Irregular Verbs

English irregular verbs list

Full table with three forms and translation. Search, filter, and practise.

Don’t learn the list alphabetically. Start with the top 50 verbs — they cover most of everyday English. Then learn by pattern group: put–put–put never changes, buy–bought–bought has one past form, and go–went–gone needs all three. Finally, review with spaced repetition: our irregular verbs test brings back the verbs you get wrong until they stick.

138 verbs

Start Test →

Filtered: 138

Base form	Past Simple	Past Participle	Meaning
be — was/were — been /biː/	was/were	been	exist, occur
have — had — had /hæv/	had	had	possess, own
do — did — done /duː/	did	done	perform an action
say — said — said /seɪ/	said	said	utter words
get — got — got/gotten /ɡet/	got	got/gotten	obtain, receive
make — made — made /meɪk/	made	made	create, produce
go — went — gone /ɡəʊ/	went	gone	move, travel
know — knew — known /nəʊ/	knew	known	be aware of
take — took — taken /teɪk/	took	taken	grasp, accept
see — saw — seen /siː/	saw	seen	perceive with eyes
come — came — come /kʌm/	came	come	arrive, approach
think — thought — thought /θɪŋk/	thought	thought	use the mind
give — gave — given /ɡɪv/	gave	given	transfer, donate
find — found — found /faɪnd/	found	found	discover, locate
tell — told — told /tel/	told	told	communicate, narrate
become — became — become /bɪˈkʌm/	became	become	begin to be
leave — left — left /liːv/	left	left	depart, abandon
feel — felt — felt /fiːl/	felt	felt	experience emotion
bring — brought — brought /brɪŋ/	brought	brought	carry to a place
begin — began — begun /bɪˈɡɪn/	began	begun	start, commence
keep — kept — kept /kiːp/	kept	kept	retain, continue
hold — held — held /həʊld/	held	held	grasp, contain
write — wrote — written /raɪt/	wrote	written	form letters
stand — stood — stood /stænd/	stood	stood	be upright
hear — heard — heard /hɪə/	heard	heard	perceive sound
let — let — let /let/	let	let	allow, permit
mean — meant — meant /miːn/	meant	meant	intend, signify
set — set — set /set/	set	set	place, establish
meet — met — met /miːt/	met	met	encounter, gather
run — ran — run /rʌn/	ran	run	move quickly, manage
pay — paid — paid /peɪ/	paid	paid	give money for
sit — sat — sat /sɪt/	sat	sat	rest on a seat
speak — spoke — spoken /spiːk/	spoke	spoken	talk, articulate
lie — lay — lain /laɪ/	lay	lain	rest horizontally
lead — led — led /liːd/	led	led	guide, direct
read — read — read /riːd/	read	read	interpret text
grow — grew — grown /ɡrəʊ/	grew	grown	increase in size
lose — lost — lost /luːz/	lost	lost	fail to keep, misplace
fall — fell — fallen /fɔːl/	fell	fallen	drop down
send — sent — sent /send/	sent	sent	dispatch
build — built — built /bɪld/	built	built	construct
understand — understood — understood /ˌʌndəˈstænd/	understood	understood	comprehend
draw — drew — drawn /drɔː/	drew	drawn	sketch, pull
break — broke — broken /breɪk/	broke	broken	shatter, fracture
spend — spent — spent /spend/	spent	spent	use up, expend
cut — cut — cut /kʌt/	cut	cut	divide with blade
rise — rose — risen /raɪz/	rose	risen	go up
drive — drove — driven /draɪv/	drove	driven	operate a vehicle
buy — bought — bought /baɪ/	bought	bought	purchase
wear — wore — worn /weə/	wore	worn	carry on body
choose — chose — chosen /tʃuːz/	chose	chosen	select, pick
win — won — won /wɪn/	won	won	be victorious
teach — taught — taught /tiːtʃ/	taught	taught	instruct
throw — threw — thrown /θrəʊ/	threw	thrown	propel through air
catch — caught — caught /kætʃ/	caught	caught	seize, capture
sell — sold — sold /sel/	sold	sold	exchange for money
fly — flew — flown /flaɪ/	flew	flown	move through air
fight — fought — fought /faɪt/	fought	fought	engage in combat
drink — drank — drunk /drɪŋk/	drank	drunk	swallow liquid
eat — ate — eaten /iːt/	ate	eaten	consume food
sing — sang — sung /sɪŋ/	sang	sung	make musical sounds
swim — swam — swum /swɪm/	swam	swum	move through water
ride — rode — ridden /raɪd/	rode	ridden	travel on/in
ring — rang — rung /rɪŋ/	rang	rung	make bell sound, call
sleep — slept — slept /sliːp/	slept	slept	rest unconscious
shake — shook — shaken /ʃeɪk/	shook	shaken	tremble, oscillate
freeze — froze — frozen /friːz/	froze	frozen	turn to ice
fit — fitted/fit — fitted/fit /fɪt/	fitted/fit	fitted/fit	be the right size
