What’s the past tense of “speak”?
Perhaps one of the most common action states in English, to speak, is an action we, as humans and social creatures, do all the time. If the past tense of speak has not yet spoken to you, then allow this post to speak to the difference.
| tense | examples: forms of “speak”, in sentences |
| simple present tense | Can I speak with you for a minute? |
| simple past | I spoke at length with him last week. |
| present perfect | I have spoken to the manager about it. |
The verb speak is defined by the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary as to, “[intransitive verb] to talk to somebody about something; to have a conversation with somebody”. Its verb forms are the following:
- To speak is in the simple present tense.
- Spoke is the simple past.
- Has/had/have spoken is the past participle form.
Other verbs with two past conjugations
| base verb | past tense | past participle |
| speak | spoke | spoken |
| write | wrote | written |
| bite | bit | bitten |
| eat | ate | eaten |
| hide | hid | hidden |
| ride | rode | ridden |
Remember to always pair participles with an auxiliary! For perfect tenses, use ‘have’, ‘has’, or ‘had’. For continuous, use a form of ‘to be’.
When to use “spoke” vs. “spoken”
She and I spoke this morning.
I’ve spoken with the manager about it.
The participle form of a verb (which is a form of a verb, not a proper tense) and shown in the second sentence, uses the auxiliary verb, have (in its contraction, I’ve). This indicates that the participle form of the verb is in use, and not the simple past. The simple past doesn’t use a helper verb since the simple past is a whole tense and verb, and so spoke can standalone in sentences, whereas participles do not.
Speak, spoke, spoken, used in sentences
| Word | Sentences |
|---|---|
| speak/spoke |
Can I speak with you for a minute? The President refused to speak to reporters. I spoke at length with him last week. She spoke to me with a smile. |
| spoken |
I’ve spoken to a number of people and they all agreed with me. They had spoken French. We’ve spoken about this many times before. |
Synonyms of speak
- talk
- discuss
- communicate
- chat
- consult
- have a conversation
The history of speak
From etymology online on speak (v.):
Old English specan, variant of sprecan “to speak, utter words; make a speech; hold discourse; from Proto-Germanic *sprekanan.
Practice: spoke, or spoken
He ___ to the group about his research findings.
She has ___ with the principal about the school project.
If you ___ to her, she might help you solve the problem.
We had already ___ to the neighbors before moving in.
Whenever he ___ in public, people listen carefully.
FAQs
What is the simple past tense of speak?
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What is the past participle of speak?
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When should I use spoke?
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When should I use spoken?
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Is speak a regular verb?
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Yash, D. "How to Use Spoke or Spoken? (Irregular Verbs)." Grammarflex, Sep 24, 2025, https://grammarflex.com/spoke-or-spoken/.
