Spelling.School · How to spell

How to spell could

Could is spelled C-O-U-L-D. The part people get wrong: a silent L.

hear it/kʊd/verbSounds

What it means: To be used to make a polite request.

In a sentence: Could you help me build a sandcastle?

The part people get wrong

Watch for a silent l, and an unstressed vowel that is hard to hear.

Same family: can, couldn't, cannot, able, might. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: “Could” comes from Old English “cuðe,” the past tense of “cunnan,” meaning “to know how to” or “to be able to.” Over time it changed spelling and sound, and now it’s the past tense and polite form of “can,” even though the letters “l” and “d” are not clearly pronounced.

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