English irregular verbs

Base form (V1), past simple (V2) and past participle (V3) of 193 irregular verbs, with the meaning and a CEFR level. Start with the 50 most common ones.

BrE — British form, AmE — American form. Where two forms are given, both are correct.

Check yourself: write V2 and V3

10 random verbs from the table. Type the past simple and the past participle.

Learn all irregular verbs in WordStudy

Add the whole list to the app in one tap: each verb comes with its translation, and the app repeats it until you remember it.

Add 193 irregular verbs to WordStudy

A1–A2 verbs are free. B1 and higher are part of Premium.

Irregular verbs by group

Verbs that change in the same way are easier to learn together.

put – put – put

All three forms are the same · 28

put let set read hit cost cut fit hurt spread bet shut split upset quit burst knit wed forecast sweat wet bid broadcast cast rid shed slit thrust

beat – beat – beaten

Only the third form changes · 1

beat

come – came – come

The third form is the same as the first · 4

come run become overcome

think – thought – thought

Past forms end in -ought or -aught · 7

think buy bring fight catch teach seek

find – found – found

Past forms end in -ound · 4

find grind bind wind

win – won – won

The vowel changes to u (or o) · 13

win stick hang strike spin swing dig cling fling string sting sling wring

learn – learned – learned

Regular -ed or irregular -t, both are used · 11

learn burn smell lean leap spill spoil spell dream dwell kneel

feel – felt – felt

The long vowel becomes short · 19

feel keep mean leave meet sleep feed deal breed flee sweep creep bleed plead weep mislead speed oversleep lead

send – sent – sent

The final -d becomes -t · 6

send build spend bend lend rebuild

have – had – had

Past simple and past participle are the same · 28

have get make say tell pay lose understand hear hold shoot stand sell sit lay slide light shine dive sneak behold repay withstand misunderstand abide overhear withhold spit

begin – began – begun

The vowel changes i – a – u · 9

begin drink sing swim sink shrink ring stink spring

know – knew – known

Past simple ends in -ew, past participle in -wn · 8

know grow throw draw fly blow withdraw overthrow

wear – wore – worn

Past simple ends in -ore, past participle in -orn · 4

wear swear tear bear

take – took – taken

Past simple ends in -ook, past participle in -aken · 6

take shake mistake undertake overtake forsake

drive – drove – driven

Past simple with o, past participle with i and -en · 11

drive write ride rise hide bite arise thrive strive rewrite stride

break – broke – broken

Past simple with o, past participle with o and -en · 10

break forget speak choose wake steal freeze weave tread awake

be – was – been

All three forms are different · 24

be do see go give show eat fall prove lie forgive forbid undergo swell undo slay sew shear foresee mow sow outdo saw befall

Phrasal verbs collection → · All collections →

Questions about irregular verbs

How many irregular verbs are there in English?

There are about 200 irregular verbs that learners meet in books and conversation. This table has 193. You don't need all of them at once: the 50 most common ones cover most everyday English.

Which irregular verbs should I learn first?

Start with the 50 most common verbs (be, have, do, get, go, say, make…). The "50 most common" filter shows them, sorted by how often they appear in English texts.

Learned or learnt, dreamed or dreamt?

Both are correct. American English prefers -ed (learned, dreamed), British English uses both. In the table such forms are marked BrE and AmE.

Got or gotten?

In British English the past participle of get is got (I've got a car). American English also uses gotten when it means to obtain or to become (It has gotten cold).

