Past Tense of
fail
failed
Regular Standard -ed
📄 Regular form · Standard -ed

Base Form Fail

4Letters
1Syllables
2Vowels
2Consonants
FStarts
LEnds

Past Tense Failed

6Letters
2Syllables
3Vowels
3Consonants
FStarts
DEnds

How to Form the Past Tense of "fail"

This verb follows the standard English past tense rule: simply add -ed to the base form.

Grammar Tips

  • Add -ed to form the past tense. Most common rule.

Common Mistakes

  • Do not forget the -ed: "Yesterday I fail" should be "failed."
Frequently Asked Questions

Is fail regular or irregular?

Fail is regular. It follows the Standard -ed rule.

How do you use failed in a sentence?

Use past time markers: "Yesterday, she failed to the store."

Does failed change in negative sentences?

No. Use "did not fail" (not "did not failed").

About the past tense of fail

The verb fail follows the standard English past tense conjugation rule. When forming the past tense, fail becomes failed. This follows the Standard -ed pattern, which is one of the most common conjugation rules in English.

Understanding why fail becomes failed helps with spelling and pronunciation. This verb follows the standard English past tense rule: simply add -ed to the base form.

When using failed in writing, remember that it functions as a past tense verb and typically appears with time markers like yesterday, last week, or ago. For example: "Yesterday, she failed to the store." The past tense form does not change based on the subject — I failed, you failed, he/she failed, we failed, they failed.