could meaning

could as a modal verb

1. the past form of "can": was or were able to
   • she could read at four
2. used to say that something is possible, or to ask politely
   • it could rain later
   • could you help me?

could in a sentence

• If it were not for air, we could not live on the earth.
• The driver could not distinguish the signal in the fog.
• If I had known about the plan, I could have helped him.
• One minute earlier, and they could have caught the bus.
• The official could not deal with the complaint himself.

How to pronounce could

could is pronounced /kʊd/ in British English and /kʊd/ in American English. It has 1 syllable.