Appendix:English irregular verbs

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This table lists irregular verbs in the English language. Each row shows an irregular verb (or group of compounds sharing a base verb), arranged alphabetically.

The table’s left-hand column shows verb forms (lemma and inflected): The citation form (the infinitive) comes first (linked to its Wiktionary article), from which a marker (dagger †) references a footnote if its present tense forms are irregular. Next is the preterite or simple past form, then finally the past participle. The right hand column notes whether the verb is weak or strong, whether it belongs to a subclass, and links to discussions elsewhere. Typical irregularities in weak verbs are the assimilation of dentals (bendedbent) and vowel reduction (*keepedkept).

Many of these verbs are irregular in British or American English only. For some, such as spell (spelt vs. spelled), learn (learnt vs. learned), and spill (spilt vs. spilled), American English uses the regular form, while British English tends to favor the irregular. In other cases, the opposite is true (dived and sneaked in Britain, but also dove and snuck in the United States). Australian English tends to follow British practice, while Canadian English often sides with American usage. In this table, the preferred or more common usage is generally listed first, though for some words usage is nearly equal for both choices. Note that many of these forms vary even within each English variety depending on the dialect.

This table includes selected archaic forms (marked *).

verb forms verb class and notes
be was/were been Suppletive. See Indo-European copula.
bear bore/bare born/borne
forbear forbore forborne
*misbear misbore misborne
overbear overbore overborne
underbear underbore underborne
Strong, class 4
beat beat beaten/beat
browbeat browbeat browbeaten
Strong, class 7
begin began begun Strong, class 3
bend bent/bended bent/bended
overbend overbent overbent
unbend unbent unbent
Weak with assimilation of dentals and devoicing of the ending
beseech besought/beseeched besought/beseeched Weak with Rückumlaut and Germanic spirant law
bet bet/betted bet/betted Weak with assimilation of dentals
bid (in cards, auctions, etc.) bid bid
outbid outbid outbid
overbid overbid overbid
underbid underbid underbid
Weak with assimilation of dentals
bid (meaning to request or say) bade/bid/bidded bidden/bid/bidded
forbid forbad/forbade/forbid forbid/forbidden
Strong, class 5
bide bided/bode bided/bidden
abide abided/abode abided/*abidden
Strong, class 1
bind bound bound/*bounden
unbind unbound unbound
underbind underbound underbound
Strong, class 3
bite bit bitten Strong, class 1
bleed bled bled Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals
bless blessed/blest blessed/blest Weak irregular only in spelling
blow blew blown
overblow overblew overblown
Strong, class 7
break broke broken Strong, class 4
breed bred bred
inbreed inbred inbred
interbreed interbred interbred
overbreed overbred overbred
Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals
bring brought brought/*broughten Weak with Rückumlaut and Germanic spirant law
build built built
overbuild overbuilt overbuilt
rebuild rebuilt rebuilt
Weak with assimilation of dentals and devoicing of the ending
burn burned/burnt burnt/burned Weak with devoicing of the ending, a former Strong, class 3 verb
burst burst/bursted/*brast burst/bursted/*bursten Weak with assimilation of dentals, a former Strong, class 3 verb
bust bust/busted bust/busted Weak with assimilation of dentals, a former Strong, class 3 verb
buy bought bought/boughten
overbuy overbought overbought
underbuy underbought underbought
Weak with Rückumlaut and Germanic spirant law
can (aux. only) could *couth Preterite-present
cast cast cast
broadcast broadcast broadcast
forecast forecast forecast
miscast miscast miscast
overcast overcast overcast
podcast podcast podcast
recast recast recast
simulcast simulcast simulcast
undercast undercast undercast
webcast webcast webcast
Weak with assimilation of dentals
catch caught caught Weak with Rückumlaut and Germanic spirant law - a French loanword conjugated perhaps by analogy with teach-taught
chide chid/chidded/chode chid/chidded/chidden Strong, class 1
choose chose chosen
mischoose mischose mischosen
Strong, class 2
cleave (split apart) clove cloven/cleft Strong, class 2
cleave (cling to) cleft/cleaved cleft/cleaved Weak with vowel reduction and devoicing of the ending
*clepe cleped/clept cleped/clept/yclept Weak with vowel reduction
cling clung clung Strong, class 3
clothe clothed/clad clothed/clad
unclothe unclothed/unclad unclothed/unclad
Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals
come came come
become became become
misbecome misbecame misbecome
overcome overcame overcome
Strong, class 4
cost cost cost Weak with assimilation of dentals
creep crept/creeped crept/creeped/*cropen Weak with vowel reduction, a former Strong, class 2 verb
crow crew/crowed crowed/*crown Strong, class 7.
cut cut cut
crosscut crosscut crosscut
intercut intercut intercut
undercut undercut undercut
Weak with assimilation of dentals
dare dared/*durst dared/*durst Preterite-present
deal dealt dealt
misdeal misdealt misdealt
Weak with vowel reduction and devoicing of the ending
dig dug dug
underdig underdug underdug
Strong, class 3, a former Weak verb
dive dived/dove dived Weak with the past tense possibly inspired by the Class 1 strong verb drive.
do did done
misdo misdid misdone
outdo outdid outdone
overdo overdid overdone
redo redid redone
undo undid undone
underdo underdid underdone
Reduplication with past participle springing from OE "gedon"
drag drug/dragged drug/dragged Strong, class 6
draw drew drawn
overdraw overdrew overdrawn
redraw redrew redrawn
underdraw underdrew underdrawn
withdraw withdrew withdrawn
Strong, class 6
dream dreamed/dreamt dreamed/dreamt Weak with vowel reduction and devoicing of the ending
dress dressed/*drest dressed/drest
overdress overdressed/overdrest overdressed/overdrest
underdress underdressed/underdrest underdressed/underdrest
undress undressed/undrest undressed/undrest
Weak irregular only in spelling
drink drank/drunk drank/drunk/drunken
overdrink overdrank overdrunk
Strong, class 3
drive drove/*drave driven
overdrive overdrove overdriven
Strong, class 1
dwell dwelt/dwelled dwelt/dwelled Weak with devoicing of the ending
eat ate eaten
overeat overate overeaten
Strong, class 5
fall fell fallen
befall befell befallen
Strong, class 7
feed fed fed
breastfeed breastfed breastfed
misfeed misfed misfed
overfeed overfed overfed
underfeed underfed underfed
Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals
feel felt felt Weak with vowel reduction and devoicing of the ending
fight fought fought/foughten Strong, class 3
find found found/*founden Strong, class 3
fit fit/fitted fit/fitted Weak with assimilation of dentals
flee fled fled Weak with vowel reduction, a former Strong, class 2 verb
fling flung flung Strong, class 3
fly flew flown
overfly overflew overflown
Strong, class 2
freeze froze/*frore frozen/*froren Strong, class 2
get got gotten/got
beget begot/*begat begotten/begot
forget forgot forgotten
misbeget misbegot misbegotten/misbegot
misget misgot misgotten
underget undergot undergotten
Strong, class 4, a former Strong, class 5 verb
gild gilt/gilded gilt/gilded Weak with assimilation of dentals and devoicing of the ending
gird girt/girded girt/girded
undergird undergirt/undergirded undergirt/undergirded
Weak with assimilation of dentals and devoicing of the ending
give gave given
forgive forgave forgiven
misgive misgave misgiven
Strong, class 5
gnaw gnawed/*gnew gnawed/*gnawn Strong, class 7
go went gone
forego forewent foregone
forgo forwent forgone
undergo underwent undergone
Suppletive. See: go (verb).
grave grove/graved graven/graved Strong, class 6
grind ground/grinded ground/*grounden Strong, class 3
grow grew grown
outgrow outgrew outgrown
overgrow overgrew overgrown
regrow regrew regrown
undergrow undergrew undergrown
Strong, class 7
hang hung/hanged hung/hanged
overhang overhung/overhanged overhung/overhanged
underhang underhung underhung
Strong, class 7 weak past tense and present influenced by OE causative "hangian"
have had had Weak pret. and past participle spring from O.E. haefd
hear heard heard
mishear misheard misheard
overhear overheard overheard
Weak with vowel reduction
heave heaved/hove heaved/hove/hoven/heft Strong, class 6
hew hew/hewed hewn/hewed
underhew underhewed underhewn/underhewed
Strong, class 7
hide hid hid/hidden Strong, class 1, a former Weak verb
hit hit hit
mishit mishit mishit
Weak with assimilation of dentals
hold held held/*holden
behold beheld beheld
uphold upheld upheld/*upholden
withhold withheld withheld/withholden
Strong, class 7
hurt hurt hurt Weak with assimilation of dentals
keep kept kept
miskeep miskept miskept
Weak with vowel reduction
ken kenned/kent kenned/kent
misken miskenned/miskent miskenned/miskent
Weak with devoicing of the ending
kneel knelt/kneeled knelt/kneeled Weak with vowel reduction and devoicing of the ending
knit knit/knitted knit/knitted Weak with assimilation of dentals
know knew known
foreknow foreknew foreknown
misknow misknew misknown
Strong, class 7
lade laded laden/laded Strong, class 6
lay laid laid
forelay forelaid forelaid
forlay forlaid forlaid
inlay inlaid inlaid
mislay mislaid mislaid
overlay overlaid overlaid
relay relaid relaid
underlay underlaid underlaid
waylay waylaid waylaid
Weak irregular only in spelling
lead led led
mislead misled misled
Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals
lean leaned(US)/leant(UK) leaned(US)/leant(UK) Weak with vowel reduction and devoicing of the ending in British English.
leap leaped/leapt/*lope leaped/leapt/*lopen Weak with vowel reduction, a former Strong, class 7
learn learned/learnt learned/learnt
mislearn mislearned/mislearnt mislearned/mislearnt
Weak with devoicing of the ending
leave left left
forleave forleft forleft/forlaft
Weak with vowel reduction and devoicing of the ending
lend lent lent
*forlend forlent forlent
Weak with assimilation of dentals and devoicing of the ending
let (allow) let/*leet let/letten
forlet forlet forlet
sublet sublet sublet
underlet underlet underlet
Strong, class 7
lie (but not talking untruthfully) lay lain
forelie forlay forlain
overlie overlay overlain
underlie underlay underlain
Strong, class 5
light lit/lighted lit/lighted
alight alit/alighted alit/alighted
Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals
lose lost lost Weak with vowel reduction and devoicing of the ending
make made made
remake remade remade
Weak contraction of "maked"
may might Preterite-present
mean meant meant Weak with vowel reduction and devoicing of the ending
meet met met Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals
melt melted/*molt melted/*molten Strong, class 3
mow mowed mowed/mown Strong, class 7
nim nam/nimmed nomen/nome/numb/nimmed
benim benam/benimmed benomen/benome/benumb/benimmed
Strong, class 4
pay paid paid
overpay overpaid overpaid
prepay prepaid prepaid
repay repaid repaid
underpay underpaid underpaid
Weak irregular only in spelling
pen penned/*pent penned/*pent Weak with devoicing of the ending
plead pleaded/pled pleaded/pled Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals
prove proved proved/proven Weak with naturally developing a strong participle, a borrowed French verb
put put put
input input input
output output/outputted output/outputted
Weak with assimilation of dentals
*queath or quethe quoth quoth/quethen
bequeath bequeathed/bequoth bequeathed/bequeathen
Strong, class 4 or Strong, class 5
quit quit quit Weak with assimilation of dentals
read read read
lipread lipread lipread
misread misread misread
proofread proofread proofread
reread reread reread
Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals, a former Strong, class 7 verb
*reave reft reft
bereave bereaved/bereft bereaved/bereft
Weak with vowel reduction and devoicing of the ending
rend rent rent Weak with assimilation of dentals and devoicing of the ending
rid rid/ridded rid/ridden/ridded Weak with assimilation of dentals
ride rode ridden
override overrode overridden
Strong, class 1
ring rang rung Strong, class 3
rise rose risen
arise arose arisen
Strong, class 1
rive rived/rove rived/riven Strong, class 1
run ran run
forerun foreran forerun
outrun outran outrun
overrun overran overrun
rerun reran rerun
underrun underran underrun
Strong, class 3
*sake sook saken
forsake forsook forsaken
Strong, class 6
saw sawed sawed/sawn Strong, class 6
say said said
*forsay forsaid forsaid
*gainsay gainsaid gainsaid
missay missaid missaid
*naysay naysaid naysaid
*withsay withsaid withsaid
Weak with vowel reduction
see saw seen
*besee besaw beseen
foresee foresaw foreseen
oversee oversaw overseen
sightsee sightsaw sightseen
Strong, class 5
seek sought sought Weak with Rückumlaut and Germanic spirant law
seethe seethed/*sod seethed/*sodden Strong, class 2
sell sold sold
outsell outsold outsold
oversell oversold oversold
resell resold resold
Weak with Rückumlaut
send sent sent
missend missent missent
resend resent resent
Weak with assimilation of dentals and devoicing of the ending
set set set
beset beset beset
inset inset inset
misset misset misset
offset offset offset
overset overset overset
preset preset preset
reset reset reset
upset upset upset
*withset withset withset
Weak with assimilation of dentals
sew sewed sewed/sewn
oversew oversewed oversewed/oversewn
Weak with naturally developing a strong participle
shake shook shaken
overshake overshook overshaken
Strong, class 6
shall should (none) Preterite-present; defective; see also Shall and will
shape shaped/*shope shapen/shaped
misshape misshaped misshapen/misshaped
Strong, class 6
shave shove/shaved shaven/shaved Strong, class 6
shear shore/sheared shorn/sheared Strong, class 4
shed shed/shedded shed/shedded Weak with assimilation of dentals, a former Strong, class 7 verb
shine shined/shone shined/shone
*beshine beshone beshone
outshine outshined/outshone outshined/outshone
overshine overshined/overshone overshined/overshone
Strong, class 1
shit shit/shat/shitted shit/shat/shitted/shitten Strong, class 1 or Strong, class 5 in analogy with sit.
shite shit/shat shit/shat/shitten Strong, class 1 or Strong, class 5 in analogy with sit.
shoe shoed/shod shoed/shod/shodden Weak with vowel reduction
shoot shot shot/shotten
overshoot overshot overshot
reshoot reshot reshot
undershoot undershot undershot
Strong, class 2
show showed/shew shown/showed Weak with naturally developing a strong participle shown perhaps by analogy with sow, sown
shrink shrank/shrunk shrunk/shrunken Strong, class 3
shrive shrove shriven Strong, class 1
shut shut shut Weak with assimilation of dentals
sing sang sung
outsing outsang outsung
Strong, class 3
sink sank/sunk sunk/sunken Strong, class 3
sit sat sat
babysit babysat babysat
Strong, class 5
slay slew/slayed slain/slayed Strong, class 6
sleep slept slept
oversleep overslept overslept
Weak with vowel reduction, a former Strong, class 7 verb
slide slid slid/slidden
overslide overslid overslid/overslidden
Strong, class 1
sling slang/slung slung Strong, class 3
slink slunk slunk Strong, class 3
slip slipped/*slipt slipped/*slipt
overslip overslipped/overslipt overslipped/overslipt
Weak irregular only in spelling, a former Strong, class 1 verb
slit slit slit/*slitten Weak with assimilation of dentals, a former Strong, class 1 verb
smell smelled/smelt smelled/smelt Weak with devoicing of the ending
smite smote/smit smitten Strong, class 1
sneak sneaked/snuck sneaked/snuck Strong, class 3, a former Weak verb
sow sowed/sew sowed/sown Strong, class 7
speak spoke/*spake spoken
*bespeak bespoke bespoken
*forspeak forspoke forspoken
misspeak misspoke misspoken
Strong, class 4
speed sped/speeded sped/speeded Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals
spell spelled/spelt spelled/spelt
misspell misspelled/misspelt misspelled/misspelt
Weak with devoicing of the ending
spend spent spent
*forspend forspent forspent
misspend misspent misspent
outspend outspent outspent
overspend overspent overspent
Weak with assimilation of dentals and devoicing of the ending
spill spilled/spilt spilled/spilt
overspill overspilled/overspilt overspilled/overspilt
Weak with devoicing of the ending
spin span/spun spun Strong, class 3
spit spit/spat spit/spat/spitten Strong, class 1 or Strong, class 5 in analogy with sit.
split split split Weak with assimilation of dentals
spoil spoiled/spoilt spoiled/spoilt Weak with devoicing of the ending
spread spread spread
*bespread bespread bespread
overspread overspread overspread
Weak with assimilation of dentals
spring sprang/sprung sprung Strong, class 3
stand stood stood/*standen
misunderstand misunderstood misunderstood
understand understood understood
withstand withstood withstood
Strong, class 6
stave staved/stove staved/stove Strong, class 6, a former Weak verb
stay stayed/staid stayed/staid Weak irregular only in spelling
steal stole stolen Strong, class 4
stick stuck stuck Strong, class 3, a former Weak verb
sting stung/stang stung Strong, class 3
stink stank/stunk stunk Strong, class 3
strew strew/strewed strewn/strewed Weak with naturally developing a strong participle
stride strode/strided stridden/strided/strid
overstride overstrode overstridden
Strong, class 1
strike struck stricken/struck Strong, class 1
string strang/strung strung
hamstring hamstrung hamstrung
Strong, class 3, a former Weak verb
strive strove/strived striven/strived Strong, class 1, a former Weak verb
*strow strow/strowed strown/strowed Weak with naturally developing a strong participle, an archaic variant of strew
swear swore sworn
forswear forswore forsworn
outswear outswore outsworn
Strong, class 4, a former Strong, class 6 verb
sweat sweat/sweated sweat/sweated Weak with assimilation of dentals
sweep swept swept Weak with vowel reduction
swell swelled/swoll swelled/swollen Strong, class 3
*swelt swolt/swelted swolten/swelted Strong, class 3
swim swam swum Strong, class 3
swing swang/swung swung/*swungen
overswing overswung overswung
Strong, class 3
take took taken
mistake mistook mistaken
overtake overtook overtaken
partake partook partaken
retake retook retaken
undertake undertook undertaken
Strong, class 6
teach taught taught Weak with Rückumlaut and Germanic spirant law
tear tore torn Strong, class 4
tell told told
foretell foretold foretold
retell retold retold
outtell outtold outtold
Weak with Rückumlaut
think thought thought
outthink outthought outthought
rethink rethought rethought
Weak with Rückumlaut and Germanic spirant law
thrive thrived/throve thrived/thriven Strong, class 1, a former Weak verb
throw threw thrown
outthrow outthrew outthrown
overthrow overthrew overthrown
Strong, class 7
thrust thrust/thrusted thrust/thrusted
outthrust outthrust outthrust
Weak with assimilation of dentals
tread trod trodden/trod
retread retrod retrodden/retrod
Strong, class 4
wake woke/waked woken/waked
awake awoke/awaked awoken/awaked
Strong, class 6
wax waxed waxed/waxen Strong, class 7
wear wore worn Strong, class 4, a former Weak verb
weave weaved/wove woven
interweave interwove interwoven
Strong, class 4
wed wed/wedded wed/wedded Weak with assimilation of dentals
weep wept wept Weak with vowel reduction, a former Strong, class 7 verb
wend wended/went wended/went Weak with assimilation of dentals and devoicing of the ending
wet wet/wetted wet/wetted Weak with assimilation of dentals
will would/willed willed Irregular; see also Shall and will
win won won Strong, class 3
wind wound wound
rewind rewound rewound
unwind unwound unwound
Strong, class 3
work worked/*wrought worked/*wrought
overwork overworked overworked/overwrought
Weak with Rückumlaut and metathesis of r and o
*worth worth worth/worthen Strong, class 3
wreak wreaked/wrought/*wroke wreaked/wreaken/*wroken/wrought Strong, class 4 or Strong, class 5
wring wrang/wrung wrung Strong, class 3
write wrote/*writ written
miswrite miswrote miswritten
overwrite overwrote overwritten
rewrite rewrote rewritten
underwrite underwrote underwritten
Strong, class 1
writhe writhed/*wrothe writhed/*writhen Strong, class 1

Present tense irregular verbs

[edit]

Though the list of verbs irregular in the preterite or perfect tenses is long, the list of irregular present tense verbs is very short. Excepting modal verbs like "shall", "will", and "can" that do not inflect at all in the present tense, there are only four, two of which are only irregular in pronunciation (say and do):

  • Be: I am, you are, he is, we are, they are; in addition, the preterite forms are irregular: I was, you were, he was, we were, they were. Its subjunctive mood is also irregular: the past form is always were, and the present form is always be.
  • Do (and compounds such as "undo" and "redo"): I do, you do, he does, we do, they do where "does" is pronounced dəz in contrast to du, the pronunciation of the infinitive and the other present tense forms.
  • Have: I have, you have, he has, we have, they have.
  • Say: I say, you say, he says, we say, they say where "says" is pronounced sɛz or sɛs in contrast to seɪ, the pronunciation of the infinitive and the other present tense forms. Unlike compound forms ending in "-do", other verbs ending in "-say", such as "gainsay" and "naysay" are usually pronounced -seɪz.

Additional note

[edit]

These verbs from the list above are spelled the same in the simple past as in the present tense (excluding compounds such as set, beset, inset, upset etc.): beat, bet, burst, cast, cost, cut, hit, hurt, let, put, quit, read, rid, set, shed, shut, slit, split, spread. (Note that of all the preceding, only "read" is pronounced differently in the past tense from the present tense.)

[edit]
  • English Irregular Verb List A comprehensive list of English irregular verbs, including their base form, past simple, past participle, 3rd person singular, and the present participle / gerund.
  • ExamPaperGenerator Script to create exam papers for testing students' knowledge of irregular verbs