Irregular Verbs List: 200 English Verbs with Past Forms and Meanings

Regular verbs follow a simple rule: add “-ed” to make the past tense. Walk → walked. Talk → talked. But the most common verbs in English break this rule completely. Go → went. Think → thought. Be → was/were. These are irregular verbs, and you cannot avoid them.

This list covers 200 irregular English verbs with their past simple, past participle forms, and meanings. The verbs are organized by pattern — not alphabetically — so you can see which verbs follow similar rules and memorize them in groups.

• Total verbs: 200
• Best for: A2–C1 learners, IELTS/TOEFL preparation, grammar reference
• How to use: Study one group per day, test yourself, then review with spaced repetition

How These Verbs Were Selected

English has roughly 200 irregular verbs in common use, out of approximately 470 total. We selected these 200 based on three criteria:

1. Frequency — How often the verb appears in spoken and written English (based on corpus data)
2. Exam relevance — Verbs that appear in IELTS, TOEFL, and Cambridge exams
3. CEFR level — Covering A1 through C1, with the most common verbs first

The most common 50 irregular verbs cover about 87% of all irregular verb usage in everyday English. If you are short on time, start with those.

The 50 Most Common Irregular Verbs

This is your quick reference. If you only learn 50, make it these:

Complete Irregular Verbs List by Pattern

The key to memorizing irregular verbs is to notice patterns. Below, all 200 verbs are grouped by how they change. Study one group at a time — your brain remembers patterns much better than random lists.

Group 1: No Change (Base = Past Simple = Past Participle)

The easiest group. The verb stays the same in all three forms.

Tip: These verbs are easy to remember because nothing changes. But be careful — learners often add “-ed” by mistake: “I cutted the paper” is wrong.

Group 2: -ought / -aught Pattern

These verbs all end in “-ought” or “-aught” in past forms. One of the most recognizable patterns.

Tip: Notice that “bring” → “brought” and “buy” → “bought” sound almost the same. Group them together in your memory.

Group 3: Vowel Change i → a → u

One of the clearest patterns: the vowel changes from “i” to “a” to “u” across the three forms.

Tip: Say them out loud: “swim, swam, swum” — the rhythm is memorable. Practice all 9 verbs in sequence and the pattern locks in fast.

Group 4: -ew → -own / -awn Pattern

Base form changes, past simple ends in “-ew,” past participle ends in “-own” or “-awn.”

Group 5: -oke → -oken / -oze → -ozen Pattern

The vowel shifts to “o” in past, and past participle adds “-en.”

Group 6: -ove → -iven / -ore → -orn Pattern

Vowel changes with “-en” or “-n” added to the past participle.

Group 7: Same Past Simple and Past Participle

The largest group. Past simple and past participle are identical, but different from the base form.

Group 8: Base = Past Participle (Past Simple Is Different)

A small but tricky group. The base and past participle are the same, but the past simple is different.

Group 9: Completely Unique Irregular Verbs

These verbs follow no pattern at all. You must memorize them individually.

Irregular Verbs to Practice Now

Click any word to see its full definition, pronunciation, and examples. Add verbs to your personal dictionary and Linglify will schedule reviews automatically.

How to Study Irregular Verbs Effectively

1. Learn by pattern, not alphabetically. The groups above exist for a reason. When you learn “drink/drank/drunk” alongside “swim/swam/swum” and “sing/sang/sung,” the i→a→u pattern reinforces itself.

2. Say them out loud. Irregular verbs are rhythmic. Saying “begin, began, begun” three times creates a sound memory that sticks. Silent reading is not enough for verbs.

3. Focus on the 50 most common first. The table at the top of this article covers 87% of everyday irregular verb use. Master those before moving to less common verbs.

4. Use them in sentences immediately. After learning “steal/stole/stolen,” write: “Someone stole my umbrella yesterday. My umbrella has been stolen twice this year.” Context makes the forms stick.

5. Test yourself daily. Cover the past columns and try to recall them. Mistakes during testing actually strengthen memory — this is called the testing effect.

For a complete study system, read our guide on how to improve your vocabulary.

Common Mistakes with Irregular Verbs

1. Adding “-ed” to irregular verbs. “I buyed a new phone” → “I bought a new phone.” This is the most common mistake, especially with high-frequency verbs.

2. Confusing past simple and past participle. “I have went there” → “I have gone there.” The past participle is used with “have/has/had,” not the past simple.

3. Mixing up lie and lay. “Lie” (to recline) → lay → lain. “Lay” (to put something down) → laid → laid. These are two different verbs with overlapping forms.

4. Using the wrong form of “read.” All three forms are spelled the same, but the pronunciation changes: base form “reed” → past simple “red” → past participle “red.”

5. Forgetting that some verbs have two correct forms. “Learnt” and “learned” are both correct. “Burnt” and “burned” are both correct. British English tends to prefer “-t” forms; American English prefers “-ed.”

What to Do Next

1. Start with the 50 most common. Practice them with our B1 vocabulary lists — most of these verbs are A1–B1 level.

2. Move to advanced verbs. Once you know the top 50, explore B2 vocabulary for verbs like “weave,” “dwell,” and “grind.”

3. Practice in exam context. If you are preparing for IELTS, irregular verbs appear in every section. Check our IELTS vocabulary guide for targeted exam preparation.

4. Build your vocabulary beyond verbs. Explore our complete vocabulary library for words organized by level, exam, and topic.

FAQ

How many irregular verbs are there in English?

There are approximately 200 commonly used irregular verbs in English, and about 470 total (including rare and archaic forms). The 50 most common irregular verbs account for roughly 87% of all irregular verb usage in everyday speech and writing.

What is the easiest way to learn irregular verbs?

Group them by pattern instead of memorizing alphabetically. For example, learn “drink/drank/drunk,” “swim/swam/swum,” and “sing/sang/sung” together because they all follow the i→a→u vowel change. Saying the forms out loud as a rhythm also helps — your brain remembers sounds better than lists on paper.

Do I need to know all 200 irregular verbs?

Not immediately. Start with the 50 most common (listed at the top of this article) — they cover most situations in daily English. Add 10–15 new verbs per week. At that pace, you will know all 200 within about 3 months.

What is the difference between past simple and past participle?

Past simple is used alone to describe completed actions: “I broke the glass.” Past participle is used with auxiliary verbs (have, has, had) for perfect tenses: “I have broken the glass.” It is also used in passive voice: “The glass was broken.”

Are irregular verbs tested in IELTS and TOEFL?

Yes. Irregular verbs appear in reading passages, listening sections, and are essential for writing and speaking. Using incorrect verb forms in IELTS Writing and Speaking directly reduces your grammar score. Common exam verbs include: arise, bear, bind, breed, cast, dwell, flee, grind, seek, sow, stride, strive, thrust, weave, and withdraw.

Why does English have irregular verbs?

Irregular verbs are remnants of Old English and Germanic grammar rules. The most frequently used verbs in any language tend to resist regularization because speakers use them so often that the irregular forms become deeply memorized. That is why “go/went/gone” (used thousands of times daily) stays irregular, while less common verbs eventually become regular over centuries.