Irregular verbs in the English language
There are a huge number of irregular verbs in the English language. The Past participle and Past simple for most of these verbs are not formed based on general rules.
Other forms of irregular verbs can be formed by the rules. For example: the present 3rd person singular /-s/ or /-es/ and the present participle /-ing/.
The so-called defective verbs are also among the exceptions. These are the verbs that do not have any form of conjugation – in certain tenses, moods, etc. These verbs are: can/could, may/might, shall/should, must, ought to, will/would.
Most of the English irregular verbs are native English words rooted in the Old English. There are certain exceptions like the word “catch” that came from the French word “cachier”.
The irregular verbs in English are the most commonly used. The top ten most popular English verbs are irregular verbs.
Almost all of the adopted words from foreign languages into English are regular just like the modern words and all nouns which have similar form with verbs. All these verbs form by adding the standard suffixes and endings.
Many modern irregular verbs are the result of historical rules for verbs formation. I.e. the verbs that are exceptions to the rule today were considered regular in ancient times.
Some irregular verbs can be divided into groups by the way of formation:
- Change the vowel in the root of the word to the /ɔ:/ sound
| Present (Infinitive) | Past and Past participle |
| bring | brought |
| buy | bought |
| catch | caught |
| seek | sought |
| teach | taught |
| think | thought |
- Change the vowel in the root of the word on the /ɔu/ sound
| Present (Infinitive) | Past simple |
Past participle |
| break | broke | broken |
| choose | chose | chosen |
| freeze | froze | frozen |
| speak | spoke | spoken |
| steal | stole | stolen |
- Without change
| Present (Infinitive) | Past and Past participle |
| bet | bet |
| bid | bid |
| burst, cast, cost, cut, fit, hit, hurt, knit, let, put, quit, rid, set, shed, shut, slit, split, spread, thrust | |
The following video presents the most popular forms of irregular verbs with a photograph or an illustration for each of the verb to make you better remember the words:
The table of English irregular verbs:
| Infinitive | Past simple | Past participle |
| abide | abode; abided | abode; abided |
| arise | arose | arisen |
| awake | awoke | awaked; awoke |
| backbite | backbitten | backbitten |
| backslide | backslid | backslid |
| be | was; were | been |
| bear | bore | born; borne |
| beat | beat | beaten |
| become | became | become |
| befall | befell | befallen |
| beget | begot; begat | begotten |
| begin | began | begun |
| begird | begirt | begirt |
| behold | beheld | beheld |
| bend | bent | bent; bended |
| bereave | bereft; bereaved | bereft; bereaved |
| beseech | besought; beseeched | besought; beseeched |
| beset | beset | beset |
| bespeak | bespoke | bespoke; bespoken |
| bespit | bespat | bespat |
| bestride | bestrode | bestridden |
| bet | bet; betted | bet; betted |
| betake | betook | betaken |
| bid | bad; bade; bid | bid; bidden |
| bind | bound | bound |
| bite | bit | bit; bitten |
| bleed | bled | bled |
| bless | blessed | blessed; blest |
| blow | blew | blown; blowed |
| break | broke | broken |
| breed | bred | bred |
| bring | brought | brought |
| broadcast | broadcast | broadcast |
| browbeat | browbeat | browbeaten |
| build | built | built |
| burn | burnt; burned | burnt; burned |
| burst | burst | burst |
| bust | bust; busted | bust; busted |
| buy | bought | bought |
| can | could | could |
| cast | cast | cast |
| catch | caught | caught |
| chide | chid; chided | chid; chided; chidden |
| choose | chose | chosen |
