Top 52 irregular verbs in English you need to know (PDF)

Written by GoStudent UK | Feb 4, 2026 8:08:28 AM

A solid grasp of verb conjugations is essential in order to comprehend, speak and write English with accuracy. While regular verbs follow a clear pattern with regular inflections (such as -ed in the past tense), irregular verbs in English behave quite differently!

Rather than following one fixed rule, irregular verbs change form depending on the tense. This means that EFL learners must memorise irregular forms separately from their regular counterparts - the past simple and past participle forms are especially essential for understanding English grammar in day-to-day contexts.

In this article, we'll take a look at 52 of the most common irregular verbs in English, together with how to memorise them and avoid mistakes. You can also download our list of irregular verbs to support your study sessions!

Contents

Key takeaways
52 common irregular verbs in English
Common mistakes with irregular verbs
How many irregular verbs are there in English?
How can I learn past tense irregular verbs in English?
FAQs
Download: 52 common irregular verbs in English

Key takeaways

There are approximately 200 frequently-used irregular verbs in the English Language
Being able to understand conjugation variations in an essential part of achieving fluency in English
Irregular verb forms may be spelt differently depending on whether UK or US English is used
Flashcards, pattern grouping and spaced repetition are some of the most effective study techniques for memorising irregular verb forms
A private EFL tutor can guide you through complex grammar concepts to ensure that common mistakes don't become habit

52 common irregular verbs in English

In the table below, you can see some of the most frequently-used English irregular verbs, together with example sentences.

Base form	Past simple	Past participle	Past simple example	Past participle example
be	was/were	been	I was tired yesterday.	I have been very busy.
become	became	become	She became a teacher.	He has become more confident.
begin	began	begun	The lesson began late.	The class has begun.
break	broke	broken	He broke his phone.	The phone is broken.
bring	brought	brought	She brought her book.	He has brought lunch.
buy	bought	bought	I bought a new bag.	I have bought it already.
can	could	been able	I could swim at five.	I have been able to help.
come	came	come	She came home early.	He has come back.
do	did	done	We did our homework.	I have done my work.
drink	drank	drunk	He drank some water.	She has drunk tea.
drive	drove	driven	She drove to school.	He has driven here.
eat	ate	eaten	I ate breakfast early.	I have eaten already.
fall	fell	fallen	He fell on the ice.	She has fallen asleep.
feel	felt	felt	I felt nervous.	I have felt better.
find	found	found	We found the answer.	I have found my keys.
forget	forgot	forgotten	I forgot your name.	I have forgotten it.
get	got	got	She got a message.	I have got your email.
give	gave	given	He gave me help.	She has given advice.
go	went	gone	We went home.	They have gone out.
have	had	had	I had a headache.	I have had enough.
hear	heard	heard	I heard a noise.	I have heard that story.
keep	kept	kept	She kept quiet.	He has kept the secret.
know	knew	known	I knew the answer.	I have known her for years.
leave	left	left	He left early.	She has left already.
lose	lost	lost	I lost my wallet.	He has lost his job.
make	made	made	She made a cake.	I have made a mistake.
meet	met	met	We met after school.	I have met him before.
pay	paid	paid	I paid the bill.	She has paid already.
put	put	put	He put it there.	I have put it away.
read	read	read	I read the article.	I have read the book.
run	ran	run	She ran fast.	He has run a marathon.
say	said	said	She said hello.	I have said enough.
see	saw	seen	I saw the film.	I have seen it.
sell	sold	sold	They sold the car.	It has been sold.
send	sent	sent	I sent a message.	She has sent it.
sit	sat	sat	He sat down.	I have sat here.
speak	spoke	spoken	She spoke clearly.	He has spoken to her.
take	took	taken	I took the bus.	She has taken notes.
teach	taught	taught	He taught maths.	She has taught here.
tell	told	told	I told the truth.	I have told you already.
think	thought	thought	I thought about it.	I have thought a lot.
understand	understood	understood	I understood the task.	I have understood now.
wear	wore	worn	She wore a jacket.	He has worn it before.
win	won	won	They won the game.	She has won twice.
write	wrote	written	I wrote an email.	I have written back.
sleep	slept	slept	I slept badly.	I have slept well.
stand	stood	stood	He stood up.	I have stood here.
build	built	built	They built a house.	It has been built.
catch	caught	caught	She caught the bus.	I have caught a cold.

Note that the examples here show the correct spellings for UK English. Alternative forms are used in the USA and Canada, with the -nt suffix often changing to -ed:

UK English: Lean → leant, burn → burnt, learn → learnt, dream → dreamt
US/Canadian English: Lean → leaned, burn → burned, learn → learned, dream → dreamed

Watching films and listening to music from a range of English-speaking countries can help give you a sense of which verb forms are used across different geographic locations.

