Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

couldn't've

/ˈkʊd(ə)n(t)ə(v)/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.18 in modern English

Syllables
could-n't've
IPA
/ˈkʊd(ə)n(t)ə(v)/
15
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
2
Syllables
9
Unique Chars

Meaning

contraction

Could not have.

Etymology

From couldn't + -'ve.

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈkʊd(ə)n(t)ə(v)/

Inflected Forms

couldn’t’ve (canonical)

Frequently Paired Words

shouldn't've wouldn't've oughtn't've

Synonyms

couldna

Questions

How do you pronounce couldn't've?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈkʊd(ə)n(t)ə(v)/.
What does couldn't've mean?
Could not have.
Where does couldn't've come from?
From couldn't + -'ve.

How to pronounce couldn't've

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “couldn't've”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈkʊd(ə)n(t)ə(v)/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “couldn't've”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “couldn't've” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.