What is the difference between regular verbs and irregular verbs? Regular Verbs Irregular Verbs Irregular Verbs List

Irregular Verbs

Irregular verbs are an important feature of English. We use irregular verbs a lot when speaking, less when writing. Of course, the most famous English verb of all, the verb "to be", is irregular.

What is the difference between regular verbs and irregular verbs?

Base FormPast SimplePast Participle
With regular verbs, the rule is simple...
The past simple and past participle always end in -ed:finishfinishedfinished
stopstoppedstopped
workworkedworked
But with irregular verbs, there is no rule...
Sometimes the verb changes completely:singsangsung
Sometimes there is "half" a change:buyboughtbought
Sometimes there is no change:cutcutcut

One good way to learn irregular verbs is to try sorting them into groups, as above.

If in doubt, a good dictionary can tell you if a verb is regular or irregular.

Regular Verbs List

There are thousands of regular verbs in English. This is a list of 600 of the more common regular verbs. Note that there are some spelling variations in American English (for example, "practise" becomes "practice" in American English).

  • accept
  • add
  • admire
  • admit
  • advise
  • afford
  • agree
  • alert
  • allow
  • amuse
  • analyse
  • announce
  • annoy
  • answer
  • apologise
  • appear
  • applaud
  • appreciate
  • approve
  • argue
  • arrange
  • arrest
  • arrive
  • ask
  • attach
  • attack
  • attempt
  • attend
  • attract
  • avoid
 
  • back
  • bake
  • balance
  • ban
  • bang
  • bare
  • bat
  • bathe
  • battle
  • beam
  • beg
  • behave
  • belong
  • bleach
  • bless
  • blind
  • blink
  • blot
  • blush
  • boast
  • boil
  • bolt
  • bomb
  • book
  • bore
  • borrow
  • bounce
  • bow
  • box
  • brake
  • brake
  • branch
  • breathe
  • bruise
  • brush
  • bubble
  • bump
  • burn
  • bury
  • buzz
 
  • calculate
  • call
  • camp
  • care
  • carry
  • carve
  • cause
  • challenge
  • change
  • charge
  • chase
  • cheat
  • check
  • cheer
  • chew
  • choke
  • chop
  • claim
  • clap
  • clean
  • clear
  • clip
  • close
  • coach
  • coil
  • collect
  • colour
  • comb
  • command
  • communicate
  • compare
  • compete
  • complain
  • complete
  • concentrate
  • concern
  • confess
  • confuse
  • connect
  • consider
  • consist
  • contain
  • continue
  • copy
  • correct
  • cough
  • count
  • cover
  • crack
  • crash
  • crawl
  • cross
  • crush
  • cry
  • cure
  • curl
  • curve
  • cycle
 
  • dam
  • damage
  • dance
  • dare
  • decay
  • deceive
  • decide
  • decorate
  • delay
  • delight
  • deliver
  • depend
  • describe
  • desert
  • deserve
  • destroy
  • detect
  • develop
  • disagree
  • disappear
  • disapprove
  • disarm
  • discover
  • dislike
  • divide
  • double
  • doubt
  • drag
  • drain
  • dream
  • dress
  • drip
  • drop
  • drown
  • drum
  • dry
  • dust
 
  • earn
  • educate
  • embarrass
  • employ
  • empty
  • encourage
  • end
  • enjoy
  • enter
  • entertain
  • escape
  • examine
  • excite
  • excuse
  • exercise
  • exist
  • expand
  • expect
  • explain
  • explode
  • extend
 
  • face
  • fade
  • fail
  • fancy
  • fasten
  • fax
  • fear
  • fence
  • fetch
  • file
  • fill
  • film
  • fire
  • fit
  • fix
  • flap
  • flash
  • float
  • flood
  • flow
  • flower
  • fold
  • follow
  • fool
  • force
  • form
  • found
  • frame
  • frighten
  • fry
 
  • gather
  • gaze
  • glow
  • glue
  • grab
  • grate
  • grease
  • greet
  • grin
  • grip
  • groan
  • guarantee
  • guard
  • guess
  • guide
 
  • hammer
  • hand
  • handle
  • hang
  • happen
  • harass
  • harm
  • hate
  • haunt
  • head
  • heal
  • heap
  • heat
  • help
  • hook
  • hop
  • hope
  • hover
  • hug
  • hum
  • hunt
  • hurry
 
  • identify
  • ignore
  • imagine
  • impress
  • improve
  • include
  • increase
  • influence
  • inform
  • inject
  • injure
  • instruct
  • intend
  • interest
  • interfere
  • interrupt
  • introduce
  • invent
  • invite
  • irritate
  • itch
 
