# who'd

CEFR B1 · Pronoun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/whod
Updated: 2026-05-03

## Definition

a short way of saying 'who would' or 'who had'. You use it in speaking or casual writing to save time.

For teachers: a contraction of the relative or interrogative pronoun 'who' combined with the auxiliary verbs 'would' or 'had'.

## Examples

- Who'd like some more coffee?
- The police are looking for a witness who'd seen the car leaving the scene before the sirens started.
- In a room full of experts, it was the youngest intern who'd eventually propose the solution that saved the entire project from certain failure.

## Pitfalls

- Not "Who'd of thought it?" but "Who'd have thought it?" — Learners often write 'of' because it sounds like the weak pronunciation of 'have' in contractions.

## Usage notes

- Functions as a contraction; the following verb form determines if it represents 'would' (base form) or 'had' (past participle).

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.