English Irregular Verbs
Irrеgular vеrbs are the most commonly used verbs in English language.
Irrеgulаr vеrbs аrе vеrbs thаt dо nоt fоllоw thе simplе systеm оf аdding “d” or “еd” tо thе еnd оf the wоrd tо fоrm thе pаst tеnse.
The nine mоst cоmmоn lexicаl vеrbs in Еnglish аre аll irrеgulаr: sаy, gеt, gо, knоw, think, sее, mаkе, cоmе, аnd tаkе.
English Irregular Verbs List:
| Verb | Past Simple | Past Participle |
| abide | abode | abode |
| arise | arose | arisen |
| awake | awoke | awoken |
| be | was/were | been |
| bear | bore | born |
| beat | beat | beaten |
| beget | begot | begotten |
| begin | began | begun |
| bend | bent | bent |
| bereave | bereft | bereft |
| beseech | besought | besought |
| bespeak | bespoke | bespoken |
| bestride | bestrode | bestridden |
| bet | bet | bet |
| 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 | - |
| cast | cast | cast |
| catch | caught | caught |
| choose | chose | chose |
| cling | clung | clung |
| come | came | come |
| cost | cost | cost |
| creep | crept | crept |
| 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 |
| fly | flew | flew |
| forbid | forbad(e) | forbidden |
| forecast | forecast | forecast |
| forget | forgot | forgotten |
| forsake | forsook | forsaken |
| freeze | froze | frozen |
| get | got | got |
| give | gave | given |
| go | went | gone |
| grind | ground | ground |
| grow | grew | grown |
| hang | hung | hung |
| have | had | had |
| hear | heard | heard |
| hide | hid | hidden |
| hit | hit | hit |
| hold | held | held |
| hurt | hurt | hurt |
| 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 |
| light | lit | lit |
| lie | lay | lain |
| lose | lost | lost |
| make | made | made |
| mean | meant | meant |
| meet | met | met |
| pay | paid | paid |
| put | put | put |
| read | read | read |
| rend | rent | rent |
| rid | rid | rid |
| ride | rode | ridden |
| ring | rang | rung |
| rise | rose | risen |
| run | ran | run |
| say | said | said |
| see | saw | seen |
| seek | sought | sought |
| sell | sold | sold |
| send | sent | sent |
| set | set | set |
| shake | shook | shaken |
| shed | shed | shed |
| shine | shone | shone |
| shoot | shot | shot |
| show | showed | shown |
| shrink | shrank | shrunk |
| shrive | shrove | shriven |
| shut | shut | shut |
| sing | sang | sung |
| sink | sank | sunk |
| sit | sat | sat |
| slay | slew | slain |
| sleep | slept | slept |
| slide | slid | slid |
| sling | slung | slung |
| slink | slunk | slunk |
| slit | slit | slit |
| smell | smelt | smelt |
| smite | smote | smitten |
| speak | spoke | spoken |
| speed | sped | sped |
| spend | spent | spent |
| spin | spun | 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 |
| strike | struck | struck |
| string | strung | strung |
| strive | strove | striven |
| swear | swore | sworn |
| sweep | swept | swept |
| swim | swam | swum |
| swing | swung | swung |
| take | took | taken |
| teach | taught | taught |
| tear | tore | torn |
| tell | told | told |
| think | thought | thought |
| throw | threw | thrown |
| thrust | thrust | thrust |
| tread | trod | trodden |
| wake | woke | woken |
| wear | wore | worn |
| weave | wove | woven |
| weep | wept | wept |
| win | won | won |
| wind | wound | wound |
| wring | wrung | wrung |
| write | wrote | written |
Verbs that have the same form in Base, Past and Past Participle form:
| Verb | Past Simple | Past Participle |
| bet | bet | bet |
| broadcast | broadcast | broadcast |
| burst | burst | burst |
| cast | cast | cast |
| cost | cost | cost |
| cut | cut | cut |
| forecast | forecast | forecast |
| hit | hit | hit |
| hurt | hurt | hurt |
| let | let | let |
| put | put | put |
| quit | quit | quit |
| read | read | read |
| rid | rid | rid |
| set | set | set |
| shed | shed | shed |
| shut | shut | shut |
| slit | slit | slit |
| split | split | split |
| spread | spread | spread |
Verbs that can be regular or irregular:
| Verb | Past Simple | Past Participle |
| burn | burned/burnt | burned/burnt |
| dream | dreamed/dreamt | dreamed/dreamt |
| learn | learned/learnt | learned/learnt |
| light | lighted/lit | lighted/lit |
| smell | smelled/smelt | smelled/smelt |
The only way to learn irregular verbs is to memorize them. There are some phonetic patterns among them
Short “i” changes to “u”
| Verb | Past Simple | Past Participle |
| cling | clung | clung |
| dig | dug | dug |
| hang | hung | hung |
| sling | slung | slung |
| slink | slunk | slunk |
| spin | spun | spun |
| stick | stuck | stuck |
| sting | stung | stung |
| strike | struck | struck |
| string | strung | strung |
| swing | swung | swung |
| wring | wrung | wrung |
-ought and –aught endings
| Verb | Past Simple | Past Participle |
| beseech | besought | besought |
| bring | brought | brought |
| buy | bought | bought |
| catch | caught | caught |
| fight | fought | fought |
| seek | sought | sought |
| teach | taught | taught |
| think | thought | thought |
"-ve" changes to "-ft"
