-t and -ed

-t and -ed
-t and -ed
A number of irregular verbs have competing past forms and past participles in -t and -ed (e.g. leapt and leaped); the most common of these are given in the table below. In some cases the length of the vowel is shortened in the -t forms (e.g. lept instead of leept for leapt). It is difficult to establish distinctions based on region or meaning, but two tendencies are discernible: (1) the form in -ed is more often preferred in AmE, and (2) in BrE there is a stronger preference for the -t form when it is used as a participial adjective, as in The cakes are burnt as distinct from We burned the cakes.
verb / -t form / -ed form
bereave / bereft / bereaved
beseech / besought / beseeched
burn / burnt / burned
cleave / cleft / cleaved
dream / dreamt / dreamed
dwell / dwelt / dwelled
earn / earnt* / earned
kneel / knelt / kneeled
lean / leant / leaned
leap / leapt / leaped
learn / learnt / learned
smell / smelt / smelled
spell / spelt / spelled
spill / spilt / spilled
spoil / spoilt / spoiled
*earnt is not standard, but is increasingly found

Modern English usage. 2014.

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  • And so forth — And And, conj. [AS. and; akin to OS. endi, Icel. enda, OHG. anti, enti, inti, unti, G. und, D. en, OD. ende. Cf, {An} if, {Ante }.] 1. A particle which expresses the relation of connection or addition. It is used to conjoin a word with a word, a… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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  • and then some — And a lot more; and more too. * /It would cost all the money he had and then some./ * /Talking his way out of this trouble was going to take all his wits and then some./ …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • and so forth — or[and so on] And more of the same kind; and further amounts or things like the ones already mentioned. * /The costumes were red, pink, blue, purple, yellow, and so forth./ Compare: WHAT HAVE YOU …   Dictionary of American idioms

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  • and how! — {interj.}, {informal} Yes, that is certainly right! Used for emphatic agreement. * / Did you see the game? And how! / * / Isn t Mary pretty? And how she is! / Syn.: YOU BET, YOU SAID IT. Compare:: BUT GOOD …   Dictionary of American idioms

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