The Quick Answer
What is the difference between dived and dove?
Dove and dived can be used interchangeably. However, to annoy the fewest readers, those following US conventions should use dove, and those following UK conventions should use dived.
Dived and Dove
The words
dived and
dove can be used interchangeably as the
past tense and
past participle of the
verb to dive. So, the bottom line is that you cannot make a mistake by using one of these words instead of the other.
Dived Is More Traditional Than Dove
Dived is the traditional past tense and past participle of
to dive, but
dove has crept in over the last two centuries — particularly in the US. This is probably a result of the verb
to drive (with its past tense
drove) becoming more common.
Dove for Americans. Dived for Brits
While there is no clear delineation,
dove tends to be used by those following US conventions, and
dived tends to be used by those following UK conventions.
Pick the Version That Will Annoy the Fewest Readers
So, to annoy the fewest readers possible, you should use
dove if those around you follow US conventions but
dived if they follow UK conventions.
