English Irregular Verbs
List
The verb say is unique in English in that the vowel is pronounced differently in the 3rd person of the present simple. Normally, the 'a' in say is pronounced just the same as the 'a' in 'day' but, in the 3rd person he says, it is pronounced like the e in get. The past and participle forms said also have the e (as in get) pronunciation.
Learners often mix up the verbs rise and raise. The former is an intransitive verb (it does not take an object) and means go up. The sun rises in the east. VAT has risen by 2%. This verb is irregular with past rose and participle risen.
The verb raise, on the other hand, is both transitive and regular and means make something go up. He raised his eyebrows. The government has raised VAT by 2%.
The verb cost in its usual sense 'have a price' is irregular, with past cost and participle cost. But it can also be used to mean 'estimate the price', in which case it is regular, with past and participle costed. The engineers costed the project at 6 million.
The verb fit follows a similar pattern. Used to mean 'be the right size', it is irregular, with past fit and participle fit. But when it means 'shape or equip', it has past fitted and participle fitted as in the expression fitted kitchen.
Many irregular verbs admit prefixes like a- (arise), for- (forsee), mis- (misread), over- (overdo), re- (rewind), without change in the meaning of the stem or in their past and participle forms. However, in rare cases, (become, forgive, mistake, understand etc) these verbs have acquired a sense which is quite independent of the meaning of the stem and so must be listed as verbs in their own right.
A number of Class 2 (weak) verbs like burn, burned or burnt, burned or burnt can take the alternative -t ending in past and participle, principally in UK usage.
There are no hard and fast rules, but in collocations where the participle is used attributively, the -t ending is common.
We say a spoilt child, a burnt out case and cry over spilt milk However, we say the learned doctor, not the learnt doctor.
The verb cleave has a variety of meanings and forms. Opinions differ, but idiomatic evidence supports the following broad distinction.
Cleave (split) may be conjugated cleave, cleft, cleft as in The baby was born with a cleft palate. or cleave, clove, cloven The devil has a cloven hoof.
Cleave (adhere) is best conjugated as regular. She clung to him, she cleaved to his body. (The Rainbow, D H Lawrence)
The verb shine has regular and irregular cognates. When it is intransitive, ie used with no object, the past and participle is shone. The sun shone, having no alternative, on the nothing new. (Murphy, Samuel Beckett) However, used with an object, it is regular. He shined (polished) shoes outside the station.
A number of Class 5 (strong) verbs have both a regular and an irregular participle.
The strong form is often archaic but is still preferred in many collocations where the participle is used as an adjective.
We say The ice has melted. but (volcanoes produce) molten lava. We say I haven't shaved. but He was clean-shaven. Likewise, the poor are downtrodden, the oppressed are heavy-laden.
The past and participle forms of the verb bid may vary according to its meaning.
When it means to make an offer, as when someone bids at an auction, the past is bid and the participle bid.
Boeing bid for the contract but it went to Airbus.
The second use (ask or tell someone to do something) is somewhat archaic. The past may be bid or, more often, bade and the participle bid or bidden.
150000 mourners bade the President farewell in an emotional funeral.

The verb hang can be regular or irregular.
When it refers to a method of execution, the past and participle are regular.
The British hanged Robert Emmett in Dublin in 1803.
Otherwise, hang is irregular with past and participle hung.
He hung his jacket on the back of a chair.
The verbs lie (deceive), lie (recline) and lay are often confused.
The regular verb lie (say something which isn't true) has past and participle lied.
The (intransitive) verb lie (lie down or rest), is irregular, with past lay and participle lain.
The wreck has lain at the bottom of the ocean for hundreds of years.
On the other hand, the (transitive) verb lay (put or set), has past and participle laid.
He laid the map on the table.
