Why "must of" is a common mistake you must avoid

Reviewed and edited by

Lloyd Cooper 05/10/2024, 01:39

English.me team member

What kind of error is it?

Grammatical error - misuse of a homophonic phrase

Why do people make this mistake?

People make this error because "must of" is a phonetic misinterpretation of the contraction "must've," which stands for "must have." In spoken English, "must've" sounds similar to "must of," leading to confusion in writing.

What is correct?

The correct phrase is "must have" or its contraction "must've," which is used to express a logical deduction about a past event.

Examples of correct usage

You must have seen that movie before.
She must've forgotten about the meeting.
They must have realized their mistake by now.
He must've been very tired after the long journey.