Speak past tense: spoke, spoken
talk, articulate
Speak is an irregular English verb: the past simple of speak is spoke and the past participle is spoken. Learn the three forms together — speak – spoke – spoken.
Verb forms
Base form
/spiːk/
Past Simple
/spəʊk/
Past Participle
/ˈspəʊkən/
Press the speaker button to hear each form. The transcription under each word shows the British pronunciation (IPA).
Example sentences
Base form · speak
She speaks three languages fluently.
Past Simple · spoke
He spoke to the manager about the problem.
Past Participle · spoken
English is spoken in many countries around the world.
Key tenses
| Present Simple | Past Simple | Present Perfect |
|---|---|---|
I speak he / she / it speaks | I spoke | I have spoken |
| Present Continuous:I am speaking · he / she / it is speaking | ||
Common collocations
speak your mind
to say what you really think
speak up
to talk more loudly or give an opinion
Grammar guide
Speak belongs to the ABC group: all three forms are different (speak – spoke – spoken), so each form has to be learnt separately.
- Past simple – spoke: a finished action at a definite time in the past. It is used on its own, without an auxiliary.
- Past participle – spoken: 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 speak…? I didn’t speak.
Verbs with the same pattern
Quick quiz
Which sentence is correct?
Questions about speak
- What is the past simple of speak?
- The past simple of speak is spoke.
- What is the past participle of speak?
- The past participle of speak is spoken.
- What are the three forms of speak?
- The three forms are speak – spoke – spoken: base form, past simple and past participle.
- Is speak a regular or an irregular verb?
- Speak is irregular: its past simple is spoke, not speaked.