| Verb | Past Simple | Past Participle |
| bereave | bereft | bereft |
| leave | left | left |
Long “e” changes to short “e” +"t"
| Verb | Past Simple | Past Participle |
| creep | crept | crept |
| feel | felt | felt |
| keep | kept | kept |
| kneel | knelt | knelt |
| sleep | slept | slept |
| sweep | swept | swept |
| weep | wept | wept |
Verbs with "t" endings in the Past Simple and in the Past Participle
| Verb | Past Simple | Past Participle |
| burn | burnt | burnt |
| deal | dealt | dealt |
| dream | dreamt | dreamt |
| dwell | dwelt | dwelt |
| lean | leant | leant |
| leap | leapt | leapt |
| learn | learnt | learnt |
| mean | meant | meant |
| smell | smelt | smelt |
| smell | spoilt | spoilt |
Long “e” changes to short “e”
| Verb | Past Simple | Past Participle |
| bleed | bled | bled |
| breed | bred | bred |
| feed | fed | fed |
| flee | fled | fled |
| lead | led | led |
| meet | met | met |
| shoot | shot | shot |
| speed | sped | sped |
“d” changes to “t”
| Verb | Past Simple | Past Participle |
| bend | bent | bent |
| build | built | built |
| lend | lent | lent |
| rend | rent | rent |
| send | sent | sent |
| spend | spent | spent |
“i” changes to “a” to “u”
| Verb | Past Simple | Past Participle |
| begin | began | begun |
| drink | drank | drunk |
| ring | rang | rung |
| sing | sang | sung |
| sink | sank | sunk |
| run | ran | run |
| shrink | shrank | shrunk |
| spring | sprang | sprung |
| stink | stank | stunk |
| swim | swam | swum |
Long “i” changes to “ou”
| Verb | Past Simple | Past Participle |
| bind | bound | bound |
| find | found | found |
| grind | ground | ground |
| wind | wound | wound |
Verbs with identical Past Simple and Past Participle
| Verb | Past Simple | Past Participle |
| abide | abode | abode |
| get | got | got |
| have | had | had |
| hear | heard | heard |
| hold | held | held |
| lay | laid | laid |
| lose | lost | lost |
| make | made | made |
| pay | paid | paid |
| say | said | said |
| sell | sold | sold |
| shine | shone | shone |
| sit | sat | sat |
| slide | slid | slid |
| spit | spat | spat |
| stand | stood | stood |
| tell | told | told |
| win | won | won |
Verbs with “o” in the Past Simple and –en in the Past Participle
| Verb | Past Simple | Past Participle |
| arise | arose | arisen |
| awake | awoke | awoken |
| beget | begot | begotten |
| bespeak | bespoke | bespoken |
| bestride | bestrode | bestridden |
| break | broke | broken |
| choose | chose | chosen |
| drive | drove | driven |
| forget | forgot | forgotten |
| freeze | froze | frozen |
| ride | rode | ridden |
| rise | rose | risen |
| shrive | shrove | shriven |
| smite | smote | smitten |
| speak | spoke | spoken |
| steal | stole | stolen |
| strive | strove | striven |
| tread | trod | trodden |
| weave | wove | woven |
| write | wrote | written |
Verbs with –en in the Past Participle
| Verb | Past Simple | Past Participle |
| beat | beat | beaten |
| bite | bit | bitten |
| eat | ate | eaten |
| forbid | forbad(e) | forbidden |
| give | gave | given |
| fall | fell | fallen |
| forsake | forsook | forsaken |
| hide | hid | hidden |
| shake | shook | shaken |
| take | took | taken |
| wake | woke | woken |
Verbs with -ew in the Past Simple, and -own in the Past Participle
| Verb | Past Simple | Past Participle |
| blow | blew | blown |
| draw | drew | drawn |
| fly | flew | flown |
| grow | grew | grown |
| know | knew | known |
| show | showed | shown |
| throw | threw | thrown |
| Verb | Past Simple | Past Participle |
| bear | bore | born |
| swear | swore | sworn |
| tear | tore | torn |
| wear | wore | worn |
| Verb | Past Simple | Past Participle |
| lie | lay | lain |
| slay | slew | slain |
| Verb | Past Simple | Past Participle |
| be | was/were | been |
| can | could | |
| come | came | come |
| do | did | done |
| go | went | gone |
| see | saw | seen |
Some of irregular verbs are merely prefixed forms of simple irregular verbs. Examples:
hold – held – held
behold – beheld – beheld
uphold – upheld – upheld
withhold – withheld – withheld
go – went – gone
forego – forewent – foregone
undergo – underwent – undergone
cast – cast-cast
broadcast – broadcast – broadcast
downcast – downcast – downcast
forecast – forecast – forecast
miscast – miscast – miscast
overcast – overcast – overcast
podcast – podcast – podcast
precast – precast – precast
recast – recast – recast
simulcast – simulcast – simulcast
telecast – telecast – telecast
typecast – typecast – typecast
feed – fed – fed
breastfeed – breastfed – breastfed
force-feed – force-fed – force-fed
hand-feed – hand-fed – hand-fed
overfeed – overfed – overfed
self-feed – self-fed – self-fed
spoon-feed – spoon-fed – spoon-fed
underfeed – underfed – underfed
take – took – taken
betake – betook – betaken
intake – intook – intaken
mistake – mistook – mistaken
overtake – overtook – overtaken
partake – partook – partaken
retake – retook – retaken
undertake – undertook – undertaken
uptake – uptook– uptaken