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Pleaded or Pled?
Pleaded or Pled?
What is the past tense of "to plead"?The most acceptable past form of "to plead" is "pleaded," but, over time, "pled" has also become acceptable. For example:
- He pleaded guilty to the charge.
- He pled guilty to the charge.


More about the Past Tense of "To Plead"
The most acceptable past tense of "to plead" is "pleaded," but, through common usage since the mid-20th century (especially in the US), "pled" has also become acceptable in both the UK and US conventions. [evidence]If you're looking for the version that will aggravate the least, opt for "pleaded."
"To Plead" Was a Weak, Regular Verb
"To Plead" was originally a weak, regular verb, meaning its past forms were only "pleaded" (past tense) and "has pleaded" (past participle).However, over time, "to plead" has been treated like a weak, irregular verb, probably because it sounds a lot like "to bleed," the past forms of which are "bled" and "has bled."
Here is "to plead" with some other weak, regular verbs:
Weak Verb | Simple Past Tense | Past Participle | Comment |
---|---|---|---|
love | loved | has loved | regular verb |
play | played | has played | regular verb |
plead | pleaded | has pleaded | regular verb |
Here is "to plead" with some other weak, irregular verbs:
Weak Verb | Simple Past Tense | Past Participle | Comment |
---|---|---|---|
tell | told | has told | irregular verb |
bleed | bled | has bled | irregular verb |
plead | pled | has pled | irregular verb |
"Plea" Is the Noun
Of note, the noun is "plea." For example:- He pleads guilty by submitting a guilty plea.
What Is a Weak Verb?
A weak verb is one that has a " d" or " t" ending for its simple past tense and past participle.Read more about weak verbs.
What Is a Regular Verb?
A regular verb is one that typically adds "-ed" or "-d" to the base form to create the past forms.Read more about regular verbs.
Read more about irregular verbs.
Interactive Exercise
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- Did you spot a typo?