<< English Grammar

Irregular English Verbs

What is an irregular verb?

Example of regular verbs:
look - looked - looked (Infinitiv - Past Simple - Past Participle)

When we speak about regular verbs, we mean verbs that end with "ed" in the Past Simple form and in the Past Participle. The two forms are identical.

Example for an irregular verb:
go - went - gone (Infinitiv - Past Simple - Past Participle)

The Past Simple Tense or Past Participle of irregular verbs do not have to end with an "ed". The two forms are not necessarily identical. You will have to learn these forms by heart (see list below).

List / Table of irregular verbs

Infinitive	Simple Past	Past Participle
abide	abode	abode
arise	arose	arisen
backslide	backslid	backslid
be	was	been
bear	bore	borne
beat	beat	beaten
become	became	become
befall	befell	befallen
begin	began	begun
behold	beheld	beheld
bend	bent	bent
beset	beset	beset
bid	bade	bidden
bind	bound	bound
bite	bit	bitten
bleed	bled	bled
blow	blew	blown
break	broke	broken
breed	bred	bred
bring	brought	brought
broadcast	broadcast	broadcast
build	built	built
burn	burnt	burnt
burst	burst	burst
buy	bought	bought
can	could	been able to
cast	cast	cast
catch	caught	caught

chide	chid	chidden
choose	chose	chosen
cling	clung	clung
come	came	come
cost	cost	cost
countersink	countersank	countersunk
creep	crept	crept
crossbreed	crossbred	crossbred
crow	crew	crowed
cut	cut	cut
deal	dealt	dealt
dig	dug	dug
do	did	done
draw	drew	drawn
dream	dreamt	dreamt
drink	drank	drunk
drive	drove	driven
dwell	dwelt	dwelt
eat	ate	eaten
fall	fell	fallen
feed	fed	fed
feel	felt	felt
fight	fought	fought
find	found	found
flee	fled	fled
fling	flung	flung
fly	flew	flown
forbid	forbad	forbidden
forecast	forecast	forecast
forego	forewent	foregone
foresee	foresaw	foreseen
foretell	foretold	foretold
forget	forgot	forgotten
forgive	forgave	forgiven
forsake	forsook	forsaken
freeze	froze	frozen
get	got	got
give	gave	given
go	went	gone
grind	ground	ground
grow	grew	grown
have	had	had
hide	hid	hidden
hit	hit	hit
hold	held	held
hurt	hurt	hurt
inlay	inlaid	inlaid
interweave	interwove	interwoven
keep	kept	kept
kneel	knelt	knelt
know	knew	known
lay	laid	laid
lead	led	led
lean	leant	leant
leap	leapt	leapt
learn	learnt	learnt
leave	left	left
lend	lent	lent
let	let	let
lose	lost	lost
make	made	made
mean	meant	meant
meet	met	met
mislead	misled	misled
misread	misread	misread
misspell	misspelt	misspelt
misunderstand	misunderstood	misunderstood
mow	mowed	mown
must	must	must
overcome	overcame	overcome
overdo	overdid	overdone
oversleep	overslept	overslept
overtake	overtook	overtaken
pay	paid	paid
picnic	picnicked	picnicked
put	put	put
read	read	read
rebuild	rebuilt	rebuilt
redo	redid	redone
resell	resold	resold
reset	reset	reset
rid	ridded	ridded
ride	rode	ridden
ring	rang	rung
rise	rose	risen
run	ran	run
saw	sawed	sawn
say	said	said
see	saw	seen
seek	sought	sought
sell	sold	sold
send	sent	sent
set	set	set
sew	sewed	sewn
shake	shook	shaken
shed	shed	shed
shine	shone	shone
shit	shit	shit
shoot	shot	shot
show	showed	shown
shrink	shrank	shrunk
shut	shut	shut
sing	sang	sung
sink	sank	sunk
sit	sat	sat
slay	slew	slain
sleep	slept	slept
slide	slid	slid
sling	slung	slung
smell	smelt	smelt
sow	sowed	sown
speak	spoke	spoken
speed	sped	sped
spell	spelt	spelt
spend	spent	spent
spill	spilt	spilt
spin	span	spun
spit	spat	spat
split	split	split
spoil	spoilt	spoilt
spread	spread	spread
spring	sprang	sprung
stand	stood	stood
steal	stole	stolen
stick	stuck	stuck
sting	stung	stung
stink	stank	stunk
stride	strode	stridden
strike	struck	struck
string	strung	strung
strive	strove	striven
sublet	sublet	sublet
swear	swore	sworn
sweep	swept	swept
swell	swelled	swollen
swim	swam	swum
swing	swung	swung
take	took	taken
teach	taught	taught
tear	tore	torn
tell	told	told
think	thought	thought
thrive	throve	thriven
throw	threw	thrown
thrust	thrust	thrust
tread	trod	trodden
undergo	underwent	undergone
underlay	underlaid	underlaid
understand	understood	understood
undertake	undertook	undertaken
undo	undid	undone
upset	upset	upset
waylay	waylaid	waylaid
wear	wore	worn
weave	wove	woven
wed	wedded	wedded
weep	wept	wept
win	won	won
wind	wound	wound
withdraw	withdrew	withdrawn
withstand	withstood	withstood
wring	wrung	wrung
write	wrote	written