Should I Write "Dreamed" or "Dreamt"?
More about "Dreamed" and "Dreamt"
In the UK, "dreamed" and "dreamt" can be used as both the simple past tense and the past particle of "to dream." This is not the case in the US, where "dreamed" dominates. For example:- I dreamed all night long. () ()
- I dreamt all night long. () () (In these examples, the highlighted words are the simple past tense.)
- I have dreamed about this situation before. () ()
- I have dreamt about this situation before. () () (Here, the highlighted words are past participles.)
The graph shows that "dreamed" is approximately twice as popular as "dreamt" in the UK. In the US, "dreamt" is far rarer. The graph is similar for the terms "have dreamed" and "have dreamt," proving that Brits do not distinguish between the past tense and the past participle with the past forms of "to dream."
Even More about "Dreamed" and "Dreamt"
The verb "to dream" means "to experience a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in your mind during sleep." "To dream" is one of those verbs with both an irregular form and a regular form.Verb | Past Simple | Past Participle |
---|---|---|
dream | dreamed OR dreamt | dreamed OR dreamt |
Americans Demand "Dreamed"
In America, "dreamed" dominates. The use of "dreamt" as the past tense or past participle is considered a spelling mistake by many.Brits Also Prefer "Dreamed"
Outside America, "dreamed" is more common, but "dreamt" is generally accepted. In British English, "dreamed" is twice as common as "dreamt." [evidence]Verbs with Irregular and Regular Forms
The following verbs (like "to dream") can be regular or irregular:Verb | Past Simple | Past Participle |
---|---|---|
burn | burned OR burnt | burned OR burnt |
dream | dreamed OR dreamt | dreamed OR dreamt |
smell | smelled OR smelt | smelled OR smelt |
spell | spelled OR spelt | spelled OR spelt |
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