Why "would of" doesn't work: understanding the common mistake

Reviewed and edited by

Anwar Kareem 23/10/2024, 08:15

English.me team member

What kind of error is it?

grammatical/spelling error

Why do people make this mistake?

This error arises because of the phonetic similarity between "would've" (the contraction of "would have") and "would of". The pronunciation of "would've" can sound like "would of", leading people to incorrectly write "would of" instead of the correct form.

What is correct?

The correct form is "would have" or its contraction "would've".

Examples of correct usage

I would have gone to the store if I had known it was open.
She would've finished the project on time if she hadn't been delayed.
They would have won the game if they had practiced more.