List of English irregular verbs

Categories: Verb types | Language lists

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 (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).

arise arose arisen	Strong, class 1
awake awoke awakened	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	Strong, class 7
become became become	Strong, class 4
befall befell befallen	Strong, class 7
begin began begun	Strong, class 3
behold beheld beheld	Strong, class 7
bend bent bent	Weak with assimilation of dentals
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 bade/bid bidden/bid	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 could	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
choose chose chosen	Strong, class 2
cleave clove/cleft 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 dreamt	Weak with vowel reduction assimilation of dentals
drink drank drunk	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 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 got/gotten	Strong, class 5
give gave given	Strong, class 5
go went gone	Suppletive. See: go (verb).
grind ground ground
grow grew grown	Strong, class 7
hang hung hung (but hanged for a person)	Strong, class 7
have had had
hear heard heard	Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals
heave hove/heaved hove/heaved	Strong, class 6
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 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 might	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
pre-set pre-set pre-set	Weak with 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/quitted quit/quitted	Weak with assimilation of dentals
read read read	Weak with vowel reduction and assimilation of dentals
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
rid rid rid
ride rode ridden	Strong, class 1
ring rang rung	Strong, class 3
rise rose risen	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
shave shaved shaved/shaven
shear sheared sheared/shorn
shed shed shed	Weak with assimilation of dentals
shine shone shone	Strong, class 1
shit shit/shat shit/shat	Strong, class 1
shoe shoed/shod shoed/shod	Weak with vowel reduction
shoot shot shot	Strong, class 2
show showed showed/shown
shrink shrank 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
shall should should	Preterite-present; defective; see also Shall and will
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	Strong, class 3
stand stood stood	Strong, class 6
steal stole stolen	Strong, class 4
stick stuck stuck
sting stung stung	Strong, class 3
stink stank stunk	Strong, class 3
strew strewed strewn/strewed
stride strode 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 underlay underlain
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 upset	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 would would	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