Learning English can be tricky, especially when it comes to verbs. Regular verbs are not so hard because they follow rules. You just add “-ed” to the base form, and it becomes past tense. But irregular verbs are a different story. They don’t follow any rules, and this makes them difficult for students.

Many English learners find it hard to remember these verbs because they change in unexpected ways. This article will help you with the most difficult irregular verbs, explaining their meanings and showing common mistakes. We will give you easy examples to make these verbs clearer for you.

Irregular verbs can confuse you because the past tense and the past participle forms are often completely different from the base form. For example, the verb “go” changes to “went” in the past tense and “gone” in the past participle. This is just one example, and there are many more like this. So, let’s look at some of the most difficult irregular verbs you will need to learn.

The Most Difficult Irregular Verbs

Here are 20 of the most difficult irregular verbs in English. These verbs don’t follow any patterns, and their changes might seem random at first. But with practice, you will start to remember them.

1. Go

Meaning: To move from one place to another.

Common Error: Many students say “goed” instead of “went.”

Examples:

• I went to the store yesterday.
• She has gone to the park every day this week.

2. Be

Meaning: To exist or to be in a certain state.

Common Error: Students might say “wased” or “beed” instead of “was” or “were.”

Examples:

• He was late for school yesterday.
• They were happy to see their friend.

3. See

Meaning: To notice or look at something.

Common Error: Saying “seed” instead of “saw.”

Examples:

• I saw a movie last night.
• We have seen this show before.

4. Eat

Meaning: To put food in your mouth and swallow it.

Common Error: Students might say “eated” instead of “ate.”

Examples:

• She ate breakfast at 7 AM.
• He has eaten dinner already.

5. Take

Meaning: To get something and hold it.

Common Error: Saying “taked” instead of “took.”

Examples:

• I took the last cookie.
• They have taken the test already.

6. Give

Meaning: To hand something to someone.

Common Error: Some say “gived” instead of “gave.”

Examples:

• She gave him a present for his birthday.
• We have given food to the animals.

7. Come

Meaning: To move or travel toward the speaker.

Common Error: Saying “comed” instead of “came.”

Examples:

• He came to the party late.
• I have come here every day for a week.

8. Drink

Meaning: To take a liquid into your mouth and swallow it.

Common Error: Students might say “drinked” instead of “drank.”

Examples:

• She drank a glass of water after her run.
• They have drunk all the juice.

9. Write

Meaning: To form words or letters on paper or another surface.

Common Error: Some students say “writed” instead of “wrote.”

Examples:

• He wrote a letter to his grandmother.
• She has written a book.

10. Run

Meaning: To move quickly by foot.

Common Error: Saying “runned” instead of “ran.”

Examples:

• She ran to catch the bus.
• He has run every morning for a month.

11. Speak

Meaning: To talk or say something.

Common Error: Students might say “speaked” instead of “spoke.”

Examples:

• She spoke to her teacher about the homework.
• He has spoken to many people today.

12. Break

Meaning: To cause something to separate into pieces.

Common Error: Saying “breaked” instead of “broke.”

Examples:

• He broke the glass when he dropped it.
• She has broken her phone twice.

13. Know

Meaning: To have information or understand something.

Common Error: Some say “knowed” instead of “knew.”

Examples:

• I knew the answer to the question.
• They have known each other for years.

14. Begin

Meaning: To start something.

Common Error: Saying “beginned” instead of “began.”

Examples:

• The show began at 8 PM.
• They have begun to study for the test.

15. Drive

Meaning: To control a vehicle, like a car.

Common Error: Students often say “drived” instead of “drove.”

Examples:

• She drove to the city yesterday.
• He has driven that car many times.

16. Buy

Meaning: To get something by paying money for it.

Common Error: Saying “buyed” instead of “bought.”

Examples:

• I bought a new phone last week.
• She has bought three books today.

17. Forget

Meaning: To not remember something.

Common Error: Some students say “forgetted” instead of “forgot.”

Examples:

• He forgot his keys at home.
• I have forgotten to call my friend.

18. Stand

Meaning: To be in an upright position on your feet.

Common Error: Saying “standed” instead of “stood.”

Examples:

• She stood by the door waiting for her friend.
• We have stood here for an hour.

19. Sing

Meaning: To produce musical sounds with your voice.

Common Error: Students might say “singed” instead of “sang.”

Examples:

• He sang a beautiful song at the concert.
• They have sung together many times.

20. Build

Meaning: To make something by putting parts together.

Common Error: Some say “builded” instead of “built.”

Examples:

• He built a small house for his dog.
• They have built many houses in this neighborhood.

Final Thoughts: Keep Practicing!

Irregular verbs are tricky, but with practice, you can master them. These are some of the most difficult irregular verbs in English, and although they don’t follow the rules, you’ll get better with time. Keep using them in your sentences, and remember that practice makes perfect. Our app, ELSA, can help you practice these verbs and improve your pronunciation and grammar. So don’t worry—keep working on these most difficult irregular verbs, and soon they’ll become easy for you!

More about verbs here.