Base form (V1)	Past simple (V2)	Past participle (V3)	Meaning	Level
abidefollow a rule, or accept something you do not like	abided / abode	abided / abode	follow a rule, or accept something you do not like	B2
ariseto come up, to start to happen	arose	arisen	to come up, to start to happen	B2
awaketo stop sleeping and open your eyes	awoke	awoken	to stop sleeping and open your eyes	A1
beto live or to happen	was / were	been	to live or to happen	A1
bearto put up with something bad, or to hold up something heavy	bore	borne	to put up with something bad, or to hold up something heavy	A1
beatto win against or to hit many times	beat	beaten	to win against or to hit many times	A2
becometo start to be something new	became	become	to start to be something new	A2
befallto happen to someone, especially something bad	befell	befallen	to happen to someone, especially something bad	C2
beginto start doing something	began	begun	to start doing something	A1
beholdto see or look at something with attention	beheld	beheld	to see or look at something with attention	C1
bendto make something not straight, to curve	bent	bent	to make something not straight, to curve	A2
betto put money on the result of a game	bet	bet	to put money on the result of a game	A2
bidto offer an amount of money to buy something	bid	bid	to offer an amount of money to buy something	B1
bindto tie something tightly	bound	bound	to tie something tightly	B1
biteto cut something with your teeth	bit	bitten	to cut something with your teeth	A1
bleedto lose blood from the body	bled	bled	to lose blood from the body	B1
blowto push air out of your mouth	blew	blown	to push air out of your mouth	A2
breakto make something go into pieces	broke	broken	to make something go into pieces	A1
breedto keep animals so they have young ones	bred	bred	to keep animals so they have young ones	B1
bringto carry something to a place	brought	brought	to carry something to a place	A1
broadcastto send a show on TV or radio	broadcast	broadcast	to send a show on TV or radio	B1
buildto make something by putting parts together	built	built	to make something by putting parts together	A1
burnto be on fire or to hurt with heat	burned / burntBrE	burned / burntBrE	to be on fire or to hurt with heat	A2
burstto break open suddenly	burst	burst	to break open suddenly	B1
buyto give money to get something	bought	bought	to give money to get something	A1
castto throw something or to choose actors for a film	cast	cast	to throw something or to choose actors for a film	B1
catchto get hold of something moving	caught	caught	to get hold of something moving	A1
chooseto pick one thing from many	chose	chosen	to pick one thing from many	A1
clingto hold on to something tightly	clung	clung	to hold on to something tightly	B1
cometo move to where someone is	came	come	to move to where someone is	A1
costto have a price	cost	cost	to have a price	A2
creepto move slowly and quietly, close to the ground	crept	crept	to move slowly and quietly, close to the ground	B2
cutto use something sharp to make two parts	cut	cut	to use something sharp to make two parts	A1
dealto give out cards, or to do something about a problem	dealt	dealt	to give out cards, or to do something about a problem	B1
digto make a hole in the ground	dug	dug	to make a hole in the ground	A1
diveto jump head first into water	dived / doveAmE	dived	to jump head first into water	A2
doto act or make something happen	did	done	to act or make something happen	A1
drawto make a picture with a pen or pencil	drew	drawn	to make a picture with a pen or pencil	A1
dreamto see pictures in your head while you sleep	dreamed / dreamtBrE	dreamed / dreamtBrE	to see pictures in your head while you sleep	A1
drinkto take liquid into your mouth	drank	drunk	to take liquid into your mouth	A1
driveto control and move a car	drove	driven	to control and move a car	A1
dwellto live in a place for a long time	dwelt / dwelled	dwelt / dwelled	to live in a place for a long time	B1
eatto put food in your mouth	ate	eaten	to put food in your mouth	A1
fallto go down quickly from a higher place	fell	fallen	to go down quickly from a higher place	A1
feedto give food to a person or animal	fed	fed	to give food to a person or animal	A1
feelto know something through touch or inside yourself	felt	felt	to know something through touch or inside yourself	A1
fightto use your body or words against someone	fought	fought	to use your body or words against someone	A1
findto see or get something you were looking for	found	found	to see or get something you were looking for	A1
fitto be the right size for someone or something	fittedBrE / fitAmE	fittedBrE / fitAmE	to be the right size for someone or something	A2
