Irregular verbs, as the name suggests, don’t follow a pattern. You simply need to learn them. In this lesson you will find an irregular verbs list. We suggest you try to learn a few each each day.
But before we look at an irregular verbs list, we need to think about how to form regular verbs. English verbs often end in +ed or +d when used in the past tense or participle form.
For example:
work – worked / live – lived
These are regular verbs.
Below you will find an irregular verbs list. Don’t try to learn them all at once! Go through the irregular verbs list until you get ten that you don’t know, then practice.
Irregular verbs list
| Verb | Simple Past | Past Participle |
| A | ||
| arise | arose | arisen |
| awake | awakened / awoke | awakened / awoken |
| B | ||
| be | was, were | been |
| bear | bore | born / borne |
| beat | beat | beaten / beat |
| become | became | become |
| begin | began | begun |
| bend | bent | bent |
| bind | bound | bound |
| bite | bit | bitten |
| bleed | bled | bled |
| blow | blew | blown |
| break | broke | broken |
| breed | bred | bred |
| bring | brought | brought |
| build | built | built |
| burn | burned / burnt | burned / burnt |
| burst | burst | burst |
| buy | bought | bought |
| C | ||
| cast | cast | cast |
| catch | caught | caught |
| choose | chose | chosen |
| cling | clung | clung |
| come | came | come |
| cost | cost | cost |
| creep | crept | crept |
| cut | cut | cut |
| D | ||
| deal | dealt | dealt |
| dig | dug | dug |
| dive | dove / dived | dived |
| do | did | done |
| draw | drew | drawn |
| dream | dreamed / dreamt | dreamed / dreamt |
| drink | drank | drunk |
| drive | drove | driven |
| dwell | dwelt / dwelled | dwelt / dwelled |
| E | ||
| eat | ate | eaten |
| F | ||
| fall | fell | fallen |
| feed | fed | fed |
| feel | felt | felt |
| fight | fought | fought |
| find | found | found |
| flee | fled | fled |
| fling | flung | flung |
| fly | flew | flown |
| forbid | forbade | forbidden |
| forecast | forecast | forecast |
| forego | forewent | foregone |
| foresee | foresaw | foreseen |
| foretell | foretold | foretold |
| forget | forgot | forgotten |
| forgive | forgave | forgiven |
| forsake | forsook | forsaken |
| freeze | froze | frozen |
| G | ||
| get | got | got / gotten |
| give | gave | given |
| go | went | gone |
| grind | ground | ground |
| grow | grew | grown |
| H | ||
| handwrite | handwrote | handwritten |
| hang | hung | hung |
| have | had | had |
| hear | heard | heard |
| hew | hewed | hewn / hewed |
| hide | hid | hidden |
| hit | hit | hit |
| hold | held | held |
| hurt | hurt | hurt |
| I | ||
| inbreed | inbred | inbred |
| inlay | inlaid | inlaid |
| input | input / inputted | input / inputted |
| interbreed | interbred | interbred |
| interweave | interwove / interweaved | interwoven / interweaved |
| interwind | interwound | interwound |
| J | ||
| K | ||
| keep | kept | kept |
| kneel | knelt / kneeled | knelt / kneeled |
| knit | knitted / knit | knitted / knit |
| know | knew | known |
| L | ||
| lay | laid | laid |
| lead | led | led |
| lean | leaned / leant | leaned / leant |
| leap | leaped / leapt | leaped / leapt |
| learn | learned / learnt | learned / learnt |
| leave | left | left |
| lend | lent | lent |
| let | let | let |
| lie (ie ‘to lie down’) | lay | lain |
| lie (ie ‘to tell a lie’) | lied | lied |
| light | lit / lighted | lit / lighted |
| lose | lost | lost |
| M | ||
| make | made | made |
| mean | meant | meant |
| meet | met | met |
| mow | mowed | mowed / mown |
| N | ||
| O | ||
| P | ||
| partake | partook | partaken |
| pay | paid | paid |
| plead | pleaded / pled | pleaded / pled |
| proofread | proofread | proofread |
| prove | proved | proven / proved |
| put | put | put |
| Q | ||
| quit | quit | quit |
| R | ||
| read | read (pronounced red) | read (pronounced red) |
| rid | rid | rid |
| ride | rode | ridden |
| ring | rang | rung |
| rise | rose | risen |
| run | ran | run |
| S | ||
| saw | sawed | sawed / sawn |
| say | said | said |
| see | saw | seen |
| seek | sought | sought |
| sell | sold | sold |
| send | sent | sent |
| set | set | set |
| sew | sewed | sewn / sewed |
| shake | shook | shaken |
| shave | shaved | shaved / shaven |
| shear | sheared | sheared / shorn |
| shed | shed | shed |
| shine | shined / shone | shined / shone |
| shoot | shot | shot |
| show | showed | shown / showed |
| shrink | shrank / shrunk | shrunk |
| shut | shut | shut |
| sight-read | sight-read | sight-read |
| sing | sang | sung |
| sink | sank / sunk | sunk |
| sit | sat | sat |
| sleep | slept | slept |
| slide | slid | slid |
| sling | slung | slung |
| slink | slinked / slunk | slinked / slunk |
| slit | slit | slit |
| smell | smelled / smelt | smelled / smelt |
| sneak | sneaked / snuck | sneaked / snuck |
| sow | sowed | sown / sowed |
| speak | spoke | spoken |
| speed | sped | sped |
| spell | spelled / spelt | spelled / spelt |
| spend | spent | spent |
| spill | spilled / spilt | spilled / spilt |
| spin | spun | spun |
| spit | spat | spat |
| split | split | split |
| spoil | spoiled / spoilt | spoiled / spoilt |
| spread | spread | spread |
| spring | sprang / sprung | sprung |
| stand | stood | stood |
| steal | stole | stolen |
| stick | stuck | stuck |
| sting | stung | stung |
| stink | stunk / stank | stunk |
| strew | strewed | strewn |
| stride | strode | stridden |
| strike | struck | struck / stricken |
| strive | strove / strived | striven / strived |
| sunburn | sunburned / sunburnt | sunburned / sunburnt |
| swear | swore | sworn |
| sweat | sweat / sweated | sweat / sweated |
| sweep | swept | swept |
| swell | swelled | swollen / swelled |
| swim | swam | swum |
| swing | swung | swung |
| T | ||
| take | took | taken |
| teach | taught | taught |
| tear | tore | torn |
| tell | told | told |
| think | thought | thought |
| throw | threw | thrown |
| thrust | thrust | thrust |
| tread | trod | trodden / trod |
| U | ||
| understand | understood | understood |
| upset | upset | upset |
| V | ||
| W | ||
| wake | woke / waked | woken / waked |
| waylay | waylaid | waylaid |
| wear | wore | worn |
| weave | wove | woven |
| wed | wed | wed |
| weep | wept | wept |
| wet | wet | wet |
| win | won | won |
| wind | wound | wound |
| withdraw | withdrew | withdrawn |
| withhold | withheld | withheld |
| withstand | withstood | withstood |
| wring | wrung | wrung |
| write | wrote | written |
| X | ||
| Y | ||
| Z | ||