Paid or payed (which is correct?)
The verb pay, which refers to the act of exchanging money in order to obtain something you want, or for services provided. pay in the past tense and past participle are paid.
Usage Note: Past Tense of ‘Pay’
I paid for the groceries.
She pay her bills yesterday.
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‘.
“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. |
The origin of pay
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”
Practice: “Pay” verb forms
She ______ for the groceries yesterday.
The sailor ______ out the anchor chain.
He hasn’t ______ me back yet.
I have already ______ the bills.
The crew ______ out the line.
FAQs
What’s the correct past tense of pay?
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When do I use ‘paid’?
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When do I use ‘payed’?
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Is “I have paid” correct usage?
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What’s a common ‘pay’ mistake?
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Sources
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“Pay, V. (1).” Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford UP, June 2025, https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/1139292520.
Yash, D. "How to Use Paid or Payed (Explained, Examples & Worksheet)." Grammarflex, Sep 24, 2025, https://grammarflex.com/paid-or-payed/.
