Past Tense of
specify
specified
Regular -ied Conversion
📄 Regular form · -ied Conversion

Base Form Specify

7Letters
3Syllables
2Vowels
5Consonants
SStarts
YEnds

Past Tense Specified

9Letters
3Syllables
4Vowels
5Consonants
SStarts
DEnds

How to Form the Past Tense of "specify"

Verbs ending in a consonant followed by -y change the -y to -ied in the past tense form.

Grammar Tips

  • Change -y to -ied when a consonant precedes it.

Common Mistakes

  • Do not simply add -ed. Change -y to -ied.
Frequently Asked Questions

Is specify regular or irregular?

Specify is regular. It follows the -ied Conversion rule.

How do you use specified in a sentence?

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

Does specified change in negative sentences?

No. Use "did not specify" (not "did not specified").

About the past tense of specify

The verb specify follows the standard English past tense conjugation rule. When forming the past tense, specify becomes specified. This follows the -ied Conversion pattern, which is one of the most common conjugation rules in English.

Understanding why specify becomes specified helps with spelling and pronunciation. Verbs ending in a consonant followed by -y change the -y to -ied in the past tense form.

When using specified 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 specified to the store." The past tense form does not change based on the subject — I specified, you specified, he/she specified, we specified, they specified.