Learn English Irregular Verbs Easily: The Method

According to various sources, there are between 200 and 250 irregular verbs in English. With the infinitive, past tense, and past participle, that adds up to nearly 1,000 items to memorize!

But don’t worry: despite this overwhelming number, there are simple strategies to help you remember these special verbs.

Contextualization, spaced repetition, mnemonic devices, and mobile applications: ISpeakSpokeSpoken shares tips to help you make the most of your memory!

What is an irregular verb?

To form the past tense (preterite) or past participle of a regular English verb, you simply add the ending -ed. For example:

An irregular verb is a verb that does not follow these usual rules of conjugation. For example: 

Since these changes don’t follow a predictable pattern, you need to memorize them individually!

Learning Strategies to Implement

Learning irregular verbs requires a strategic approach to maximize your efficiency and minimize frustration. Here are some key strategies to adopt—tested and proven!

The Global Approach: Understand Before Memorizing

Before you start memorizing irregular verbs, it’s important to understand why you’re doing it. The reason is simple: irregular verbs are everywhere, both in written and spoken English!

One statistic is particularly striking: out of the 25 most common verbs in English, 17 are irregular. Examples include:

Being aware of how deeply these verbs are embedded in the English language should serve as motivation!

The Importance of Context in Learning

Context is key when learning a foreign language. Instead of memorizing lists of verbs in isolation, integrate them into sentences and real-life situations.

Use stories, dialogues, or role-play scenarios to see how these verbs function in action.

By contextualizing, you’ll not only remember them more easily but also understand their nuances of use.

Memorization Techniques

The so-called goldfish memory is not inevitable! Even if you’re out of practice (or never really developed the habit) of learning by heart, there are methods that can help you memorize irregular verbs.

Spaced Repetition Techniques

Spaced repetition is a study method that involves reviewing information at increasing intervals. Here’s how it works in practice:

• Day 1: You learn the verb, but it begins to fade until you review it again 10 days later.
• Day 10: You refresh the verb, but it will still fade until the third review 20 days later—though it will now fade more slowly.
• Day 30: You recall the verb again, and it will become more firmly anchored in your memory.
• Day 60: Jackpot! After multiple reviews over longer intervals, the verb is now deeply embedded in your brain.

Using Mnemonic Devices

Mnemonics, such as rhymes or visual associations, are powerful tools for memorizing irregular verbs. For example:

The importance of visual and auditory associations

Linking images or sounds to verbs can significantly improve their memorization. Visualize a song, a book title, or a movie that uses a specific irregular verb. These associations enhance memory and make learning more interactive and enjoyable! Here are some examples:

Practical Tools

Digital tools can make it easier to access and memorize irregular verbs.

ISpeakSpokeSpoken

On our website, we’ve published a comprehensive table of English irregular verbs.

The key advantage of this list? You can access the audio version of each verb. It’s crucial to not only memorize how each verb is written but also how it’s pronounced—and practice pronouncing them correctly yourself!

Additionally, we offer a year-round training course entirely focused on English memorization: a three-week program designed to train your brain and retain English in the long run!

Mobile Applications

There are numerous mobile apps dedicated to learning English:

• MosaLingua
• Duolingo
• Babbel
• and many others.

Most of these apps offer exercises specifically designed to help you practice irregular verbs.

However, there are also apps that focus entirely on English irregular verbs. Available on iOS (Apple), Android (Google Play), or Windows Phone, you can try:

• TOP 4 Irregular English Verbs by Timofey Savin
• Gedev’s English Irregular Verbs

Incorporating irregular verbs into your daily practice

Learning irregular verbs isn’t just about memorization; it’s about integrating them into your everyday English practice. Here are some effective ways to do that!

Read and listen in English regularly

Reading and listening are two of the best ways to naturally expose yourself to irregular verbs. To do this:

• Read books in English
• Read articles in English
• Listen to English podcasts
• Listen to English songs
• Watch movies or series in the original English version

Pay special attention to how irregular verbs are used in context! This will help you not only recognize them but also understand their usage in real-life scenarios.

Practical Exercises: Speaking and Writing

Active practice is essential. Try using the irregular verbs you’ve learned in your daily conversations and writing.

Whether it’s during chats with English-speaking friends, writing in a personal journal in English, or participating in online forums, every opportunity to speak or write should be a chance to practice these verbs!

Tips for Regular Practice

It’s often said that it’s better to practice a little bit of English every day than to study Shakespeare’s language only once a week for two hours. The same rule applies to irregular verbs!

Here are some final tips to help you adjust your training routine:

Set realistic and measurable goals

Define clear and achievable goals for your learning. For example, aim to learn and practice 5 new irregular verbs each week—one verb for each weekday.

Make sure your goals are measurable so you can track your progress. Once a week, test yourself to ensure you’ve memorized the verbs you planned to learn!

Create an immersive learning environment

Immerse yourself in English as much as possible—not just during lessons! For example:

• Change the language settings on your devices (smartphone, computer, etc.) to English.
• Watch all your movies and series in English (goodbye dubbing!).

An immersive environment encourages both passive and active learning, accelerating your familiarity with irregular verbs. It’s a win-win!

Bonus: The 50 most frequently used irregular verbs