fleerun away quickly from danger	fled	fled	run away quickly from danger	B2
flingthrow something with force	flung	flung	throw something with force	B2
flyto move through the air	flew	flown	to move through the air	A1
forbidto say someone must not do something	forbade	forbidden	to say someone must not do something	A2
forecastto say what the weather or the future will be like	forecast / forecasted	forecast / forecasted	to say what the weather or the future will be like	B1
foreseeknow or guess that something will happen in the future	foresaw	foreseen	know or guess that something will happen in the future	B1
forgetto not remember something	forgot	forgotten	to not remember something	A1
forgiveto stop being angry at someone	forgave	forgiven	to stop being angry at someone	A2
forsaketo leave and not come back to help	forsook	forsaken	to leave and not come back to help	C2
freezeto become very cold and hard like ice	froze	frozen	to become very cold and hard like ice	A2
getto take or come to have something	got	gotBrE / gottenAmE	to take or come to have something	A1
giveto let someone have something	gave	given	to let someone have something	A1
goto move from one place to another	went	gone	to move from one place to another	A1
grindto crush something into small pieces or powder	ground	ground	to crush something into small pieces or powder	B2
growto get bigger over time	grew	grown	to get bigger over time	A1
hangto put something on a wall or hook	hung	hung	to put something on a wall or hook	A2
hangregular in this meaningto kill someone with a rope around the neck	hanged	hanged	to kill someone with a rope around the neck	A2
haveto own something or hold it	had	had	to own something or hold it	A1
hearto take in sounds with your ears	heard	heard	to take in sounds with your ears	A1
hideto put something where no one can see it	hid	hidden	to put something where no one can see it	A1
hitto touch something hard and fast	hit	hit	to touch something hard and fast	A2
holdto have something in your hands	held	held	to have something in your hands	A1
hurtto feel pain or make someone feel pain	hurt	hurt	to feel pain or make someone feel pain	A1
keepto have something and not give it away	kept	kept	to have something and not give it away	A1
kneelgo down on your knees	knelt / kneeled	knelt / kneeled	go down on your knees	B2
knitto make cloth from wool using two long needles	knitted / knit	knitted / knit	to make cloth from wool using two long needles	B1
knowto have information about something in your mind	knew	known	to have information about something in your mind	A1
layto put something down flat	laid	laid	to put something down flat	A2
leadto show the way, or to be first	led	led	to show the way, or to be first	B1
leanto bend your body toward something	leaned / leantBrE	leaned / leantBrE	to bend your body toward something	A2
leapto jump high or far	leaped / leapt	leaped / leapt	to jump high or far	B1
learnto get new information or skills	learned / learntBrE	learned / learntBrE	to get new information or skills	A1
leaveto go away from a place	left	left	to go away from a place	A1
lendto give something for a time, then get it back	lent	lent	to give something for a time, then get it back	A2
letto allow someone to do something	let	let	to allow someone to do something	A1
lieto rest your body flat on a bed or floor	lay	lain	to rest your body flat on a bed or floor	A2
lieregular in this meaningto say something that is not true	lied	lied	to say something that is not true	A2
lightto make something burn, or to make a place bright	lit / lighted	lit / lighted	to make something burn, or to make a place bright	A1
loseto not be able to find, or not win	lost	lost	to not be able to find, or not win	A2
maketo build something new	made	made	to build something new	A1
meanto show or say what something is about	meant	meant	to show or say what something is about	A2
meetto see and talk to someone for the first time	met	met	to see and talk to someone for the first time	A1
misleadto give someone wrong information on purpose	misled	misled	to give someone wrong information on purpose	B1
mistaketo think that one person or thing is another	mistook	mistaken	to think that one person or thing is another	A2
misunderstandto not understand something correctly	misunderstood	misunderstood	to not understand something correctly	B1
mowto cut grass or plants with a tool	mowed	mown / mowed	to cut grass or plants with a tool	A2
outdoto do better than someone else	outdid	outdone	to do better than someone else	B2
overcometo deal with and beat a problem	overcame	overcome	to deal with and beat a problem	B1
