Split or splitted? What’s the past tense of split?
Did you split the pieces in half, or were they splitted in half? If the answer to this question on verb conjugation evades you, you may want to consult the information below.
The old photograph split down the middle.
We have split our shared responsibilities for the project.
- Split is an irregular verb and doesn’t end in -“ed” in the past tense.
- Split stays the same in the present, past and past participle form.
To refer to split in the past tense, use split.
| Present | Past | Future | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple | I split | I split | I will split |
| Continuous | I am splitting | I was splitting | I will be splitting |
| Perfect | I have split | I had split | I will have split |
| Perfect Continuous | I have been splitting | I had been splitting | I will have been splitting |
Past tense vs. Past participle of split
| Word Form | Examples |
|---|---|
| Past Participle | She had split the difference between them before leaving for the night. (past participle) |
| Other | The results split neatly into two groups. (past simple) |
We can distinguish between the simple past tense and the past perfect/continuous tenses by the presence of any auxiliary verbs in the same sentence, such as have/had (in the present perfect and past perfect tenses, respectively). The second sentence includes had + split, which creates the past perfect tense. We write in the past perfect tense when we want to stress the correct sequence in which past events or actions took place.
Verbs with one form in the present and past
| base verb | past tense | past participle |
|---|---|---|
| split | split | split |
| burst | burst | burst |
| bet | bet | bet |
| shut | shut | shut |
| hit | hit | hit |
| set | set | set |
Examples of split in present tense
| Examples: “split“, present tense |
|---|
| If the chicken is fairly small, you may simply split it in half. The Kremlin is deeply split in its approach to foreign policy. Identical twins come from a single fertilized egg that splits in two. His time is split between the London and Paris offices. |
Examples of split in the past tense
| Examples: “split“, past tense |
|---|
| In a severe gale the ship split in two. The two men agreed to split the proceeds. The sect split from the Mormon church more than a hundred years ago. The poll found the public evenly split on the issue. The cushion split open and sent feathers everywhere. |
That ‘split’ is like ‘cut’ and ‘put’ – its past tense and past participle forms are also ‘split’, not ‘splitted’.
Examples sentences of split as a participle
| Examples: “split“, past participle |
|---|
| Her dress had split along the seam. The country was split down the middle over the strike. The weight of the coal had caused the sack to split. He had split his trousers when he bent over. The leather was dry and had split in places. |
Idioms with split
| phrase | meaning |
|---|---|
| make like a banana and split | to get out of somewhere quickly |
| in a split-second / lickety-split | (it will take a second, figuratively speaking) |
| finer than a frog’s hair split four ways! | a hilarious way of saying you’re doing great or fine |
| don’t let the door hit you where the good Lord split you! | a way to say ‘leave’ quickly |
| split between two things | can’t decide between people or situations |
Origin of the word split
1580s (transitive and intransitive), not found in Middle English, probably from a Low German source such as Middle Dutch splitten, from Proto-Germanic *spleitanan.
Worksheet: Irregular verbs
The dry log ______ cleanly with a single swing of the axe.
The group had already ______ into smaller teams before the project began.
The path ______ into two different directions about a mile ahead.
My head is ______ from the constant loud noise.
Let’s ______ the cost of the meal so it’s fair for everyone.
FAQs
Is ‘splitted’ a correct form of ‘split’?
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What is the past tense of split?
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What is the past participle of split?
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Why is ‘split’ not ‘splitted’?
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How do I use split in past perfect?
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Sources
- Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019 by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
- Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of split.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/split. Accessed 28 February, 2023.
Yash, D. "How to Use Split vs. *Splitted (Irregular Verb Conjugations)." Grammarflex, Sep 24, 2025, https://grammarflex.com/split-vs-splitted/.
