customer support automatically.
6. The robot called the control center.
7. The alarm called the security company.
8. It called again later.

These examples describe an action, not a name.

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Using “It Called” for a Name

❌ It called a sunflower.

If you mean that the flower has the name “sunflower,” this is incorrect.

✅ It’s called a sunflower.

The full version is:

It is called a sunflower.

Mistake 2: Confusing “It’s” With “Its”

It’s = it is / it has

Its = possessive form

Examples:

• It’s called a laptop.
• The laptop lost its connection.

A useful test is to replace it’s with it is.

If the sentence still makes sense, it’s is probably correct.

Mistake 3: Thinking “It Called” Is Always Wrong

“It called” can be grammatically correct when it is performing the action.

For example:

The automated system called me.

You can replace “the automated system” with “it”:

It called me.

So the phrase itself is not inherently wrong; it simply has a different meaning.

Memory Trick

Use this simple rule:

Name → It’s called

Action → It called

Think of “it’s called” as:

It is named

For example:

What is it called?
→ It’s called a notebook.

Think of “it called” as:

It made a call

For example:

What happened?
→ It called me yesterday.

Another quick trick

If you can replace “it’s” with “it is,” use it’s.

• It’s called a whale.
• It is called a whale. ✅

But:

• It called me.
• It is called me. ❌

The second version changes the meaning and does not work in the same way.

American vs British English

There is no major American-versus-British English difference in this distinction.

Both American and British English use:

• It’s called…
• It called…

The grammatical difference remains the same.

For example, an American speaker might say:

It’s called a subway.

A British speaker might say:

It’s called the Underground.

The vocabulary may differ depending on the subject, but the grammar of “it’s called” remains unchanged.

Similar Expressions

Understanding a few related expressions can make this distinction easier.

What is it called?

Used to ask for the name of something.

What is this tool called?

What’s it called?

A shorter conversational version of “What is it called?”

What’s it called again?

It’s called…

Used to give the name.

It’s called a compass.

It was called…

Used to give a name in the past.

It was called something different years ago.

It is called…

The full, more formal version of “it’s called.”

It is called the respiratory system.

It called…

Used when “it” performed the action of calling.

It called me while I was sleeping.

Final Verdict

When you want to say what something is named, the correct expression is “it’s called.” It is the contraction of “it is called.”

For example:

It’s called a dictionary.

When “it” is the thing performing the action of calling, “it called” can be correct.

For example:

It called me yesterday.

So, remember the difference:

It’s called = it is named.

It called = it made a call.

FAQs

Is “it’s called” grammatically correct?

Yes. “It’s called” is grammatically correct and means “it is called.” It is commonly used to tell someone the name of something.

Is “it called” grammatically correct?

Yes, but the meaning is different. “It called” means that “it” performed the action of calling someone or something.

Should I say “What is it called” or “What is it call”?

The correct phrase is “What is it called?” The word called is required because you are asking for the name by which something is known.

Is “it’s called” formal or informal?

“It’s called” is normal in both spoken and written English. In more formal writing, you can use the complete form “it is called.”

Can I write “it called” when giving a name?

Usually, no. If you mean that something has a particular name, use “it’s called.”

Correct:

It’s called a rose.

Not:

It called a rose.

What is the difference between “it’s called” and “it is called”?

There is no difference in basic meaning. “It’s called” is simply the contraction of “it is called.”

What is the easiest way to remember the difference?

Remember:

It’s called → name

It called → action

If you are answering “What is its name?”, use “It’s called.”

Conclusion

The difference between “it’s called” and “it called” is small in spelling but important in meaning. “It’s called” means “it is called” and is used when identifying the name of something. It is the expression you need when answering questions such as “What is this called?”

“It called,” on the other hand, uses called as a past-tense action. It means that something or someone represented by “it” made a call. Once you connect “it’s called” with names and “it called” with actions, the distinction becomes much easier to remember.

Remember This

It’s called = It is named.
It called = It made a call.