Is It Would Of or Would Have?
The correct spelling is would have, not would of. This mistake is common among English speakers because the contracted version of would have (would’ve) sounds similar to would of when pronounced aloud.
- I would have helped, but I didn’t know you were struggling.
- I would’ve helped, but I didn’t know you were struggling.
“Would Of” vs. “Would Have”: Which Is the Correct Spelling?
Would have is a phrase often used in written and spoken communication. However, English speakers of all levels sometimes use the phrase would of in place of would have. This is incorrect.
Let’s take a look at why this mistake is made so frequently, so you can avoid it yourself.
If you read the two example sentences above, you’ll notice that they sound similar. That’s because the contracted form of would have, which is would’ve, sounds very much like would of.
Even if no one can distinguish between the two phrases when you’re speaking, the mistake becomes obvious as soon as you write them down.
✅ Would’ve:
❌ Would of:
Remember: Would have (or the contracted form would’ve) is the only correct spelling; would of is an extremely common misspelling. LanguageTool’s Grammar Checker can help ensure you’re using would have correctly.
When To Use “Would Have”
We’ve covered the correct spelling of the phrase would have, not let’s go over what the phrase means and how to use it in a sentence.
Would is a type of modal auxiliary verb, along with can, could, shall, should, may, might, must and ought to. These types of verbs help demonstrate ability, possibility, probability, necessity, permission, and obligation.
Together, would and have form a modal verb phrase. Would have is often used to express something that was expected to happen in the past, but didn’t because something else did (or didn’t) occur first.
In the sentence above, the phrase would have helps express that Jared was poised to win the race, but didn’t because he twisted his ankle.
It’s important to note that past participles always follow the phrase would have.
Here are a few more examples of would have in a sentence:
The last sentence above is an example of a reverse conditional sentence and therefore doesn’t require a comma. If the would have clause is placed in the second part of the sentence, then a comma is required.
“Would have” is a modal verb phrase.
- We should’ve gone to the meeting with the team.
What Is the Contraction for “Would Have”?
The contracted form of would have is would’ve. Just in case you need a reminder: A contraction is a shortened form of words or phrases. They are formed by omitting certain letters and replacing them with an apostrophe.
Keep in mind that contractions are usually reserved for informal writing. It’s best to avoid them in formal settings.
- I could have completed the marathon in less time.
Using “Would Have” and “Would’ve” Correctly
The way certain English words are pronounced makes mistakes like accidentally using would of in place of would have common. Keep this in mind, though: Would of is grammatically incorrect and should never be used in your writing. The phrase you want is would have or would’ve.
LanguageTool is an intelligent writing assistant that can ensure proper usage of would have. It can also check for various types of spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes while analyzing your text to provide stylistic improvements.
There’s nothing to lose; try it out!