| cleave | clove; cleft; cleaved | cloven; cleft; cleaved |
| cling | clung | clung |
| come | came | come |
| cost | cost | cost |
| countersink | countersank | countersunk |
| creep | crept | crept |
| crow | crowed; crew | crowed |
| cut | cut | cut |
| dare | durst; dared | dared |
| deal | dealt | dealt |
| dig | dug | dug |
| dive | dived; dove | dived |
| do | did | done |
| draw | drew | drawn |
| dream | dreamt; dreamed | dreamt; dreamed |
| 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 |
| fit | fit | fit |
| flee | fled | fled |
| fling | flung | flung |
| floodlight | floodlighted; floodlit | floodlighted; floodlit |
| fly | flew | flown |
| forbear | forbore | forborne |
| forbid | forbad; forbade | forbidden |
| forecast | forecast; forecasted | forecast; forecasted |
| foresee | foresaw | foreseen |
| foretell | foretold | foretold |
| forget | forgot | forgotten |
| forgive | forgave | forgiven |
| forsake | forsook | forsaken |
| forswear | forswore | forsworn |
| freeze | froze | frozen |
| gainsay | gainsaid | gainsaid |
| get | got | got |
| gild | gilt; gilded | gilt; gilded |
| gird | girded; girt | girded; girt |
| give | gave | given |
| go | went | gone |
| grave | graved | graved; graven |
| grind | ground | ground |
| grow | grew | grown |
| hamstring | hamstringed; hamstrung | hamstringed; hamstrung |
| hang | hung; hanged | hung; hanged |
| have | had | had |
| hear | heard | heard |
| heave | heaved; hove | heaved; hove |
| hew | hewed | hewed; hewn |
| hide | hid | hidden |
| hit | hit | hit |
| hold | held | held |
| hurt | hurt | hurt |
| inlay | inlaid | inlaid |
| input | input; inputted | input; inputted |
| inset | inset | inset |
| interweave | interwove | interwoven |
| keep | kept | kept |
| ken | kenned; kent | kenned |
| kneel | knelt; kneeled | knelt; kneeled |
| knit | knit; knitted | knit; knitted |
| know | knew | known |
| lade | laded | laded; laden |
| lay | laid | laid |
| lead | led | led |
| lean | leant; leaned | leant; leaned |
| leap | leapt; leaped | leapt; leaped |
| learn | learnt; learned | learnt; learned |
| leave | left | left |
| lend | lent | lent |
| let | let | let |
| lie | lay | lain |
| light | lit; lighted | lit; lighted |
| lose | lost | lost |
| make | made | made |
| may | might | might |
| mean | meant | meant |
| meet | met | met |
| miscast | miscast | miscast |
| misdeal | misdealt | misdealt |
| misgive | misgave | misgiven |
| mishear | misheard | misheard |
| mishit | mishit | mishit |
| mislay | mislaid | mislaid |
| mislead | misled | misled |
| misread | misread | misread |
| misspell | misspelt; misspeled | misspelt; misspeled |
| misspend | misspent | misspent |
| mistake | mistook | mistaken |
| misunderstand | misunderstood | misunderstood |
| mow | mowed | mown; mowed |
| outbid | outbid | outbid |
| outdo | outdid | outdone |
| outfight | outfought | outfought |
| outgrow | outgrew | outgrown |
| output | output; outputted | output; outputted |
| outrun | outran | outrun |
| outsell | outsold | outsold |
| outshine | outshone | outshone |
| overbid | overbid | overbid |
| overcome | overcame | overcome |
| overdo | overdid | overdone |
| overdraw | overdrew | overdrawn |
| overeat | overate | overeaten |
| overfly | overflew | overflown |
| overhang | overhung | overhung |
| overhear | overheard | overheard |
| overlay | overlaid | overlaid |
| overpay | overpaid | overpaid |
| override | overrode | overridden |
| overrun | overran | overrun |
| oversee | oversaw | overseen |
| overshoot | overshot | overshot |
| oversleep | overslept | overslept |
| overtake | overtook | overtaken |
| overthrow | overthrew | overthrown |
| partake | partook | partaken |
| pay | paid | paid |
| plead | pleaded; pled | pleaded; pled |
