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Paid or payed?

Is “Paid” or “Payed” Correct?

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Dalia Y

BA, MA, Phil. Grammarflex's initial initiator and contributor.

What is the correct past tense of “pay”?

The verb pay, which describes giving money to someone for something you want to buy or for services provided, has two correct past tenses: payed and paid.

👍🏼Usage Note: Past Tense of 'Pay'
✓
I paid for the groceries. (Correct: ‘Paid’ is the standard past tense for monetary payments.)
✓
The sailor payed out the anchor chain. (Correct: ‘Payed’ is used for letting out ropes or cables.)
✗
She pay her bills yesterday. (Incorrect: Use of present tense ‘pay’ for a past action; should be ‘paid’ or ‘payed’.)
✗
He payd for his ticket. (Incorrect: Misspelling; should be ‘paid’ or ‘payed’.)

Is “I have paid” the correct phrase?

Either paid or payed can be used to refer to the past tense of pay, though ‘paid’ is the more common spelling. Regardless, both “I have paid” and “I have payed” use correct English.

Pay/paid, synonyms

  • allowance
  • compensation
  • fee
  • income
  • payment
  • profit
  • reimbursement
  • remuneration
  • reward
  • salary
  • stipend
  • wage

Verb forms of pay

present past future
simple I pay I paid (or payed) I will pay
continuous I am paying I was paying I will be paying
perfect I have paid (or payed) I had paid (or payed) I will have paid (or payed)
perfect continuous I have been paying I had been paying I will have been paying

12 verb tenses of ‘pay‘.

💡Study Tip

“paid” vs. “payed,” associate “paid” with money (I *paid* for groceries) and “payed” with ropes/cables (sailors *payed* out the anchor).

Pay/payed/paid, used in sentence examples

Examples: “pay”, used in sentences
You have to pay extra for a single room.

Many consumers are willing to pay more for better service.

How much did you pay for your new car?

I would gladly pay for the benefits such a tax would bring.

The revenue will be used to help pay for environmental improvements.
Examples: “paid”, used in sentences
Her parents paid for her to go to Canada.

The union paid all her legal costs.

He still hasn’t paid me the money he owes me.

Membership fees should be paid to the secretary.

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Worksheet: tenses of pay

Questions Answer options:
1. True or false: “Pay” is a regular verb. a. true b. false c. both
2. True or false: Pay looks the same in the past tense as it does in the present. a. true b. false
3. Choose the correct tense: I paid the driver in cash. a. simple present b. simple past c. past perfect d. present perfect
Choose the correct verb form to complete the sentences:
4. I pay my taxes. a. simple present b. simple past c. past perfect d. present perfect
5. How much did you ____ for the tickets? a. paidb. payingc. paysd. pay

Answers

  1. b
  2. b
  3. b
  4. c
  5. a
  6. d

The origin of pay

From etymonline on pay (v.):

‍

c. 1200, paien, “to appease, pacify, satisfy, be to the liking of,” from Old French paier “to pay, pay up” (12c., Modern French payer), from Latin pacare “to please, pacify, satisfy” (in Medieval Latin especially “satisfy a creditor”), literally “make peaceful,” from pax (genitive pacis) “peace” (see peace).

Learn more about verbs

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‍

Work Sheet

Question 1 of 10

What is the standard past tense of “pay” when referring to monetary transactions?



Which past tense form of “pay” is used for letting out ropes or cables, such as an anchor chain?



According to the blog post, is “payed” ever a correct past tense form of “pay”?



For monetary payments, which past tense form is noted as being more common?



Which option represents an incorrect spelling of a past tense form mentioned in the post?



She for the groceries yesterday.



The crew out the anchor chain.



He hasn’t me back yet.



I have already the bills.



The sailor carefully out the line.





Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the correct past tense of pay?
+

The post states that both “paid” and “payed” are correct past tenses of the verb “pay”. “Paid” is the more common spelling overall, but both are valid past forms.

When do I use ‘paid’?
+

According to the post, “paid” is the standard past tense used specifically for monetary payments, like when you give money for groceries or services. (Example: I paid for the groceries.)

When do I use ‘payed’?
+

The post specifies that “payed” is used in a particular context: for letting out ropes or cables. A key example given is a sailor who “payed out the anchor chain.”

Is “I have paid” correct usage?
+

Yes, the post explicitly states that both “I have paid” and “I have payed” are correct English phrases when referring to the past tense in the perfect form.

What’s a common ‘pay’ mistake?
+

A common mistake highlighted is using the present tense verb “pay” for a past action. The post says you should use the past tense forms, “paid” or “payed,” instead.

Yash, D. "Is “Paid” or “Payed” Correct?." Grammarflex, Jun 2, 2025, https://www.grammarflex.com/is-paid-or-payed-correct/.

Sources

  1. Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of pay.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/pay. Accessed 1 April, 2024.

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