Here are some other verbs that can be regular or irregular: ('Spilled milk' is also frequently written, so please don't think this is a rule. If you're an American, this might be your big chance to use the word 'spilt.' You can always claim you're quoting an old idiom with British origins. The idiom 'Do not cry over spilt milk' is advice not to get upset about something which cannot be changed. (The change is almost certainly a result of American influence spreading.) ('Spilt' was more common in British English throughout the 20th century, but 'spilled' is now more common. Outside America, 'spilled' is the more common of the two, but 'spilt' is generally accepted. There are two types of verbs in the English language, regular and irregular. The only way to know which word is meant when it is written is by the context of the sentence. Read in the present tense has a long e sound, and read in the past tense has a short e sound. The use of 'spilt' as the past tense or past participle of 'to spill' is considered a spelling mistake.īrits Prefer 'Spilled' but Will Accept 'Spilt' These words are spelled the same but pronounced differently. In other words, the past tense and the past participle can be written as either 'spilled' or 'spilt.' However, 'spilled' is the more popular in the UK and the US. want, look, use, work, start, try, ask, need, talk, and help. More specifically, the most common verbs in English are be, have, and do. But with lead, that’s not how things are. 'Spill' has both an irregular form and a regular form. Oddly, the most common verbs in English are all irregular. One reason for the confusion might be that the infinitive and past tense forms of a similar verb, read, are spelled the same way: read. More about 'Spilled' and 'Spilt'Īs a verb, 'spill' means 'to let a liquid flow over the edge of its container (especially by accident).' This graph shows that 'spilled' has been more popular than 'spilt' in British English since the 1940s. But remember, spell has other definitions besides the most common one, and it’s frequently used idiomatically to say that something spells doom, spells trouble, or spells ruin. Spelled in phrases Where you live dictates which form you use for the past tense of the verb spell. If you're following US writing conventions, use 'spilled.' If you're following UK writing conventions, you should also use 'spilled,' but 'spilt' is widely accepted. The past tense of the verb spell can be spelt in two ways. Spilled and spilt are interchangeable in the UK, but not in the US. Search our site by Craig Shrives What Is the Difference between 'Spilled' and 'Spilt'?

Past tense of read spelling