overhearto hear what others say when they do not know you listen	overheard	overheard	to hear what others say when they do not know you listen	B2
oversleepto sleep longer than you planned	overslept	overslept	to sleep longer than you planned	B1
overtaketo go past someone or something moving ahead of you	overtook	overtaken	to go past someone or something moving ahead of you	B2
overthrowto remove a leader from power by force	overthrew	overthrown	to remove a leader from power by force	B2
payto give money for something	paid	paid	to give money for something	A1
pleadto ask for something in a strong serious way	pleaded / pledAmE	pleaded / pledAmE	to ask for something in a strong serious way	B1
proveto show that something is true	proved	proved / proven	to show that something is true	B1
putto move something into a place	put	put	to move something into a place	A1
quitto stop doing something	quit	quit	to stop doing something	A2
readto look at words and understand them	read	read	to look at words and understand them	A1
rebuildto build something again after it was destroyed	rebuilt	rebuilt	to build something again after it was destroyed	B1
repayto pay back money you owe	repaid	repaid	to pay back money you owe	B1
rewriteto write something again in a different way	rewrote	rewritten	to write something again in a different way	B1
ridto make free from something not wanted	rid	rid	to make free from something not wanted	B1
rideto sit on and control a bike, horse, or car	rode	ridden	to sit on and control a bike, horse, or car	A1
ringto make a bell sound, or to call someone by phone	rang	rung	to make a bell sound, or to call someone by phone	A1
riseto go up, to get higher	rose	risen	to go up, to get higher	B1
runto move your legs faster than walking	ran	run	to move your legs faster than walking	A1
sawto cut wood with a tool that has sharp teeth	sawed	sawn / sawed	to cut wood with a tool that has sharp teeth	A1
sayto speak words	said	said	to speak words	A1
seeto use your eyes	saw	seen	to use your eyes	A1
seekto look for or try to find	sought	sought	to look for or try to find	B1
sellto give something to someone for money	sold	sold	to give something to someone for money	A1
sendto make something go to another place	sent	sent	to make something go to another place	A2
setto put something in a place or fix a time	set	set	to put something in a place or fix a time	A1
sewto join cloth together with thread	sewed	sewn / sewed	to join cloth together with thread	A2
shaketo move something quickly back and forward	shook	shaken	to move something quickly back and forward	A2
shearto cut wool from a sheep	sheared	shorn / sheared	to cut wool from a sheep	B2
shedto let something like leaves or skin fall off	shed	shed	to let something like leaves or skin fall off	A2
shineto give off bright light	shone	shone	to give off bright light	A2
shootto fire a weapon at something	shot	shot	to fire a weapon at something	A2
showto let someone see something	showed	shown / showed	to let someone see something	A1
shrinkto become smaller in size	shrank / shrunk	shrunk	to become smaller in size	B1
shutto close something	shut	shut	to close something	A2
singto make music with your mouth	sang	sung	to make music with your mouth	A1
sinkto go down under the water	sank	sunk	to go down under the water	A2
sitto be on a chair with your bottom down	sat	sat	to be on a chair with your bottom down	A1
slaykill in a violent way	slew	slain	kill in a violent way	C2
sleepto close your eyes and rest at night	slept	slept	to close your eyes and rest at night	A1
slideto move smoothly over a surface	slid	slid	to move smoothly over a surface	A2
slingto throw something carelessly	slung	slung	to throw something carelessly	C2
slitto make a long narrow cut in something	slit	slit	to make a long narrow cut in something	C2
smellto use your nose	smelled / smeltBrE	smelled / smeltBrE	to use your nose	A1
sneakto move quietly so no one sees or hears you	sneaked / snuckAmE	sneaked / snuckAmE	to move quietly so no one sees or hears you	B1
sowto put seeds in the ground to grow plants	sowed	sown / sowed	to put seeds in the ground to grow plants	B1
speakto say words, to talk	spoke	spoken	to say words, to talk	A1
speedto go or drive very fast	sped / speeded	sped / speeded	to go or drive very fast	A2
spellto say or write the letters of a word in order	spelled / speltBrE	spelled / speltBrE	to say or write the letters of a word in order	A2
spendto use money to buy things or use time	spent	spent	to use money to buy things or use time	A1
spillto let liquid fall out by mistake	spilled / spiltBrE	spilled / spiltBrE	to let liquid fall out by mistake	A2