hit — hit — hit /hɪt/	hit	hit	strike, impact
hurt — hurt — hurt /hɜːt/	hurt	hurt	cause pain
burn — burnt/burned — burnt/burned /bɜːn/	burnt/burned	burnt/burned	be on fire
lend — lent — lent /lend/	lent	lent	give temporarily
lay — laid — laid /leɪ/	laid	laid	place down
cost — cost — cost /kɒst/	cost	cost	have a price
shut — shut — shut /ʃʌt/	shut	shut	close
spread — spread — spread /spred/	spread	spread	extend over an area
shine — shone — shone /ʃaɪn/	shone	shone	give off light
stick — stuck — stuck /stɪk/	stuck	stuck	adhere, become fixed
feed — fed — fed /fiːd/	fed	fed	give food to
hide — hid — hidden /haɪd/	hid	hidden	conceal
blow — blew — blown /bləʊ/	blew	blown	produce air current
forget — forgot — forgotten /fəˈɡet/	forgot	forgotten	fail to remember
forgive — forgave — forgiven /fəˈɡɪv/	forgave	forgiven	stop being angry
tear — tore — torn /teə/	tore	torn	rip apart
bite — bit — bitten /baɪt/	bit	bitten	cut with teeth
dig — dug — dug /dɪɡ/	dug	dug	make a hole
hang — hung — hung /hæŋ/	hung	hung	suspend
shoot — shot — shot /ʃuːt/	shot	shot	fire a weapon
swing — swung — swung /swɪŋ/	swung	swung	move back and forth
wake — woke — woken /weɪk/	woke	woken	stop sleeping
weep — wept — wept /wiːp/	wept	wept	cry
creep — crept — crept /kriːp/	crept	crept	move slowly, sneak
deal — dealt — dealt /diːl/	dealt	dealt	distribute, handle
arise — arose — arisen /əˈraɪz/	arose	arisen	come up, occur
awake — awoke — awoken /əˈweɪk/	awoke	awoken	wake from sleep
bear — bore — borne /beə/	bore	borne	endure, carry
beat — beat — beaten /biːt/	beat	beaten	strike repeatedly, defeat
bend — bent — bent /bend/	bent	bent	curve, flex
bet — bet — bet /bet/	bet	bet	wager
bind — bound — bound /baɪnd/	bound	bound	tie together
bleed — bled — bled /bliːd/	bled	bled	lose blood
breed — bred — bred /briːd/	bred	bred	produce offspring
broadcast — broadcast — broadcast /ˈbrɔːdkɑːst/	broadcast	broadcast	transmit publicly
burst — burst — burst /bɜːst/	burst	burst	break open suddenly
cast — cast — cast /kɑːst/	cast	cast	throw, project
cling — clung — clung /klɪŋ/	clung	clung	hold tightly
dive — dived/dove — dived /daɪv/	dived/dove	dived	plunge into water
dream — dreamt/dreamed — dreamt/dreamed /driːm/	dreamt/dreamed	dreamt/dreamed	have visions in sleep
flee — fled — fled /fliː/	fled	fled	run away
fling — flung — flung /flɪŋ/	flung	flung	throw violently
forbid — forbade — forbidden /fəˈbɪd/	forbade	forbidden	prohibit
grind — ground — ground /ɡraɪnd/	ground	ground	crush into powder
kneel — knelt — knelt /niːl/	knelt	knelt	rest on knees
lean — leant/leaned — leant/leaned /liːn/	leant/leaned	leant/leaned	tilt, rest against
leap — leapt/leaped — leapt/leaped /liːp/	leapt/leaped	leapt/leaped	jump
light — lit/lighted — lit/lighted /laɪt/	lit/lighted	lit/lighted	illuminate, ignite
mistake — mistook — mistaken /mɪˈsteɪk/	mistook	mistaken	confuse, err
overcome — overcame — overcome /ˌəʊvəˈkʌm/	overcame	overcome	defeat, surmount
prove — proved — proven/proved /pruːv/	proved	proven/proved	demonstrate truth
quit — quit/quitted — quit/quitted /kwɪt/	quit/quitted	quit/quitted	leave, give up
rid — rid — rid /rɪd/	rid	rid	eliminate
seek — sought — sought /siːk/	sought	sought	search for
shrink — shrank — shrunk /ʃrɪŋk/	shrank	shrunk	become smaller
slide — slid — slid /slaɪd/	slid	slid	glide
slit — slit — slit /slɪt/	slit	slit	make a thin cut
spell — spelt/spelled — spelt/spelled /spel/	spelt/spelled	spelt/spelled	name letters of
spill — spilt/spilled — spilt/spilled /spɪl/	spilt/spilled	spilt/spilled	let liquid escape
spit — spat — spat /spɪt/	spat	spat	expel from mouth
split — split — split /splɪt/	split	split	divide into parts
spoil — spoilt/spoiled — spoilt/spoiled /spɔɪl/	spoilt/spoiled	spoilt/spoiled	ruin, indulge
stink — stank — stunk /stɪŋk/	stank	stunk	smell badly
stride — strode — stridden /straɪd/	strode	stridden	walk with long steps
strike — struck — struck /straɪk/	struck	struck	hit, refuse to work
swear — swore — sworn /sweə/	swore	sworn	vow, curse
sweep — swept — swept /swiːp/	swept	swept	clean with broom
weave — wove — woven /wiːv/	wove	woven	interlace threads
withdraw — withdrew — withdrawn /wɪðˈdrɔː/	withdrew	withdrawn	remove, retreat
wring — wrung — wrung /rɪŋ/	wrung	wrung	twist out liquid

