Irregular verb
The verb to spill
spill → spilled/spilt → spilled/spilt
B2Meaning: to let a liquid fall by accident · Type: irregular
Key points to remember
- Present Simple:
I/you/we/they spill·he/she/it spills - Past Simple:
spilled(US) orspilt(UK) - Past participle:
spilled(US) orspilt(UK) - -ing form:
spilling
Conjugation of the verb to spill
Present Simple
| I | spill |
| You | spill |
| He / She / It | spills |
| We | spill |
| You (pl.) | spill |
| They | spill |
Past Simple
| I | spilled / spilt |
| You | spilled / spilt |
| He / She / It | spilled / spilt |
| We | spilled / spilt |
| You (pl.) | spilled / spilt |
| They | spilled / spilt |
All the forms of the verb to spill
Present Simple
Full pagespill / spills
“Don't spill the milk!”
See the pagePresent Continuous
Full pageam / is / are spilling
“I am spilling the milk right now.”
See the pagePast Simple
Full pagespilled (US) / spilt (UK)
“He spilled coffee on his shirt.”
See the pagePast Continuous
Full pagewas / were spilling
“I was spilling the milk when the phone rang.”
See the pagePresent Perfect
Full pagehave / has spilled
“I have already spilled the milk.”
See the pagePast Perfect
Full pagehad spilled
“She had already spilled the milk when I arrived.”
See the pageFuture Simple
Full pagewill spill
“I will spill the milk tomorrow.”
See the pageGoing to Future
Full pageam / is / are going to spill
“I'm going to spill the milk this weekend.”
See the pageConditional (would)
Full pagewould spill
“I would spill the milk if I had time.”
See the pageHow to use to spill
1. Spilling a liquid
- He spilled coffee on the carpet.
- Be careful not to spill the soup.
2. Spill the beans / spill the tea
Spill the beans means to tell a secret. Spill the tea (slang) means to share gossip.
- Come on, spill the beans!
- Spill the tea, girl!
3. Spill as a noun: an oil spill
An oil spill is oil that escapes into the sea and pollutes it.
- The oil spill polluted the coast.
Common mistakes to avoid
1. Spill is only for liquids ❌
Spill is mostly for liquids (water, coffee, juice), but you can also spill small things that fall out of a bag or a box: I spilled the sugar on the table.
2. Don't cry over spilling milk ❌
The idiom is Don't cry over spilt milk (UK) or spilled milk (US). It means: don't be sad about something that has already happened and that you can't change.
What's next?
You can conjugate to spill. Now say it out loud.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the past simple of spill?+
There are two correct forms: spilled (US) and spilt (UK). The past participle is the same. Spill → spilled/spilt → spilled/spilt. Other verbs have two forms too: burned/burnt, smelled/smelt, spelled/spelt.
What does spill the beans mean?+
Spill the beans is a classic English idiom (a fixed expression with its own meaning). It means to tell a secret. Nobody knows where it comes from. People often tell a story about a vote with beans in ancient Greece, but there is no proof.
Is spill the tea new slang?+
Yes! Spill the tea is recent slang, made popular by drag culture and the internet. It means to share gossip (exciting stories about other people). What's the tea? means what's the latest gossip?
What is an oil spill?+
An oil spill is when oil escapes into the sea, for example from a ship, and pollutes the water and the coast. The oil spill polluted the coast. A famous example is the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
What is the difference between spill and pour?+
Spill means to let a liquid fall by accident. Pour means to make a liquid go into something on purpose, for example into a cup. I spilled my coffee (an accident). I poured myself a coffee (on purpose). They are two different verbs.
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/spill
© 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.