Brooke Martin
Lit and lighted are both acceptable past-tense forms of the verb to light and can be used interchangeably. Lit is an irregular verb formed by changing the spelling of the word, while lighted is a regular verb formed by adding -ed to the end. Lit is more commonly used than lighted in both British and American English, and using lit will likely make your writing sound more natural. For example, you could say, I lit a candle, or The candle was lit when I walked in.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Past tense of the verb "to light" | "lit" and "lighted" |
| More commonly used | "lit" |
| Used as an adjective | "lit" and "lighted" |
| More commonly used as an adjective | "lighted" |
| Used in Shakespeare | "lighted" |
| Used in Anne Rice's "The Witching Hour" | "lighted" |
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What You'll Learn
Lighted and lit are interchangeable
The verb "light" has two different past tense forms: "lit" and "lighted". Both forms are interchangeable and correct, although "lit" is more commonly used in modern language. "Lighted" is the regular past-tense form, formed by adding "-ed" to the end of the verb "light", whereas "lit" is the irregular form, where the spelling changes.
"Lit" is more commonly used as a verb, whereas "lighted" is more commonly used as an adjective. For example, "I lit a candle" and "I entered a lighted hallway" both sound more natural than their alternatives. However, "lighted" can also be used as a verb, for example, "I lighted a candle" with a match.
"Lighted" is considered slightly more formal and historically more common as a past participle, but both are widely accepted. "Lit" is more likely to sound natural to your readers, and it is more commonly used in British and American English.
"Lit" has also become a slang term, for example, "That party was lit!". This may have influenced the popularity of the word "lit" over "lighted".
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Lit is more commonly used
The verb "light" has two past tense forms: "lit" and "lighted". