Appendix:English irregular verbs

See also: Appendix:English formerly irregular verbs

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 (bended → bent) and vowel reduction (*keeped → kept).

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

^†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

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.)

External links

• 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