Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

shouldn't've

/ˈʃʊd(ə)n(t)ə(v)/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.42 in modern English

Syllables
should-n't've
IPA
/ˈʃʊd(ə)n(t)ə(v)/
17
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
2
Syllables
10
Unique Chars

Meaning

contraction

Contraction of should + not + have.

Informal

Example Sentences

Etymology

From shouldn't + -'ve.

Regional Pronunciation

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

Usage

Inflected Forms

shouldn’t’ve (canonical)

Frequently Paired Words

couldn't've wouldn't've oughtn't've

Synonyms

shouldna

Questions

How do you pronounce shouldn't've?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈʃʊd(ə)n(t)ə(v)/.
What does shouldn't've mean?
Contraction of should + not + have.
Where does shouldn't've come from?
From shouldn't + -'ve.

How to pronounce shouldn't've

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