The verb to smell · Conjugation
Past Simple of smell
The answer: smelled (US) / smelt (UK)
A2
A finished action at a definite time in the past.
Quick answer
The Past Simple of the verb to smell is smelled (US) / smelt (UK).
Example: The kitchen smelled of fresh bread.
Full conjugation in the Past Simple
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| I | smelled / smelt |
| You | smelled / smelt |
| He / She / It | smelled / smelt |
| We | smelled / smelt |
| You (pl.) | smelled / smelt |
| They | smelled / smelt |
Common mistakes to avoid
1. Smelted ❌
There are two correct forms: smelled (preferred in the US) and smelt (preferred in the UK). Don't add -ed to smelt: smelted comes from a different verb, which means to melt metal. Other verbs with two forms: burned / burnt, learned / learnt.
2. It smells nicely ❌
Here smell is a state verb: it describes something. So it takes an adjective: It smells nice ✓, not nicely. It works like look good, taste sweet and feel happy.
3. It smells! means it smells bad
With no adjective, smell often means a bad smell. This smells! means it smells bad. To be clear, add an adjective: smell good or smell bad.
Practice quiz
What's next?
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Frequently asked questions
What is the past tense of smell?+
There are two correct forms: smelled (more common in American English) and smelt (more common in British English). The past participle is the same. Smell → smelled/smelt → smelled/smelt.
Smelled or smelt: which one is British?+
American English prefers smelled (regular). British English prefers smelt (irregular). Both are correct everywhere. Some other verbs also have two forms: burned / burnt, learned / learnt, spelled / spelt.
Is it smells nice or smells nicely?+
Say smells nice. Here smell is a state verb (a verb that describes, not an action), like look, taste and feel. It takes an adjective: The flower smells nice, not nicely.
Is it didn't smell or didn't smelled?+
Say didn't smell: It didn't smell good. After didn't, use the base form → smell.
Does smells fishy mean it smells of fish?+
Not always. Smells fishy is an idiom: it means something seems strange or dishonest. His story smells fishy means his story is hard to believe.
Related pages: smell 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/smell/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 smell are coming soon.