List of English irregular verbs
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of irregular verbs in the English language. The citation form (the infinitive) comes first (with a link to the Wiktionary article on the verb), together with the present tense forms when they are different, then the preterite or simple past, and finally the past participle. The right hand column notes whether they are weak or strong and whether they belong 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).
It should be noted that many of these verbs are irregular in British or American English only; in many cases, 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, also dove and snuck in the U.S.); Australian English tends to follow British practice, while Canadian English often sides with American usage. See further at American and British English differences.
| arise arose arisen | Strong, class 1 |
| awake awoke awoken | Strong, class 6 |
| be (am, is, are) was (were) been | Suppletive. See: Indo-European copula. |
| bear bore born/borne | Strong, class 4 |
| beat beat beaten/beat | Strong, class 7 |
| become became become | Strong, class 4 |
| befall befell befallen | Strong, class 7 |
| beget begat begotten | |
| begin began begun | Strong, class 3 |
| behold beheld beheld | Strong, class 7 |
| bend bent bent | Weak with assimilation of dentals |
| bereave bereaved/bereft bereaved/bereft | Strong, class 6 |
| beseech besought besought | Weak with Rückumlaut and Germanic spirant law |
| beset beset beset | Weak with assimilation of dentals |
| bet bet/betted bet/betted | Weak with assimilation of dentals |
| bid (in cards, auctions, etc.) bid bid | Strong, class 5 |
| bid (request, say) bade bidden | Strong, class 5 |
| bind bound bound | Strong, class 3 |
| bite bit bitten | Strong, class 1 |
| bleed bled bled | Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals |
| blow blew blown | Strong, class 7 |
| break broke broken | Strong, class 4 |
| breed bred bred | Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals |
| bring brought brought | Weak with Rückumlaut and Germanic spirant law |
| broadcast broadcast broadcast | Weak |
| browbeat browbeat browbeaten | Strong, class 7 |
| build built built | Weak with assimilation of dentals |
| burn burned/burnt burned/burnt | Weak with assimilation of dentals |
| burst burst burst | Strong, class 3 |
| bust busted/bust busted/bust | Weak with assimilation of dentals |
| buy bought bought | Weak with Rückumlaut and Germanic spirant law |
| can could (none) | Preterite-present; defective |
| cast cast cast | Weak with assimilation of dentals |
| catch caught caught | Weak - a French loanword conjugated perhaps by analogy with teach-taught |
| chide chid/chided/chode chidden/chided | Strong, class 5 |
| choose chose chosen | Strong, class 2 |
| cleave cleaved/clove/cleft cleaved/cloven/cleft | Strong, class 2 |
| cling clung clung | Strong, class 3 |
| come came come | Strong, class 4 |
| cost cost cost | Weak with assimilation of dentals |
| creep crept crept | Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals |
| cut cut cut | Weak with assimilation of dentals |
| deal dealt dealt | Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals |
| dig dug dug | |
| dive dived/dove dived | Strong, class 2 |
| do did done | |
| draw drew drawn | Strong, class 6 |
| dream dreamt/dreamed dreamt/dreamed | Weak with vowel reduction assimilation of dentals |
| drink drank drunk/drank | Strong, class 3 |
| drive drove driven | Strong, class 1 |
| dwell dwelt/dwelled dwelt/dwelled | Weak with assimilation of dentals |
| eat ate eaten | Strong, class 5 |
| fall fell fallen | Strong, class 7 |
| feed fed fed | Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals |
| feel felt felt | Weak with assimilation of dentals |
| fight fought fought | Strong, class 3 |
| find found found | Strong, class 3 |
| fit (in all meanings besides tailoring) fit fit | Weak with assimilation of dentals |
| fit fit/fitted fit/fitted | Weak with assimilation of dentals|- |
| flee fled fled | Weak with vowel reduction |
| fling flung flung | Strong, class 3 |
| fly flew flown | Strong, class 2 |
| forbid forbade forbidden | Strong, class 5 |
| forecast forecast forecast | Weak with assimilation of dentals |
| forego forewent foregone | Suppletive. See: go (verb). |
| forgo forwent forgone | Suppletive. See: go (verb). |
| foresee foresaw foreseen | Strong, class 5 |
| foretell foretold foretold | Weak with Rückumlaut |
| forget forgot forgotten | Strong, class 5 |
| forgive forgave forgiven | Strong, class 5 |
| forsake forsook forsaken | Strong, class 6 |
| freeze froze frozen | Strong, class 2 |
| get got gotten/got | Strong, class 5 |
| give gave given | Strong, class 5 |
| go went gone | Suppletive. See: go (verb). |
| grind (all senses besides dancing) ground ground | |
| grow grew grown | Strong, class 7 |
| hang (all senses except "to kill") hung hung | Strong, class 7 |
| have had had | |
