Is there a difference between burnt and burned in English?

Is there a difference between burnt and burned in English?

Only American English makes a distinction between the two. In other varieties of English, burnt and burned are both perfectly acceptable for the past tense of burn. It wasn’t always that way. Before the sixteenth century, burned was the only form.

Can you use burnt in the past tense?

Don’t get burned by the past tense of ‘burn’. Both burned and burnt are acceptable forms of burn. Both words can be used as adjectives, such as ‘burnt toast’ or ‘burned toast,’ and both are acceptable as the past tense, although ‘burned’ is more common in American English.

What happens to your body when you get a burn?

Burns damage the skin’s protective barrier, meaning bacteria and other foreign invaders can sneak in. Burns also weaken the immune system, so the body is less able to fight off threats.

Which is the correct form burnt or burned?

Usual or not, though, both burnt and burned are acceptable forms. There was a time, by the way, when brent was a legitimate past tense too. That form seems to have peaked in the 1500s, but if you want to throw it into conversation just for fun we won’t criticize.

Only American English makes a distinction between the two. In other varieties of English, burnt and burned are both perfectly acceptable for the past tense of burn. It wasn’t always that way. Before the sixteenth century, burned was the only form.

Burns damage the skin’s protective barrier, meaning bacteria and other foreign invaders can sneak in. Burns also weaken the immune system, so the body is less able to fight off threats.

Don’t get burned by the past tense of ‘burn’. Both burned and burnt are acceptable forms of burn. Both words can be used as adjectives, such as ‘burnt toast’ or ‘burned toast,’ and both are acceptable as the past tense, although ‘burned’ is more common in American English.

Usual or not, though, both burnt and burned are acceptable forms. There was a time, by the way, when brent was a legitimate past tense too. That form seems to have peaked in the 1500s, but if you want to throw it into conversation just for fun we won’t criticize.