Merriam-Webster suggests that if you aren’t sure whether to write "led" or "lead" as the verb in your sentence, try reading it aloud to yourself. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. One reason for the confusion might be that a similar verb, read, has an infinitive that’s spelled the same as the past tense. This is a reference page for lead verb forms in present, past and participle tenses. However, when it’s used for the metal, the word lead is pronounced just like led, which can add to the confusion: The soft core of a pencil is also sometimes referred to as lead, even though it’s made out of graphite and doesn’t usually contain lead: His legs felt heavy, like they were made from. Writing, grammar, and communication tips for your inbox. DEFINITIONS 7. The correct past tense of the verb lead is “led,” and this is also the past participle form. The simple present tense of the verb “to lead” is lead or leads, depending on whether or not it is used in singular or plural contexts. Learning a language’s grammatical concepts is arguably one of the most difficult things about learning any language. One reason for the confusion might be that a similar verb, read, has an infinitive that's spelled the same as the past tense. Conjugate the English verb lead: indicative, past tense, participle, present perfect, gerund, conjugation models and irregular verbs. The past tense form, as described above, is actually “led” and is pronounced differently. Lead as a noun can be a dark metal which is actually quite poisonous. to conduct or escort: lead them out; a heavy bluish-gray metal Not to be confused with: led – past tense of lead: He led them along the path. The more words you know that can fit into a specific context, the easier it will be to remember which ones to use. He’s been with the school for fourteen years, and all the kids really enjoy his leadership.”, “A good general leads from the front, giving his soldiers an example to follow.”, “Leadership is a difficult trait to find; finding someone to lead a group of people can define the success of the team.”, Guide, a verb that means leading in a gentle way, pointing someone in the right direction, Conduct, a word that usually describes leadership in music, but can also refer to trains being driven by a conductor, Show, a word that means lead but also usually involves physical and visual leadership. The problem is that the past tense is pronounced exactly like the above-mentioned plumbing material (“plumb” comes from a word meaning “lead”), so people confuse the two. The most common definition of "lead" as a verb is to show the way. In this article, let’s explore the verb “to lead,” learn its proper use, how to use its past tense, look for its synonyms, and learn its etymology and context. The past tense and participle forms of lead is led /led/. But with lead, that’s not how things are. ‘I took the lead on lap 41 when I passed him on the inside at the hairpin, and went on to win.’ ‘We took the lead through a penalty and the lad who gave the penalty away was lucky not to have been sent off.’ ‘We've gone in third and come out in the lead several times lately, and that is a real morale booster for the team.’ Beaming with pride, this is the inspiring moment heroic Frankie Sherwood led his beloved Newcastle United out in front of thousands of fans. The verb lead is not to be confused with the noun lead, meaning the metallic element, a type of metal. Definition of led_1 in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. How to Wish Someone Well in 2021. Check past tense of lead here. Lead is an irregular verb that has several different meanings: Lead can mean to be in front, especially in a sports game or a race. But with lead, that’s not how things are. This mistake results from a faulty analogy between the two words read (pronounced reed) and read (pronounced red). It also means “cause to go with oneself; march at the head of, go before as a guide, accompany, and show the way; carry on; sprout forth, bring forth.”  The Old English language was so complicated because so many words had several meanings. The verb lead is not to be confused with the noun lead, meaning the metallic element, a type of metal. Singular I lead You lead He/she/it leads Plural We lead You lead They lead 2. Find more words! In addition to that, lead can also be a noun or adjective. It is pronounced /li:d/. lead synonyms, lead pronunciation, lead translation, English dictionary definition of lead. Infinitive - to lead Present participle - leading Past participle - led 1. To this moderately convoluted situation, add the past tense and past participle of the verb lead, which is led and pronounced like the metal noun lead with a short e. The homophonic confusion leads to homographic confusion, and you will therefore occasionally see lead in constructions where led is called for (as in, “She lead the ducklings to safety” instead of “She led … Example 1: Please lead the way, because I really don’t know how to get to the top of this building. As a noun, lead can mean two things: 1. a position ahead of others, or an example for people to copy. Led is the past tense of the verb lead. Good luck! lead noun [U] (SUBSTANCE) [ U ] (symbol Pb) a chemical element that is a very heavy, soft, dark gray, poisonous metal, used especially in the past on roofs and for pipes and also for … 1. intransitive/transitive to walk, drive, fly, sail etc in front of a group of people, vehicles, planes, ships etc. Leading the mourners were his widow and 14-year-old daughter. The past tense of lead to is led to. lead definition: 1. to control a group of people, a country, or a situation: 2. (to) lead leading led: definition: in Spanish in French in Italian: ... past emphatic; I: did lead: you: did lead: he, she, it: did lead: we: did lead: you: did lead: they: did lead: Compound continuous (progressive) tenses. He can be found online here. This may be attributed to the erroneous analogy with the verb “read,” whose past tense is similarly spelled “read” but pronounced the same as the color red. – “lead” can define the action of showing the path. Mood: How to Use Tone and Mood in Your Writing, Beware of These Common Consistency Issues in Writing, Happy New Year, New Year’s, or New Years? But with lead, that's not how things are. Learn more. People often believe that they use lead in pencils, but this is generally graphite. led. What makes the word “to lead” unique is that its etymology does not actually include any Latin roots; much of the English language actually originated from ancient languages like Latin and Greek by way of other modern European languages like Spanish, Italian, or French. In this case it's pronounced "led" to rhyme with bed. The past tense of lead is led. lead / led When you’re hit over the head, the instrument could be a “lead” pipe. The biggest confusion comes into play when it is used as a verb. Lead is also the name of a certain type of metal. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. The guide led us to the top of the mountain. The exceptions often outnumber the rules, and it can be very hard to keep track of what is right and what is wrong, especially if you find yourself working with several different groups of people with their own colloquialisms or slangs. To use "led," simply use it as the past tense or past participle for "lead," as in: He, alone, "led" the group to safety. Find conjugation of lead. Babar Azam led Pakistan’s fightback on day three with an unbeaten 90 as they went on to post 216 in their first innings following which rain played spoilsport restricting New Zealand’s second innings to just one delivery at stumps of the second Test in Hamilton. see also white lead Topics Physics and chemistry c1. The past tense of the verb lead is led, not lead. It’s a chemical element with high density, but it’s somewhat soft. We will discuss context later on in this article. Compose bold, clear, mistake-free writing with Grammarly's AI-powered writing assistant. Lead means to be in charge, to show the way, or to be in front. Make sure you are picking the right vocabulary, and you will do great. Lead is, in most cases, a verb meaning to guide, initiate, conduct, or show. led. Definition of lead 2 noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. However, in this context, lead is a noun and therefore doesn’t have any tenses; only verbs have tense. Remember: If you find yourself questioning your spelling of lead in the past tense, recall that it’s the same as bleed in the past tense. Welcome to English, a language that is considered to be one of the most difficult languages in the world to master due to the complexity of its rules and the fact that it actually breaks its own rules more often than not. (especially in sports or other…. e.g. According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, the infinitive to lead means “to guide on a way especially by going in advance, to direct on a course or in a direction, or to serve as a channel for.”  A secondary definition can be “to direct the operations, activity, or performance of.”  Overall, there are twenty-two definitions for the verb “to lead” listed in both transitive and intransitive forms. 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