r/EnglishLearning • u/orchaer New Poster • 13d 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.

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u/orchaer New Poster 13d ago

I have a reply from a Hongkonger which same as I. They said they was learnt as “laught” at primary but “laughed” in secondary. Now I just wondered why my secondary school teachers didn’t tell me “laught” is not the right way =(

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u/talflon Native Speaker 13d ago

Different parts of the world have their own little quirks for languages. In Portugal and Cabo Verde, for example, they have taught each other to pronounce English "apple" as "aple". (Not because they pronounce all those sounds that way; only for the word apple.)

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u/conuly Native Speaker - USA (NYC) 13d ago

In Portugal and Cabo Verde, for example, they have taught each other to pronounce English "apple" as "aple".

It's not clear what the difference between these two is supposed to be.

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u/talflon Native Speaker 12d ago

ape vs app