Master confusing words with ease
Would have vs. Would of
Would have
/wʊd hæv/Examples:
She would have joined us if she'd known.They would have called, but the phone was dead.He would have succeeded with more effort.
Synonyms:
This word has no synonymsAntonyms:
This word has no antonymsWould of
/wʊd əv/Examples:
She would of graduated if she hadn't missed the exams.They would of joined us, but they had other plans.I would of called you, but my phone was out of battery.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
This word has no antonymsWays to tell them apart:
- Would have is the correct form that combines would with the present perfect auxiliary verb have.
- Would of is a common mishearing or misunderstanding of would have and is incorrect in standard English.
- A quick way to check your usage is to expand contractions like wouldve to would have. If using of sounds awkward or ungrammatical when doing so, its likely incorrect.
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