| hear heard heard | Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals |
| hew hewed hewn | |
| hide hid hidden | |
| hit hit hit | Weak with assimilation of dentals |
| hold held held | Strong, class 7 |
| hurt hurt hurt | Weak with assimilation of dentals |
| input input input | Weak with assimilation of dentals |
| inset inset inset | Weak with assimilation of dentals |
| interbreed interbred interbred | Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals |
| interweave interwove interwoven | Strong, class 7 |
| keep kept kept | Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals |
| kneel knelt knelt | Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals |
| knit knit/knitted knit/knitted | Weak with assimilation of dentals |
| know knew known | Strong, class 7 |
| lay laid laid | Weak; irregular only in spelling |
| lead led led | Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals |
| lean leaned/leant leaned/leant | Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals |
| leap leaped/leapt leaped/leapt | Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals |
| learn learned/learnt learned/learnt | Weak with assimilation of dentals |
| leave left left | Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals |
| lend lent lent | Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals |
| let let let | Strong, class 7 |
| lie (in all senses besides speaking a non-truth) lay lain | Strong, class 5 |
| light lit/lighted lit/lighted | Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals |
| lose lost lost | Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals |
| make made made | Weak |
| may might (none) | Preterite-present; defective |
| mean meant meant | Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals |
| meet met met | Strong, class 5 |
| mishear misheard misheard | Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals |
| mislay mislaid mislaid | Weak; irregular only in spelling |
| mislead misled misled | Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals |
| misread misread misread | Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals |
| misspell misspelled/misspelt misspelled/misspelt | Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals |
| mistake mistook mistaken | Strong, class 6 |
| misunderstand misunderstood misunderstood | Strong, class 6 |
| mow mowed mowed/mown | |
| outbid outbid outbid | Strong, class 5 |
| outdo outdid outdone | |
| outgrow outgrew outgrown | Strong, class 7 |
| outrun outran outrun | Strong, class 3 |
| outsell outsold outsold | Weak with Rückumlaut |
| overcast overcast overcast | Weak with assimilation of dentals |
| overcome overcame overcome | Strong, class 4 |
| overdo overdid overdone | |
| overdraw overdrew overdrawn | Strong, class 6 |
| overeat overate overeaten | Strong, class 5 |
| overhang overhung overhung | Strong, class 7 |
| overhear overheard overheard | Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals |
| overlay overlaid overlaid | Weak; irregular only in spelling |
| overlie overlay overlain | Strong, class 5 |
| overpay overpaid overpaid | Weak; irregular only in spelling |
| override overrode overridden | Strong, class 1 |
| overrun overran overrun | Strong, class 3 |
| oversee oversaw overseen | Strong, class 5 |
| oversell oversold oversold | Weak with Rückumlaut |
| overshoot overshot overshot | Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals |
| oversleep overslept overslept | Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals |
| overtake overtook overtaken | Strong, class 6 |
| overthrow overthrew overthrown | Strong, class 7 |
| partake partook partaken | Strong, class 6 |
| pay paid paid | Weak; irregular only in spelling |
| plead pleaded/pled pleaded/pled | Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals |
| proofread proofread proofread | Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals |
| prove proved proved/proven | |
| put put put | Weak with assimilation of dentals |
| quit quit quit | Weak with assimilation of dentals |
| read read read | Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals |
| reave reft reft | Strong, class 6 |
| rebind rebound rebound | Strong, class 3 |
| rebuild rebuilt rebuilt | Weak with assimilation of dentals |
| recast recast recast | Weak with assimilation of dentals |
| rend rent rent | Weak with assimilation of dentals |
| redo redid redone | |
| re-lay re-laid re-laid | Weak; irregular only in spelling |
| remake remade remade | Weak |
| repay repaid repaid | Weak; irregular only in spelling |
| rerun reran rerun | Strong, class 3 |
| resell resold resold | Weak with Rückumlaut |
| reset reset reset | Weak with assimilation of dentals |
| rethink rethought rethought | Weak with Rückumlaut and Germanic spirant law |
| rewind rewound rewound | |
| rewrite rewrote rewritten | Strong, class 1 |
| rid rid/ridded rid/ridden/ridded | |
| ride rode ridden | Strong, class 1 |
| ring rang rung | Strong, class 3 |
