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Sleep past tense: slept, slept
rest unconscious
Sleep is an irregular English verb: the past simple of sleep is slept and the past participle is slept. Learn the three forms together — sleep – slept – slept.
Verb forms
Base form
sleep
/sliːp/
Past Simple
slept
/slept/
Past Participle
slept
/slept/
Press the speaker button to hear each form. The transcription under each word shows the British pronunciation (IPA).
Example sentences
Base form · sleep
Babies sleep up to sixteen hours a day.
Past Simple · slept
I slept badly because of the noise outside.
Past Participle · slept
He has slept through his alarm again.
Key tenses
| Present Simple | Past Simple | Present Perfect |
|---|---|---|
I sleep he / she / it sleeps | I slept | I have slept |
| Present Continuous:I am sleeping · he / she / it is sleeping | ||
Grammar guide
Sleep belongs to the ABB group: the past simple and the past participle are the same (slept). This is the largest group of irregular verbs — you only need to learn one past form.
- Past simple – slept: a finished action at a definite time in the past. It is used on its own, without an auxiliary.
- Past participle – slept: 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 sleep…? I didn’t sleep.
Quick quiz
Which sentence is correct?
Questions about sleep
- What is the past simple of sleep?
- The past simple of sleep is slept.
- What is the past participle of sleep?
- The past participle of sleep is slept.
- What are the three forms of sleep?
- The three forms are sleep – slept – slept: base form, past simple and past participle.
- Is sleep a regular or an irregular verb?
- Sleep is irregular: its past simple is slept, not sleeped.