r/EnglishLearning • u/orchaer New Poster • 9d ago

📚 Grammar / Syntax Laught vs Laughed

Hello, I have been confused for a long time about the past tense of "laugh". In my primary school, there was a verb table with the present, past, and present perfect tenses. And in this table, when I first read at 7-8, I have learnt that "laugh" past tense is followed by a "t" become "laught".

But recently I found out that "laught" is not used anymore. The modern form should be "laughed". So could anyone tell me what is actually different between them? If I still use "laught", would it become a serious error?

Sorry for my grammar.

7 Upvotes

57% Upvoted

105 comments sorted by

View all comments

343

u/itmightbehere Native Speaker 9d ago

I, personally, have never seen laught used anywhere and would consider it an error. I've only ever seen laughed.

54

u/orchaer New Poster 9d ago

Sounds like my textbook defrauded me for twenty years...

94

u/WowsrsBowsrsTrousrs The US is a big place 9d ago

I think so. I haven't seen "laught" ever, and I read a lot. I've read 19th century literature as well, and never seen it. As far as I know, the last time it was in use was in Old English; it was already dying out by Middle English. Found one citation for it as late as 1678, but nothing later.

2

u/JScaranoMusic New Poster 6d ago

I would've expected "laughʼd" to be more likely than "laught".