The verb to wind · Conjugation
Past Simple of wind
The answer: wound
A2
A finished action at a definite time in the past.
Quick answer
The Past Simple of the verb to wind is wound.
Example: She wound the rope around the tree.
Full conjugation in the Past Simple
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| I | wound |
| You | wound |
| He / She / It | wound |
| We | wound |
| You (pl.) | wound |
| They | wound |
Common mistakes to avoid
1. Wind /wɪnd/ (noun) or wind /waɪnd/ (verb)
Same spelling, two pronunciations. Wind /wɪnd/ = moving air. Wind /waɪnd/ = to wrap or to turn. When you read aloud, look at the whole sentence to choose the right sound.
2. Wound /waʊnd/ (verb) or wound /wuːnd/ (noun)
Another pair of homographs. Wound /waʊnd/ = the past of wind (wrapped, turned). Wound /wuːnd/ = an injury. The meaning and the sound are different.
3. She winded the rope ❌
Wind /waɪnd/ is irregular: its past is wound, not winded (winded is a different word: out of breath). It follows the same pattern as find → found, bind → bound and grind → ground.
Practice quiz
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Frequently asked questions
What is the past tense of wind?+
The Past Simple of wind /waɪnd/ is wound (said /waʊnd/). The past participle is also wound. Wind → wound → wound. It belongs to the same family as find → found, bind → bound and grind → ground.
Is wind pronounced /wɪnd/ or /waɪnd/?+
Both, because they are two different words. Wind /wɪnd/ is the noun (moving air). Wind /waɪnd/ is the verb (to wrap, to turn). Same spelling, different sounds: The wind blew /wɪnd/, I wind the clock /waɪnd/.
Is wound pronounced /waʊnd/ or /wuːnd/?+
It depends on the word. Wound /waʊnd/ is the past of wind: She wound the thread around her finger. Wound /wuːnd/ is a noun that means an injury: He has a wound on his arm. Same spelling, different sounds.
Is it didn't wind or didn't wound?+
Say didn't wind: I didn't wind the clock. After didn't, the verb goes back to its base form (wind, not wound).
What does wind up mean?+
Wind up can mean (1) to end up somewhere: I wound up in London (I was in London in the end, without a plan). (2) to turn a key to make something work: wind up a watch. (3) in informal British English, to annoy or tease someone: He's winding me up.
Related pages: wind 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/wind/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 wind are coming soon.