Lead past tense: led, led
guide, direct
Lead is an irregular English verb: the past simple of lead is led and the past participle is led. Learn the three forms together — lead – led – led.
Verb forms
Base form
/liːd/
Past Simple
/led/
Past Participle
/led/
Press the speaker button to hear each form. The transcription under each word shows the British pronunciation (IPA).
Example sentences
Base form · lead
This path leads directly to the village.
Past Simple · led
She led the team to victory last season.
Past Participle · led
His research has led to several important discoveries.
Key tenses
| Present Simple | Past Simple | Present Perfect |
|---|---|---|
I lead he / she / it leads | I led | I have led |
| Present Continuous:I am leading · he / she / it is leading | ||
Common collocations
lead the way
to go first and guide others
lead to
to result in something
Grammar guide
Lead belongs to the ABB group: the past simple and the past participle are the same (led). This is the largest group of irregular verbs — you only need to learn one past form.
- Past simple – led: a finished action at a definite time in the past. It is used on its own, without an auxiliary.
- Past participle – led: after have, has or had (present perfect, past perfect) and after be in the passive voice.
- Questions and negatives in the past simple use did + the base form: Did you lead…? I didn’t lead.
Quick quiz
Which sentence is correct?
Questions about lead
- What is the past simple of lead?
- The past simple of lead is led.
- What is the past participle of lead?
- The past participle of lead is led.
- What are the three forms of lead?
- The three forms are lead – led – led: base form, past simple and past participle.
- Is lead a regular or an irregular verb?
- Lead is irregular: its past simple is led, not leaded.