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AudioInfinitivePastPast ParticipleLevel
be.wavbewas or werebeen1
begin.wavbeginbeganbegun1
buy.wavbuyboughtbought1
catch.wavcatchcaughtcaught1
come.wavcomecamecome1
do.wavdodiddone1
drink.wavdrinkdrankdrunk1
eat.waveatateeaten1
find.wavfindfoundfound1
get.wavgetgotgot or gotten1
give.wavgivegavegiven1
go.wavgowentgone1
have.wavhavehadhad1
hear.wavhearheardheard1
leave.wavleaveleftleft1
lose.wavloselostlost1
make.wavmakemademade1
meet.wavmeetmetmet1
read.wavreadreadread1
see.wavseesawseen1
take.wavtaketooktaken1
write.wavwritewrotewritten1
become.wavbecomebecamebecome2
break.wavbreakbrokebroken2
bring.wavbringbroughtbrought2
build.wavbuildbuiltbuilt2
cut.wavcutcutcut2
drive.wavdrivedrovedriven2
fall.wavfallfellfallen2
fly.wavflyflewflown2
forget.wavforgetforgotforgotten2
grow.wavgrowgrewgrown2
hit.wavhithithit2
keep.wavkeepkeptkept2
know.wavknowknewknown2
lend.wavlendlentlent2
let.wavletletlet2
put.wavputputput2
ride.wavrideroderidden2
ring.wavringrangrung2
run.wavrunranrun2
say.wavsaysaidsaid2
send.wavsendsentsent2
sing.wavsingsangsung2
sit.wavsitsatsat2
sleep.wavsleepsleptslept2
speak.wavspeakspokespoken2
spend.wavspendspentspent2
stand.wavstandstoodstood2
swim.wavswimswamswum2
teach.wavteachtaughttaught2
tell.wavtelltoldtold2
think.wavthinkthoughtthought2
throw.wavthrowthrewthrown2
understand.wavunderstandunderstoodunderstood2
wake.wavwakewokewoken2
wear.wavwearworeworn2
win.wavwinwonwon2
bear.wavbearboreborne3
bear.wavbearboreborn3
beat.wavbeatbeatbeaten3
bend.wavbendbentbent3
bet.wavbetbet or bettedbet or betted3
bite.wavbitebitbitten or bit3
blow.wavblowblewblown3
burn.wavburnburnt or burnedburnt or burned3
burst.wavburstburstburst3
choose.wavchoosechosechosen3
creep.wavcreepcreptcrept3
deal.wavdealdealtdealt3
dig.wavdigdugdug3
draw.wavdrawdrewdrawn3
feed.wavfeedfedfed3
feel.wavfeelfeltfelt3
fight.wavfightfoughtfought3
flee.wavfleefledfled3
forgive.wavforgiveforgaveforgiven3
freeze.wavfreezefrozefrozen3
hide.wavhidehidhidden3
hold.wavholdheldheld3
hurt.wavhurthurthurt3
lay.wavlaylaidlaid3
lead.wavleadledled3
learn.wavlearnlearnt or learnedlearnt or learned3
light.wavlightlit or lightedlit or lighted3
mean.wavmeanmeantmeant3
mistake.wavmistakemistookmistaken3
pay.wavpaypaidpaid3
quit.wavquitquit or quittedquit or quitted3
rid.wavridrid or riddedrid, ridden or ridded3
sell.wavsellsoldsold3
set.wavsetsetset3
shake.wavshakeshookshaken3
shine.wavshineshoneshone3
shoot.wavshootshotshot3
show.wavshowshowedshown or showed3
sink.wavsinksank or sunksunk3
steal.wavstealstolestolen3
stick.wavstickstuckstuck3
swear.wavswearsworesworn3
sweep.wavsweepsweptswept3
swing.wavswingswungswung3
tear.wavteartoretorn3
bid.wavbidbidbid4
bleed.wavbleedbledbled4
cost.wavcostcostcost4
dream.wavdreamdreamt or dreameddreamt or dreamed4
fit.wavfitfitfit4
forbid.wavforbidforbadeforbidden or forbid4
grind.wavgrindgroundground4
hang.wavhanghunghung4
kneel.wavkneelknelt or kneeledknelt or kneeled4
knit.wavknitknit or knittedknit or knitted4
lean.wavleanleant or leanedleant or leaned4
leap.wavleapleapt or leapedleapt or leaped4
lie.wavlielaylain4
rise.wavriseroserisen4
sew.wavsewsewedsewn or sewed4
shrink.wavshrinkshrank or shrunkshrunk4
shut.wavshutshutshut4
slide.wavslideslidslid4
