Past Tense of Lead | Definition, Use & Examples
The past tense of the verb lead meaning “to be ahead” or “to take someone somewhere” is led (e.g., “The teacher led her students into the examination center”).
Led is also the past participle of lead (e.g., “The party had led the opinion polls from start to finish”).
Past tense of lead
The verb lead is an irregular verb, so it doesn’t follow the regular pattern of adding “-ed” to form the past tense. Unlike “read” which doesn’t change spelling (but does change pronunciation) lead changes to led for both the simple past tense and past participle.
- The general lead the charge from the front.
- The general had lead the charge from the front.
- The general led the charge from the front.
- The general had led the charge from the front.
The second noun is related to the verb lead (e.g., “Jace has the lead in the race”). It is often used to refer to an opportunity in a sales environment (e.g., “The campaign opened up several new leads for the sales team”) or new openings in a criminal investigation (e.g., “The agents were following several leads in the case”). It is also the most common word in British English for “leash.” These meanings are pronounced [leed].
Past participle of lead
The past participle of lead is led. It is used in forming perfect verb tenses and the passive voice.
It’s easy to see that this company is led by a dynamic CEO. [passive voice]
Is it lead or led?
The simple past form and past participle of the verb lead (pronounced [leed]) is led. Lead is an irregular verb, so it doesn’t follow the pattern of adding “-ed” to form the past tense. The choice of “lead” or “led” depends on the intended tense of the phrase.
Frequently asked questions about the past tense of lead
- What is the past participle of lead?
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The past participle of the verb lead, meaning “go in front” or “be in charge of” is led. Lead is an irregular verb, so it doesn’t follow the pattern of adding “-ed” to form the past tense. The past participle is used to form the perfect tense forms of the verb and the passive voice.
- The hot weather has led to a huge increase in ice cream sales.
- Often, we are led by our instincts when we first become parents, as there is so much to learn.
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- Is led the past tense of lead?
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Led is the correct past tense of the irregular verb lead for both the simple past and past participle.
- It was typical that Samantha led from the front.
- Ahmed had led the team for 15 years and knew that it was time to stand aside.
You can use the QuillBot Grammar Checker to make sure your spelling and grammar are accurate.
- How do I pronounce lead?
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Lead has two possible pronunciations. The irregular verb, meaning “be in charge” or “be at the front,” is pronounced [leed]. The same pronunciation applies to the related noun lead, which is often used to refer to potential contacts for sales or investigations or, in British English, as the most common word for “leash.”
Lead is also a noun describing the chemical with the symbol Pb, the metal known for being heavy and pliable. In this case it is pronounced [led]. You will need to use the context to know which word is meant when you see it written.
You can check your grammar with the QuillBot Grammar Checker.
- Is it led to or lead to?
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If you are writing in the present tense, then it is lead to (e.g, “You can lead a horse to water”). In the past tense, use led to (e.g., “The long avenue of trees led to an impressive mansion”).
The verb lead does not follow regular conjugation rules, as it is an irregular verb.
You can use the QuillBot Grammar Checker to check your grammar and spelling.
