Dream (irregular verb)
From Hull AWE
'To dream' is an irregular verb. Its forms are given here:
| Base form | past tense | -ed participle | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| dream | dreamt or dreamed See also Dreamt - dreamed |
dreamt or dreamed See also Dreamt - dreamed |
The 'regular variant' of Class 2 Dreamt is 'esp[ecially] in British English' dreamed 'esp in American English' |
- This is one of the "the 250 or so irregular verbs" listed in Quirk 1985. The list "contains most of the irregular verbs in present-day English ... but is not meant to be exhaustive, particularly with regard to derivative verbs." AWE has copied most of the entries in that list. The verb 'to dream' belongs to Quirk's Class 3 A
- Although the base vowel (used in dream and dreamed) is '-EE-', IPA: /iː/, the past form dreamt is pronounced with the vowel of 'left' and 'then', IPA: /ɛ/. It is often realised with a '-p-' between the '-m-' and the '-t', caused by the change from one consonant to another (IPA: /drɛmpt/): it is a mistake to write it
dreampt. - You may also want to see Dreamt - dreamed.
- Although the base vowel (used in dream and dreamed) is '-EE-', IPA: /iː/, the past form dreamt is pronounced with the vowel of 'left' and 'then', IPA: /ɛ/. It is often realised with a '-p-' between the '-m-' and the '-t', caused by the change from one consonant to another (IPA: /drɛmpt/): it is a mistake to write it