Let's take a look at some of the other issues that can come up when learning irregular verbs in English!

Common mistakes with irregular verbs

Many EFL students commit the following errors when using irregular verbs for the first time:

Using regular endings with irregular verbs
❌ buyed / ❌ goed → ✔️ bought / ✔️ went
Confusing past simple and past participle forms
❌ I have went → ✔️ I have gone
Mixing UK and North American forms without consistency
For example, spoilt and spoiled - both forms are correct, but don’t mix them within the same text!
Forgetting to change the verb in the past tense
❌ Yesterday I go to school → ✔️ Yesterday I went to school
Using the past simple after 'have' or 'has'
❌ I have ate → ✔️ I have eaten
Assuming that verbs with related meanings have the same form
teach → taught, but learn → learned/learnt
Not taking note of spelling changes in past participles
✔️ wrote → written, not ❌ writed or ❌ writen

These are common mistakes, but with regular practice they become much easier to avoid! GoStudent's top 10 English tutors offer expert coaching for EFL students of all levels.

How many irregular verbs are there in English?

There are several hundred irregular verbs in English! Only a limited number of these are used frequently in daily conversation, however. When learning English at school, most students are introduced to a core irregular verb list, which typically contains between 25 and 100 verbs depending on the level of study.

To begin with, students usually cover common verbs such as be, go, have, eat, write, begin, and buy. These verbs appear frequently in the present form, past tense, present perfect, and past perfect tenses, making them useful words for improving basic communication skills.

To help students focus on what matters most, GoStudent has created a table of 52 common irregular verbs, covering the base form, past forms, and past participle. These verbs are used across all levels of English - they're useful for beginner students learning basic vocabulary, and also learners who want to build more advanced speaking and writing skills.

How can I learn past tense irregular verbs in English?

Learning past tense irregular verbs can feel challenging at first, as there’s no single pattern or set rule to follow. Unlike regular verbs, irregular verbs can alter their forms in various ways:

Some change completely (go → went → gone)
Others stay the same (put → put → put)
Some have spelling changes (write → wrote → written)

One of the most effective methods is grouped memorisation - learning each verb’s infinitive, past simple, and past participle forms together. This can help you to identify verbs quickly when reading, while also improving your recall while speaking.

Some other techniques that can make the learning process more effective include:

Grouping verbs by pattern or sound (e.g. ride → rode → ridden, ring → rang → rung, sing → sang → sung).
Listing British English vs American English forms, such as, spilt/spilled, which have the same meanings and different spellings.
Creating personalised memory images for tricky verbs like draw → drew → drawn, and break → broke → broken. Imagine yourself, a family member or friend enacting the verbs!
Using flashcards that show the base form of a verb on one side, and the past forms on the other.
Practising irregular verbs in sentences, paying attention to the subject and tense (e.g. third person in the present, simple past, or present perfect).

Understanding when to use the past tense versus the past participle is especially important for forming tenses like the present perfect (have eaten, have written) and past perfect (had gone, had taken) correctly.

FAQs

How many irregular verbs are there in English?
There are over 300 irregular verbs in English, including rare and archaic forms. Of these, around 200 irregular verbs are in common use.
Why do I need to learn irregular verbs in English?
Being able to recognise, understand, and use irregular verbs are key steps to building fluent communication skills in English. Studying irregular verbs can help you to:
- Speak with confidence
- Understand native speakers of English and express yourself clearly
- Write accurately in exams and professional settings
- Strengthen your overall knowledge of English vocabulary and grammar
What are the best ways to learn irregular verbs in English?
Pattern grouping and personalised memory images are effective study methods for the trickier irregular verb forms. Learning resources such as flashcards, and subtitled films can also support your retention of irregular suffixes and their contextual uses.
How can I tell if an English verb is irregular?
Irregular verbs in English do not follow the same conjugation rules as regular verbs. You will notice that the spellings and pronunciations of irregular verbs look and sound different to the patterns seen in regular verbs.

Download: 52 common irregular verbs in English

You can download GoStudent's list of 52 essential irregular verbs, which includes their base, past simple, and past participle forms. The list is an ideal quick reference for English revision, exam preparation, and daily practice!

Want to make even faster progress? Work with a GoStudent private English tutor to improve your understanding of verb forms, practise pronunciation, and more! Our students receive personalised, progress-tracked support to strengthen grammar, vocabulary, and speaking skills in line with their learning goals.

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