Irregular verb
The verb to leap
leap → leapt/leaped → leapt/leaped
B2Meaning: to jump high or a long way · Type: irregular
Key points to remember
- Present Simple:
I/you/we/they leap·he/she/it leaps - Past Simple:
leapt(common in the UK, /lept/) orleaped(common in the US, /liːpt/) - Past participle:
leaptorleaped - -ing form:
leaping
Conjugation of the verb to leap
Present Simple
| I | leap |
| You | leap |
| He / She / It | leaps |
| We | leap |
| You (pl.) | leap |
| They | leap |
Past Simple
| I | leapt / leaped |
| You | leapt / leaped |
| He / She / It | leapt / leaped |
| We | leapt / leaped |
| You (pl.) | leapt / leaped |
| They | leapt / leaped |
All the forms of the verb to leap
Present Simple
Full pageleap / leaps
“The cat leaps onto the table.”
See the pagePresent Continuous
Full pageam / is / are leaping
“I am leaping over the puddle right now.”
See the pagePast Simple
Full pageleapt (UK) / leaped (US)
“He leapt over the fence.”
See the pagePast Continuous
Full pagewas / were leaping
“I was leaping over the puddle when the phone rang.”
See the pagePresent Perfect
Full pagehave / has leapt
“I have already leapt over the puddle.”
See the pagePast Perfect
Full pagehad leapt
“She had already leapt over the puddle when I arrived.”
See the pageFuture Simple
Full pagewill leap
“I will leap over the puddle tomorrow.”
See the pageGoing to Future
Full pageam / is / are going to leap
“I'm going to leap over the puddle this weekend.”
See the pageConditional (would)
Full pagewould leap
“I would leap over the puddle if I had time.”
See the pageHow to use to leap
1. Jumping high or far
- The cat leapt onto the table.
- He leapt out of bed.
2. Jumping over something
Use leap over + the thing you jump over.
- She leapt over the puddle.
3. Expressions
Take a leap of faith means to trust and try something without being sure. A leap year has 366 days.
- Take a leap of faith.
- 2024 was a leap year.
Common mistakes to avoid
1. Leap or jump?
Leap sounds more literary and graceful than jump. A cat leaps onto a wall; a child jumps up and down. In everyday speech, jump is much more common.
2. Look before you leap
A proverb: look before you jump, so think before you act. It means don't do something important too quickly.
What's next?
You can conjugate to leap. Now say it out loud.
This page explained everything. On PLAY, you practise this verb out loud in 3 minutes, until it comes naturally.
Practise to leap on PLAYFree · No sign-up · 3 minutes
For teachersReady-made activities to practise to leap in class
The Academy offers self-marking exercises and progress tracking for each student: your class practises, and you see who has got it and who needs more help.
Discover the Academy30-day free trial · No bank card needed
English contestConjugating to leap is a key skill in the English contest
Every year, the Big Challenge tests the key English verbs. Register your students so they can check their level in a real contest.
Register my students5,000 students every year · Primary and secondary
Frequently asked questions
What is the past simple of leap?+
There are two forms: leapt (British English, said /lept/) and leaped (American English, said /liːpt/). The past participle is the same. Leap → leapt/leaped → leapt/leaped. Like dream (dreamt / dreamed), it has a British and an American form.
How do you pronounce leapt?+
Leapt (UK) is said /lept/, with a short vowel like in bread or head. The vowel is shorter than in leap /liːp/. American English keeps the long vowel: leaped /liːpt/.
What is a leap year?+
A leap year has 366 days, with an extra day: 29 February. It comes every four years. 29 February is called a leap day. 2024 and 2028 are leap years.
What is the difference between leap and jump?+
Jump is the normal, everyday word. Leap means to jump high or far with energy: it sounds more graceful and is more common in books. The dancer leapt across the stage. The kid jumped on the bed. When people speak, jump is more common.
What does take a leap of faith mean?+
Take a leap of faith means to do something without being sure of the result: you accept the unknown and trust the future. People often use it for big, brave choices in life.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/verbs/leap
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.