What’s the past tense of “burn”?
Both burned and burnt are correct past tenses of burn. This refers to a state or event when someone or something is on fire, or to destroy or injure someone or something by heat or fire.
She accidentally burned her hand on the hot stove.
He burn his finger while lighting the candle.
- British English uses burned and burnt both as the past tense and adjective forms.
- US English uses burned as the past tense verb form; as an adjective, both burned and burnt are common.
Forms of the verb “burn”
| Present | Past | Future | |
|---|---|---|---|
| simple | I burn | I burned/burnt | I will burn |
| continuous | I am burning | I was burning | I will be burning |
| perfect | I have burned/burnt | I had burned/burnt | I will have burned/burnt |
| perfect continuous | I have been burning | I had been burning | I will have been burning |
Is “burned”/“burnt” regular or irregular?
Burned takes the regular verb conjugation with the suffix “ed.” Burnt is the irregular verb form. Generally speaking, the difference in use depends on geography.
Other irregular verbs like “burn”
| Base Verb | Past Tense | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| dream | dreamed/dreamt | dreamed/dreamt |
| burn | burned/burnt | burned/burnt |
| sleep | slept | slept |
| leap | leapt/leaped | leapt/leaped |
Burnt/Burned in sentence examples
| Word Form | Examples |
|---|---|
| Present Tense (“burn”) |
Fresh leaves will burn slowly with billows of smoke. (future tense) A welcoming fire was burning in the fireplace. (present continuous) Don’t burn your bridges behind you. |
| Past Tense (“burned”/”burnt”) |
This perfume smells like burnt cotton candy. (adjective) I burned my hand on the stove yesterday. He accidentally burned the cake while baking it. |
| Past Participle (“burnt”/”burned”) |
The toast was burnt to a crisp. She had burnt her hand on the hot stove while getting dinner prepared. The house had burnt down before the firefighters arrived. |
| Adjective Usage (e.g., “burnt toast”) |
Nick actually likes the taste of burnt/burned toast. Emile needs a holiday because he is burnt/burned out. All that was left of the farm was the shell of a burnt-/burned-out barn. |
| “Get burned/burnt” Phrase Usage |
Try not to get burned/burnt by the car salesman! Kyle always insults me. Every time I see him, I get burned/burnt. |
Learn more about grammar
| Commonly misused words | UK English vs. US English |
|---|---|
| former vs. latter | spelt or spelled? |
| bear vs. bare | color or colour? |
| breathe vs. breath | favorite vs. favourite |
| compliment vs. complement | smelled or smelt? |
| affect vs. effect | gray or grey? |
| elude vs. allude | favor vs. favour |
| it’s or its | analyze or analyse? |
Worksheet: irregular verbs
According to the post, what is the primary difference between the forms “burned” and “burnt”?
Which incorrect verb form of “burn” is specifically highlighted in the post’s examples of mistakes?
In which major variety of English, as stated in the post, is “burned” primarily used as the simple past tense verb form?
According to the post, which form(s) are common when “burn” is used as an adjective in US English?
In British English, according to the post, which form(s) are acceptable for both the simple past tense verb and the adjective?
The old letters were all in the fireplace.
She accidentally her hand on the hot stove.
He had all the documents before the police got there.
The toast was slightly .
His skin was red from being by the sun.
FAQs
Are both burned and burnt correct?
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Is ‘burned’ regular or irregular?
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Does US/UK English usage differ?
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Is ‘burnt’ used as an adjective?
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What common mistake is made with ‘burn’?
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Yash, D. "What’s the Past Tense of Burn? Burned or Burnt?." Grammarflex, Jun 25, 2025, https://www.grammarflex.com/is-it-burned-or-burnt-whats-the-past-tense-of-burn/.
Sources
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Grammarist.com, burnt/burned.
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Etymonline, burn.
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High School English and Grammar Composition, P.C. Wren
