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What’s the Past Tense of Leap? Leaped or Leapt?

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Elan Yash

Elan is head of design and tech. He's also a contributor at Grammarflex.

What’s the past tense of “leap”?

It’s a bit of a trick question. As it sometimes happens, both leaped and leapt are acceptable past tense and past participial forms of leap (present tense).

US English prefers the standard “leaped” for both past tenses. UK English prefers “leapt”.

“Lept” is incorrect.

👍🏼Usage Note
✓
The diver leaps into the water.
✗
The cat leap into the bush.

Forms of “leap”

To leap, which is a “jump or spring a long way, to a great height, or with great force”, and usually follows a preposition of place such as onto, down, at, into, etc. uses the forms:

Present Past Future
simple I leap I leapt/leaped I will leap
continuous I am leaping I was leaping I will be leaping
perfect I have leapt/leaped I had leapt/leaped I will have leapt/leaped
perfect continuous I have been leaping I had been leaping I will have been leaping
12 verb tenses of ‘leap‘.

Similar verbs (as leap)

Base Verb Past Tense Past Participle
dream dreamed/dreamt dreamed/dreamt
burn burned/burnt burned/burnt
sleep slept slept
leap leapt/leaped leapt/leaped
Irregular verbs (similar to “leap”).

Leapt/Leaped in sentence examples

Word Form Examples
“Leaped” sentence examples

He leaped for joy when he heard the good news.

The frog leaped over the log.
“Leapt” sentence examples

A dolphin leapt out of the water.

The horse leapt a five-foot wall.

He leapt out of bed when he heard the telephone.
Examples of “leap” usage in various forms.
💡Study Tip

Practice using the verb in different tenses with example sentences to memorize the correct forms.

Phrases with the word leap

Phrase Meaning
leap at the chance/opportunity to eagerly accept an opportunity
leap of faith an act of believing in or attempting something whose existence or outcome cannot be proved or guaranteed.
look before you leap consider all the possible consequences before you take action.
leap to conclusions to make a judgment or decision without having all the facts.
by leaps and bounds very quickly; rapidly.
out of the frying pan and into the fire to go from a bad situation to a worse one.
Common phrases using “leap” and their meanings.

Origin of the word leap

From etymology online on leap (v.):

Of Germanic Origin
c. 1200, from Old English hleapan “to jump, spring clear of the ground by force of an initial bound; run, go; dance, leap upon (a horse)” from Proto-Germanic *hlaupanan.
Etymology of “leap” (verb).

Worksheet

Question 1 of 10

Which is the preferred past tense of “leap” in US English?



Which is the preferred past tense of “leap” in UK English?



Is “leap” a regular verb?



What is the past participle of “leap” that is considered correct in both US and UK English?



Which of these sentences uses the past tense of “leap” correctly?



Yesterday, the kangaroo across the field.



The dancer had gracefully onto the stage.



He for joy when he heard the good news.



The child with excitement.



The cat had onto the counter.





FAQs

Is “leaped” or “leapt” correct?
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Both “leaped” and “leapt” are acceptable past tense forms of “leap.” American English generally prefers “leaped,” while British English favors “leapt.” Both are grammatically correct, reflecting.

What’s the past participle of “leap”?
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Similar to the past tense, both “leaped” and “leapt” function as the past participle of “leap,” depending on regional preference (American English prefers “leaped,” British English prefers.

Is “leap” a regular verb?
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No, “leap” is considered an irregular verb because it has more than one acceptable past tense and past participle form (“leaped” and “leapt”). Regular verbs typically form their past tense and.

How is “leap” used in different tenses?
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The post provides examples of “leap” across various tenses: present (I leap), past (I leaped/leapt), future (I will leap), present continuous (I am leaping), past continuous (I was leaping), etc. .

What are some example sentences with “leap”?
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Examples include: “The horse leapt a five-foot wall,” “Rose immediately leapt to her feet,” and “Look before you leap.” These showcase “leap” in different sentence structures and contexts,.

Yash, D. "What’s the Past Tense of Leap? Leaped or Leapt?." Grammarflex, Jun 17, 2025, https://www.grammarflex.com/whats-the-past-tense-of-leap-leapt-or-leaped/.

Sources

  1. Oxford Learner’s, definition of leap.
  2. Origin of the verb, origin of leap.
  3. Wikipedia, homophones.
  4. “Leap.” Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. 2015. Farlex, Inc 3 Nov. 2023 https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/leap

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