Lead vs led
Lead (rhymes with need) is the base and present form: I lead the team. Led (rhymes with bed) is the past form, also used after has, have or had and in the passive: she has led it, the team is led by her.
Lead becomes led just like feed becomes fed.
lead verb
To show the way, go in front, or be in charge of a group.
- Our guide will lead us to the waterfall.
- He leads the band every Friday night.
led verb
The past tense and past participle of lead: for leading that already happened, after has, have or had, and in the passive (was led, will be led).
- The guide led us to the waterfall yesterday.
- The captain led the team onto the field.
Watch out
- Use led for the simple past, after has, have or had, and after forms of be in the passive (is led, was led, will be led).She has led the team for five years.
- Lead is also a noun for a soft, heavy gray metal and for the gray stick inside a pencil. These nouns sound exactly like led but are spelled lead. Never write lead for the past of the verb.He pressed so hard that the lead snapped against the paper.
Test yourself
Yesterday the coach blank the players onto the field.
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led. Yesterday shows the action is past, so use led.
Who will blank the meeting tomorrow?
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lead. After will, use the base form lead.
She has blank the company for ten years.
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led. After has, use the past participle, which for lead is led.
Please blank the way, and we will follow you.
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lead. A request uses the base form, so use lead.