[snuck is chiefly American, is regarded as informal and is only cited from 1887] sow – sowed – sown/sowed speak – spoke – spoken speed – sped/speeded – sped/speeded spell – spelled/spelt – spelled/spelt spend – spent – spent spill – spilled/spilt – spilled/spilt spin – span/spun – spun spit – spat/spit – spat/spit [the form spit rather than spat is common in America] split – split – split spoil – spoiled/spoilt – spoiled/spoilt spread – spread – spread spring – sprang/sprung – sprung stand – stood – stood stave – staved/stove – staved/stove steal – stole – stolen stick – stuck – stuck sting – stung – stung stink – stank – stunk strew – strewed – strewn/strewed stride – strode – stridden/strode strike – struck – struck/stricken string – strung – strung strive – strove/strived – striven/strived swear – swore – sworn sweat – sweated/sweat – sweated/sweat sweep – swept – swept swell – swelled – swollen/swelled swim – swam – swum swing – swang/swung – swung take – took – taken teach – taught – taught tear – tore – torn tell – told – told text – texted/text – texted/text think – thought – thought thrive – thrived/throve – thrived/thriven throw – threw – thrown thrust – thrust/thrusted – thrust/thrusted tread – trod – trodden/trod un- : for unbend, unweave, etc. see bend, weave, etc. under- : for underlie, undergo, understand, etc. see lie, go, stand, etc. up- : for upset see set, etc. wake – woke – woken wear – wore – worn weave – wove – woven wed – wed/wedded – wed/wedded weep – wept – wept wet – wet/wetted – wet/wetted will – would [defective; see anomalous cases above] win – won – won wind – wound – wound [but regular in the meanings connected with air and breath] with- : for withdraw, withhold, withstand, see draw, hold, stand wring – wrang/wrung – wrung write – wrote – written In language acquisition Steven Pinker's book Words and Rules describes how mistakes made by children in learning irregular verbs throw light on the mental processes involved in language acquisition. The fact that young children often attempt to conjugate irregular verbs according to regular patterns indicates that their processing of the language involves the application of rules to produce new forms, in addition to the simple reproduction of forms that they have already heard. See