| rise rose risen | Strong, class 1 |
| rive rived/rove riven | Strong, class 1 |
| run ran run | Strong, class 3 |
| saw sawed sawed/sawn | |
| say said said | Weak |
| see saw seen | Strong, class 5 |
| seek sought sought | Weak with Rückumlaut and Germanic spirant law |
| sell sold sold | Weak with Rückumlaut |
| send sent sent | Weak with assimilation of dentals |
| set set set | Weak |
| sew sewed sewed/sewn | |
| shake shook shaken | Strong, class 6 |
| shall should (none) | Preterite-present; defective; see also Shall and will |
| shave shaved shaved/shaven | |
| shear sheared sheared/shorn | |
| shed shed/shedded shed/shedded | Weak with assimilation of dentals |
| shine shined/shone shined/shone | Strong, class 1 |
| shit or shite, shit/shat shit/shat | Strong, class 1; also regular: shitted/shited shitted/shited |
| shoe shoed/shod shoed/shod | Weak with vowel reduction |
| shoot shot shot | Strong, class 2 |
| show showed shown/showed | |
| shrink shrank/shrunk shrunk | Strong, class 3 |
| shut shut shut | Weak |
| sing sang sung | Strong, class 3 |
| sink sank sunk | Strong, class 3 |
| sit sat sat | Strong, class 5 |
| slay slew slain | Strong, class 6 |
| sleep slept slept | Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals |
| slide slid slid | Strong, class 1 |
| sling slung slung | Strong, class 3 |
| slink slunk slunk | Strong, class 3 |
| slit slit slit | Weak |
| smell smelled/smelt smelled/smelt | Weak with assimilation of dentals |
| smite smote smitten | Strong, class 1 |
| sneak sneaked/snuck sneaked/snuck | |
| sow sowed sowed/sown | |
| speak spoke spoken | Strong, class 5 |
| speed sped/speeded sped/speeded | Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals |
| spell spelled/spelt spelled/spelt | Weak |
| spend spent spent | Weak |
| spill spilled/spilt spilled/spilt | Weak |
| spin spun spun | strong, class 3 |
| spit spit/spat spit | |
| split split split | Weak |
| spoil spoiled/spoilt spoiled/spoilt | Weak |
| spoon-feed spoon-fed spoon-fed | Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals |
| spread spread spread | Weak with assimilation of dentals |
| spring sprang/sprung sprung | Strong, class 3 |
| stand stood stood | Strong, class 6 |
| steal stole stolen | Strong, class 4 |
| stick stuck stuck | |
| sting stung/stang stung | Strong, class 3 |
| stink stunk/stank stunk | Strong, class 3 |
| strew strewed strewn/strewed | |
| stride strided/strode strided/stridden | Strong, class 1 |
| strike struck struck/stricken | |
| string strung strung | Strong, class 3 |
| strive strove/strived striven/strived | Strong, class 1 |
| swear swore sworn | Strong, class 6 |
| sweep swept swept | Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals |
| swell swelled swelled/swollen | Strong, class 3 |
| swim swam swum | Strong, class 3 |
| swing swung swung | Strong, class 3 |
| take took taken | Strong, class 6 |
| teach taught taught | Weak with Rückumlaut and Germanic spirant law |
| tear tore torn | Strong, class 4 |
| tell told told | Weak with Rückumlaut |
| think thought thought | Weak with Rückumlaut and Germanic spirant law |
| thrive thrived/throve thrived/thriven | |
| throw threw thrown | Strong, class 7 |
| thrust thrust thrust | |
| tread trod/treaded trodden/trod/treaded | |
| unbind unbound unbound | Strong, class 3 |
| underlie underlaid/underlied underlaid/underlied | |
| understand understood understood | Strong, class 6 |
| undertake undertook undertaken | Strong, class 6 |
| underwrite underwrote underwritten | Strong, class 1 |
| undo undid undone | |
| unwind unwound unwound | Strong, class 3 |
| uphold upheld upheld | Strong, class 7 |
| upset upset/upsetted upset/upsetted | Weak with assimilation of dentals |
| wake woke woken | Strong, class 6 |
| waylay waylaid waylaid | Weak; irregular only in spelling |
| wear wore worn | |
| weave wove woven | Strong, class 7 |
| wed wed/wedded wed/wedded | Weak with assimilation of dentals |
| weep wept wept | Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals |
| wet wet/wetted wet/wetted | Weak with assimilation of dentals |
| will (except as a transitive verb) would (none) | Preterite-present; defective; see also Shall and will |
| win won won | Strong, class 3 |
| wind wound wound | Strong, class 3 |
| withdraw withdrew withdrawn | Strong, class 6 |
| withhold withheld withheld | Strong, class 7 |
| withstand withstood withstood | Strong, class 6 |
| work worked/wrought worked/wrought | Weak |
| wring wrung wrung | Strong, class 3 |
| write wrote written | Strong, class 1 |
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, read, rid, set, shed, shut, slit, split, spread. (Note that of all the preceding, only "read" is pronounced differently in the past than in the present.)
See also: Wiktionary list of irregular verbs or the Wiktionary English irregular verbs category.
[edit] External links
- Mind Our English: Strong and weak by Ralph Berry
- Verbs in English Grammar, wikibook