spinto turn around and around quickly	spun	spun	to turn around and around quickly	B1
spitto push liquid or food out of your mouth	spat / spitAmE	spat / spitAmE	to push liquid or food out of your mouth	A2
splitto break or divide into parts	split	split	to break or divide into parts	A2
spoilto damage something or give too much to a child	spoiled / spoiltBrE	spoiled / spoiltBrE	to damage something or give too much to a child	B1
spreadto open out over a surface	spread	spread	to open out over a surface	A2
springto jump up quickly	sprang / sprungAmE	sprung	to jump up quickly	A1
standto be on your feet, not sitting	stood	stood	to be on your feet, not sitting	A1
stealto take something that is not yours	stole	stolen	to take something that is not yours	A2
stickto fix one thing onto another so it stays there	stuck	stuck	to fix one thing onto another so it stays there	B1
stingto hurt someone with a sharp point	stung	stung	to hurt someone with a sharp point	A2
stinkto smell very bad	stank / stunk	stunk	to smell very bad	A2
strideto walk with long steps	strode	stridden	to walk with long steps	B2
striketo hit something hard or stop working as a group	struck	struck	to hit something hard or stop working as a group	B1
stringto put things on a thread	strung	strung	to put things on a thread	A2
striveto try very hard to do something	strove / strived	striven / strived	to try very hard to do something	B2
swearto promise strongly, or say bad words	swore	sworn	to promise strongly, or say bad words	B1
sweatto have water come out of your skin when hot	sweated / sweatAmE	sweated / sweatAmE	to have water come out of your skin when hot	A2
sweepto clean a floor with a brush	swept	swept	to clean a floor with a brush	B1
swellto become bigger, usually from air or water	swelled	swollen / swelled	to become bigger, usually from air or water	B1
swimto move through water using your body	swam	swum	to move through water using your body	A1
swingto move back and forth from a fixed point	swung	swung	to move back and forth from a fixed point	B1
taketo get hold of and move something	took	taken	to get hold of and move something	A1
teachto help someone learn something	taught	taught	to help someone learn something	A1
tearto pull paper or cloth apart	tore	torn	to pull paper or cloth apart	A2
tellto say something to someone, to give information	told	told	to say something to someone, to give information	A1
thinkto use your mind to have ideas	thought	thought	to use your mind to have ideas	A1
thriveto grow strong, healthy, and successful	thrived / throve	thrived / thriven	to grow strong, healthy, and successful	B1
throwto send something into the air with your hand	threw	thrown	to send something into the air with your hand	A1
thrustto push something forward suddenly and with force	thrust	thrust	to push something forward suddenly and with force	B2
treadto walk or step on something	trod	trodden / trodAmE	to walk or step on something	B2
undergogo through something hard or a change	underwent	undergone	go through something hard or a change	B1
understandto know the meaning of something	understood	understood	to know the meaning of something	A2
undertaketo agree to do or start a piece of work	undertook	undertaken	to agree to do or start a piece of work	B2
undoopen or change back what was done	undid	undone	open or change back what was done	B1
upsetto make someone feel sad, worried or angry	upset	upset	to make someone feel sad, worried or angry	A2
waketo stop sleeping	woke	woken	to stop sleeping	A1
wearto have clothes on your body	wore	worn	to have clothes on your body	A1
weaveto make cloth by crossing threads over and under	wove	woven	to make cloth by crossing threads over and under	B2
wedget married	wed / wedded	wed / wedded	get married	B1
weepto cry tears	wept	wept	to cry tears	B1
wetto put water on something	wet / wetted	wet / wetted	to put water on something	A2
winto come first in a game	won	won	to come first in a game	A1
windto turn something round and round	wound	wound	to turn something round and round	A1
withdrawto take out or move back from a place or situation	withdrew	withdrawn	to take out or move back from a place or situation	B1
withholdto keep something back and not give it	withheld	withheld	to keep something back and not give it	B2
withstandto be strong enough to survive something difficult	withstood	withstood	to be strong enough to survive something difficult	C1
wringto squeeze and twist to remove water from something	wrung	wrung	to squeeze and twist to remove water from something	B1
writeto put words on paper or a screen	wrote	written	to put words on paper or a screen	A1