  • jail
  • jam
  • jog
  • join
  • joke
  • judge
  • juggle
  • jump
 
  • kick
  • kill
  • kiss
  • kneel
  • knit
  • knock
  • knot
 
  • label
  • land
  • last
  • laugh
  • launch
  • learn
  • level
  • license
  • lick
  • lie
  • lighten
  • like
  • list
  • listen
  • live
  • load
  • lock
  • long
  • look
  • love
 
  • man
  • manage
  • march
  • mark
  • marry
  • match
  • mate
  • matter
  • measure
  • meddle
  • melt
  • memorise
  • mend
  • mess up
  • milk
  • mine
  • miss
  • mix
  • moan
  • moor
  • mourn
  • move
  • muddle
  • mug
  • multiply
  • murder
 
  • nail
  • name
  • need
  • nest
  • nod
  • note
  • notice
  • number
 
  • obey
  • object
  • observe
  • obtain
  • occur
  • offend
  • offer
  • open
  • order
  • overflow
  • owe
  • own
 
  • pack
  • paddle
  • paint
  • park
  • part
  • pass
  • paste
  • pat
  • pause
  • peck
  • pedal
  • peel
  • peep
  • perform
  • permit
  • phone
  • pick
  • pinch
  • pine
  • place
  • plan
  • plant
  • play
  • please
  • plug
  • point
  • poke
  • polish
  • pop
  • possess
  • post
  • pour
  • practise
  • pray
  • preach
  • precede
  • prefer
  • prepare
  • present
  • preserve
  • press
  • pretend
  • prevent
  • prick
  • print
  • produce
  • program
  • promise
  • protect
  • provide
  • pull
  • pump
  • punch
  • puncture
  • punish
  • push
 
  • question
  • queue
 
  • race
  • radiate
  • rain
  • raise
  • reach
  • realise
  • receive
  • recognise
  • record
  • reduce
  • reflect
  • refuse
  • regret
  • reign
  • reject
  • rejoice
  • relax
  • release
  • rely
  • remain
  • remember
  • remind
  • remove
  • repair
  • repeat
  • replace
  • reply
  • report
  • reproduce
  • request
  • rescue
  • retire
  • return
  • rhyme
  • rinse
  • risk
  • rob
  • rock
  • roll
  • rot
  • rub
  • ruin
  • rule
  • rush
 
  • sack
  • sail
  • satisfy
  • save
  • saw
  • scare
  • scatter
  • scold
  • scorch
  • scrape
  • scratch
  • scream
  • screw
  • scribble
  • scrub
  • seal
  • search
  • separate
  • serve
  • settle
  • shade
  • share
  • shave
  • shelter
  • shiver
  • shock
  • shop
  • shrug
  • sigh
  • sign
  • signal
  • sin
  • sip
  • ski
  • skip
  • slap
  • slip
  • slow
  • smash
  • smell
  • smile
  • smoke
  • snatch
  • sneeze
  • sniff
  • snore
  • snow
  • soak
  • soothe
  • sound
  • spare
  • spark
  • sparkle
  • spell
  • spill
  • spoil
  • spot
  • spray
  • sprout
  • squash
  • squeak
  • squeal
  • squeeze
  • stain
  • stamp
  • stare
  • start
  • stay
  • steer
  • step
  • stir
  • stitch
  • stop
  • store
  • strap
  • strengthen
  • stretch
  • strip
  • stroke
  • stuff
  • subtract
  • succeed
  • suck
  • suffer
  • suggest
  • suit
  • supply
  • support
  • suppose
  • surprise
  • surround
  • suspect
  • suspend
  • switch
 
  • talk
  • tame
  • tap
  • taste
  • tease
  • telephone
  • tempt
  • terrify
  • test
  • thank
  • thaw
  • tick
  • tickle
  • tie
  • time
  • tip
  • tire
  • touch
  • tour
  • tow
  • trace
  • trade
  • train
  • transport
  • trap
  • travel
  • treat
  • tremble
  • trick
  • trip
  • trot
  • trouble
  • trust
  • try
  • tug
  • tumble
  • turn
  • twist
  • type
 
  • undress
  • unfasten
  • unite
  • unlock
  • unpack
  • untidy
  • use
 
  • vanish
  • visit
 
  • wail
  • wait
  • walk
  • wander
  • want
  • warm
  • warn
  • wash
  • waste
  • watch
  • water
  • wave
  • weigh
  • welcome
  • whine
  • whip
  • whirl
  • whisper
  • whistle
  • wink
  • wipe
  • wish
  • wobble
  • wonder
  • work
  • worry
  • wrap
  • wreck
  • wrestle
  • wriggle
 
  • x-ray
 
  • yawn
  • yell
 
  • zip
  • zoom

Irregular verbs list