What's the past tense of "burn"?
Both burned and burnt are correct past tenses of burn. British English prefers burnt, whereas American English uses burned.
Definition of burn
The Oxford English Dictionary defines burn as "to destroy, damage, or injure by heat or fire; to be on fire." It's used both literally (physical burning) and figuratively (emotional pain, anger).
- The past tense of burn is burned or burnt.
- The past participle of burn is burned or burnt.
Verb forms of 'burn'
Is "burn" a regular or irregular verb?
The verb burn has both regular and irregular forms. Burned follows the regular verb pattern by adding "-ed," while burnt is the irregular form. Both are correct, though usage often depends on geography: British English prefers burnt, while American English typically uses burned. Both forms can be used as past tense or present or past perfect).
When to use "burned" vs. "burnt"
She burned her hand on the hot stove. (American English, past tense)
The toast has burnt to a crisp. (British English, present or past perfect)
Both burned and burnt serve as both simple past tense and present or past perfect), they require an auxiliary verb like have, has, or had. The simple past doesn't use a helper verb since it's a complete tense, so both burned and burnt can stand alone in sentences, whereas participles require an auxiliary verb. Regional preference is the main factor in choosing between them.
Similar irregular verbs
Sentence examples: burn, burned/burnt, burned/burnt
• Fresh leaves will burn slowly with billows of smoke.
• A welcoming fire is burning in the fireplace.
• Don't burn your bridges behind you.
• I burned my hand on the stove yesterday.
• He accidentally burned the cake while baking it.
• The forest fire burnt for three days straight.
• The toast has burnt to a crisp.
• She had burnt her hand on the hot stove.
• The house had burned down before the firefighters arrived.
• Nick actually likes the taste of burnt toast.
• She felt burned out after working overtime all week.
• All that was left was the shell of a burnt-out barn.
Synonyms & nearby words
Synonyms for burn
Nearby phrases
Practice: Burned or Burnt?
She accidentally ______ the toast this morning.
In British English, it is common to say you have ______ the dinner.
The house had ______ to the ground before the firefighters arrived.
The ______ toast smelled awful.
He ______ all of his old letters in the fireplace.
FAQs
What is the past tense of "burn"?
What is the past participle of "burn"?
Is "burn" a regular or irregular verb?
Does US/UK English usage differ?
Can "burnt" and "burned" be used as adjectives?
Sources
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Grammarist.com, "Burnt/Burned." Accessed October 15, 2025.
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Etymology Online, "Burn." Accessed October 15, 2025.
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Wren, P.C. High School English Grammar and Composition.
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