| prepay | prepaid | prepaid |
| prove | proved | proved; proven |
| put | put | put |
| quit | quit; quitted | quit; quitted |
| read | read; red | read; red |
| rebind | rebound | rebound |
| rebuild | rebuilt | rebuilt |
| recast | recast | recast |
| redo | redid | redone |
| rehear | reheard | reheard |
| remake | remade | remade |
| rend | rent | rent |
| repay | repaid | repaid |
| rerun | reran | rerun |
| resell | resold | resold |
| reset | reset | reset |
| resit | resat | resat |
| retake | retook | retaken |
| retell | retold | retold |
| rewrite | rewrote | rewritten |
| rid | rid; ridded | rid; ridded |
| ride | rode | ridden |
| ring | rang | rung |
| rise | rose | risen |
| rive | rived | riven |
| run | ran | run |
| saw | sawed | sawn; sawed |
| say | said | said |
| see | saw | seen |
| seek | sought | sought |
| sell | sold | sold |
| send | sent | sent |
| set | set | set |
| sew | sewed | sewed; sewn |
| shake | shook | shaken |
| shave | shaved | shaved; shaven |
| shear | sheared | shorn; sheared |
| shed | shed | shed |
| shine | shone; shined | shone; shined |
| shoe | shod | shod |
| shoot | shot | shot |
| show | showed | shown; showed |
| shred | shred; shredded | shred; shredded |
| shrink | shrank; shrunk | shrunk |
| shrive | shrove; shrived | shriven; shrived |
| 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; smelled | smelt; smelled |
| smite | smote | smitten |
| sow | sowed | sowed; sown |
| speak | spoke | spoken |
| speed | sped; speeded | sped; speeded |
| spell | spelt; spelled | spell; spelled |
| spend | spent | spent |
| spill | spilt; spilled | spilt; spilled |
| spin | spun; span | spun |
| spit | spat; spit | spat; spit |
| split | split | split |
| spoil | spoilt; spoiled | spoilt; spoiled |
| spotlight | spotlit; spotlighted | spotlit; spotlighted |
| spread | spread | spread |
| spring | sprang | sprung |
| stand | stood | stood |
| stave | staved; stove | staved; stove |
| steal | stole | stolen |
| stick | stuck | stuck |
| sting | stung | stung |
| stink | stank; stunk | stunk |
| strew | strewed | strewn; strewed |
| stride | strode | stridden |
| strike | struck | struck |
| string | strung | strung |
| strive | strove | striven |
| sublet | sublet | sublet |
| swear | swore | sworn |
| sweep | swept | swept |
| swell | swelled | swollen; swelled |
| swim | swam | swum |
| swing | swung | swung |
| take | took | taken |
| teach | taught | taught |
| tear | tore | torn |
| tell | told | told |
| think | thought | thought |
| thrive | throve; trived | thriven; trived |
| throw | threw | thrown |
| thrust | thrust | thrust |
| tread | trod | trod; trodden |
| unbend | unbent | unbent |
| underbid | underbid | underbid |
| undercut | undercut | undercut |
| undergo | underwent | undergone |
| underlie | underlay | underlain |
| underpay | underpaid | underpaid |
| undersell | undersold | undersold |
| understand | understood | understood |
| undertake | undertook | undertaken |
| underwrite | underwrote | underwritten |
| undo | undid | undone |
| unfreeze | unfroze | unfrozen |
| unsay | unsaid | unsaid |
| unwind | unwound | unwound |
| uphold | upheld | upheld |
| upset | upset | upset |
| wake | woke; waked | woken; waked |
| waylay | waylaid | waylaid |
| wear | wore | worn |
| weave | wove; weaved | woven; weaved |
| wed | wed; wedded | wed; wedded |
| weep | wept | wept |
| wet | wet; wetted | wet; wetted |
| win | won | won |
| wind | wound | wound |
| withdraw | withdrew | withdrawn |
| withhold | withheld | withheld |
| withstand | withstood | withstood |
| work | worked; wrought | worked; wrought |
| wring | wrung | wrung |
| write | wrote | written |
Here is the video with irregular verbs in the present and past tense: