How to spell couldn't

hear it/'kʊdʌnt/verbSilent and tricky

What it means: Was not able to.

In a sentence: The cat couldn't catch the quick mouse.

The part people get wrong

Watch for a silent l. Often misspelled as couldnt or could'nt.

Same family: could, can't, cannot, wouldn't, shouldn't. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: “Couldn't” is a contraction of “could not,” formed by replacing the “o” in “not” with an apostrophe. The auxiliary verb “could” comes from Old English “cuðe,” related to “can,” which originally meant ‘to know how’ or ‘to be able to.’

Patterns it uses: Silent letters

Try spelling it

You will hear the word and a sentence. Type it and press Enter. Then four more words from the same level, so you know where you stand.

Words like this

wouldn't · fight · flight · account · twenty-first · doesn't · midnight · moonlight

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