Frequently asked questions

How many irregular verbs are there in English?

There are around 200 irregular verbs in modern English, but most of them are rare. This table covers 138 verbs that you will actually meet in everyday speech, books and exams — enough for confident communication at any level.

What are the three forms of an irregular verb?

Each entry shows the base form (go), the past simple (went) and the past participle (gone). The base form is used for the present and infinitive, the past simple for finished actions, and the past participle for perfect tenses and the passive voice.

Why do some verbs have two variants, like got and gotten?

British and American English sometimes use different forms. For example, the past participle of "get" is "got" in British English but usually "gotten" in American English. Both variants are shown in the table — choose the one that matches the dialect you are learning.

What is the fastest way to memorise irregular verbs?

Learn them in small groups with similar patterns (sing–sang–sung, ring–rang–rung), listen to the pronunciation, and test yourself regularly. Our built-in test shuffles the verbs and tracks what you already know, which is far more effective than re-reading the list.

Do any irregular verbs stay the same in all three forms?

Yes — verbs like put, cut, cost, hit and shut do not change at all: put–put–put. They are some of the easiest to remember, but be careful not to add -ed to them by habit.

What is the difference between the past simple and the past participle?

The past simple is a stand-alone tense for finished actions (I saw the film yesterday). The past participle never works alone — it follows have, has, had or be: I have seen the film, the film was seen by millions.