The verb to leap · Conjugation
Past Simple of leap
The answer: leapt (UK) / leaped (US)
A2
A finished action at a definite time in the past.
Quick answer
The Past Simple of the verb to leap is leapt (UK) / leaped (US).
Example: He leapt over the fence.
Full conjugation in the Past Simple
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| I | leapt / leaped |
| You | leapt / leaped |
| He / She / It | leapt / leaped |
| We | leapt / leaped |
| You (pl.) | leapt / leaped |
| They | leapt / leaped |
Common mistakes to avoid
1. Leapt (UK) or leaped (US)
In the UK, leapt /lept/ is common (irregular). In the US, leaped /liːpt/ is common (regular). Both are correct.
2. Leapt said /liːpt/ ❌
In leapt, the vowel is short: /lept/. Leap /liːp/ → leapt /lept/, like dream → dreamt and mean → meant. Only leaped keeps the long vowel /iː/.
3. Leap year
A leap year has 366 days. The name really comes from a jump: because of 29 February, the dates after it move forward two days of the week instead of one. They leap over a day.
Practice quiz
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Frequently asked questions
What is the past tense 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.
How do you pronounce leapt?+
Leapt is said /lept/, with a short vowel like in bread. The vowel changes: leap /liːp/ → leapt /lept/. The same happens with dream → dreamt /dremt/ and mean → meant /ment/.
What does leap year mean?+
A leap year is a year with 29 February (366 days). Leap day is 29 February. 2024 was a leap year.
Is it didn't leap or didn't leapt?+
Say didn't leap: He didn't leap over the wall. After didn't, the verb goes back to its base form (leap, not leapt).
What does leap of faith mean?+
A leap of faith is when you do something without being sure it will work: you trust and you try. Take a leap of faith means to try something new even if you have doubts.
Related pages: leap Past Simple
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
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/past-simple
© 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.
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More forms of the verb to leap are coming soon.