Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

wouldn't've

/ˈwʊd(ə)n(t)ə(v)/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.46 in modern English

Syllables: would-n't've
IPA: /ˈwʊd(ə)n(t)ə(v)/

16

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

2

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

contraction

Contraction of would + not + have.

Colloquial

Example Sentences

"Anyway, my Daddy said if you wasn’t such a coward, trying to haze that boy with a big bunch of others, you wouldn’t’ve got shot in the first place […]"
"[…] if there had been a man around, taking hold of things, her father’s partner wouldn’t’ve been able to get away with most of the estate the way he did…"
"I didn’t bring him here. If you wouldn’t have gone out, I wouldn’t have either. I’d have thrown him out right away. He wouldn’t’ve made it through the door."
"2006 October, Goff Morgan, "We Wouldn't've Had To Do It" (poem)."

Etymology

From would + -n't + -'ve.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈwʊd(ə)n(t)ə(v)/

Usage

Colloquial

Frequently Paired Words

couldn't've shouldn't've oughtn't've

Synonyms

wouldna wouldn'ta

Questions

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

How to pronounce wouldn't've

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “wouldn't've”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈwʊd(ə)n(t)ə(v)/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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