What’s the past tense of “spill”?
Is it, ‘there’s no use crying over spilt milk’, or spilled milk? Is the past tense of the verb spill spilt or spilled? Let’s take a closer look.
Forms of the verb spill
| present | past | future | |
|---|---|---|---|
| simple | I spill | I spilled/spilt | I will spill |
| continuous | I am spilling | I was spilling | I will be spilling |
| perfect | I have spilled/spilt | I had spilled/spilt | I will have spilled/spilt |
| perfect continuous | I have been spilling | I had been spilling | I will have been spilling |
12 verb tenses of ‘spill‘.
Irregular verbs similar to spill
| Base Verb | Past Tense | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| lean | leant/leaned | leant/leaned |
| leap | leapt/leaped | leapt/leaped |
| learn | learnt/learned | learnt/learned |
| spoil | spoilt/spoiled | spoilt/spoiled |
Irregular verbs (similar to “spill“).
Spill (present tense)
| Sentence examples |
|---|
| The sippy cup is supposed to be leak resistant and not allow any liquid to spill from the lid. |
| We do not need to spill the water if we don’t want to. |
| Don’t pour too much; it might spill over. |
Examples of spilled/spilt: past tense vs. past participle
| Examples of spilled/spilt (past tense) | Examples of spilled/spilt (past participle) |
|---|---|
|
I spilled the glass of milk. I spilt coffee down my blouse! I accidentally spilled my drink all over him. |
Critical reactions were decidedly spilt after the release. The sand had spilt from the fire bucket. The hazards of the pill have had much ink spilt on them. |
Remember spilt/spilled by associating it with similar irregular verb patterns, like spoilt and spoiled.
Origin of the word spill
| Of Germanic Origin |
| Old English spillan “destroy, mutilate, kill,” also in late Old English “to waste,” variant of spildan “destroy,” from Proto-Germanic *spilthjan. |
Practice: Forms of “Spill”
He accidentally ______ juice all over the new carpet.
In British English, you might hear someone say they ______ the milk.
Be careful not to ______ your coffee on the keyboard.
The secret was ______ after someone overheard their conversation.
Oil had ______ from the tanker into the sea.
FAQs
Is “spilt” or “spilled” correct?
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What’s the past participle of “spill”?
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Is “spill” a regular or irregular verb?
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How do I use “spill” in the past tense?
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Can “spill” be used in the present perfect?
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Yash, D. "How to Use Spilled or Spilt (Irregular Verb Forms)." Grammarflex, Aug 24, 2025, https://grammarflex.com/spilled-or-spilt/.