smell.wavsmellsmelt or smelledsmelt or smelled4
speed.wavspeedsped or speededsped or speeded4
spell.wavspellspelt or spelledspelt or spelled4
spill.wavspillspilt or spilledspilt or spilled4
spin.wavspinspunspun4
spit.wavspitspat or spitspat or spit4
split.wavsplitsplitsplit4
spoil.wavspoilspoilt or spoiledspoilt or spoiled4
spread.wavspreadspreadspread4
spring.wavspringsprang or sprungsprung4
sting.wavstingstungstung4
stink.wavstinkstank or stunkstunk4
strike.wavstrikestruckstruck or stricken4
sweat.wavsweatsweat or sweatedsweat or sweated4
swell.wavswellswelledswollen or swelled4
upset.wavupsetupset or upsettedupset or upsetted4
weave.wavweavewove or weftwoven or weft4
weep.wavweepweptwept4
wet.wavwetwet or wettedwet or wetted4
wind.wavwindwoundwound4
bid_2.wavbidbid or badebid or bidden5
bind.wavbindboundbound5
blend.wavblendblent or blendedblent or blended5
bless.wavblessblest or blessedblest or blessed5
breed.wavbreedbredbred5
cast.wavcastcastcast5
cling.wavclingclungclung5
cost_2.wavcost (vr)costedcosted5
dive.wavdivedove or diveddove or dived5
fit_2.wavfit (vr)fittedfitted5
fling.wavflingflungflung5
hang_2.wavhang (vr)hangedhanged5
lie_2.wavlie (vr)liedlied5
melt.wavmeltmeltedmolten or melted5
mow.wavmowmowedmown or mowed5
prove.wavproveprovedproven or proved5
saw.wavsawsawedsawn or sawed5
seek.wavseeksoughtsought5
shave.wavshaveshavedshaven or shaved5
shear.wavshearshore or shearedshorn or sheared5
shine_2.wavshine (vr)shinedshined5
shit.wavshitshit, shat or shittedshit, shat or shitted5
sling.wavslingslungslung5
slit.wavslitslitslit5
sneak.wavsneaksnuck or sneakedsnuck or sneaked5
sow.wavsowsowedsown or sowed5
stride.wavstridestrodestridden5
strive.wavstrivestrove or strivedstriven or strived5
tread.wavtreadtrodtrodden or trod5
wed.wavwedwed or weddedwed or wedded5
wring.wavwringwrungwrung5
bereave.wavbereavebereft or bereavedbereft or bereaved6
beseech.wavbeseechbesought or beseechedbesought or beseeched6
bide.wavbidebode or bidedbidden, bode or bided6
bode.wavbodebode or bodedboden or boded6
bust.wavbustbust or bustedbust or busted6
chide.wavchidechid or chidedchid or chided6
cleave.wavcleaveclove or cleftcloven or cleft6
cleave.wavcleavecleavedcleaved6
crow.wavcrowcrew or crowedcrowed6
dwell.wavdwelldwelt or dwelleddwelt or dwelled6
forsake.wavforsakeforsookforsaken6
geld.wavgeldgelt or geldedgelt or gelded6
gild.wavgildgilt or gildedgilt or gilded6
gird.wavgirdgirt or girdedgirt or girded6
heave.wavheavehove or heavedhove or heaved6
hew.wavhewhewedhewn or hewed6
lade.wavladeladedladen or laded6
pen.wavpenpent or pennedpent or penned6
reave.wavreavereft or rovereft or reaven6
rend.wavrendrent or rendedrent or rended6
rive.wavriverove or rivedriven or rived6
shed.wavshedshedshed6
shite.wavshiteshit, shat or shitedshit, shat or shited6
shoe.wavshoeshod or shoedshod or shoed6
slay.wavslayslew or slayedslain or slayed6
slink.wavslinkslunk or slinkedslunk6
smite.wavsmitesmotesmitten6
stave.wavstavestove or stavedstove or staved6
strew.wavstrewstrewedstrewn or strewed6
string.wavstringstrungstrung6
thrive.wavthrivethrove or thrivedthriven or thrived6
thrust.wavthrustthrust or thrustedthrust or thrusted6
waylay.wavwaylaywaylaidwaylaid6
wreak.wavwreakwroke or wreakedwroken or wreaked6
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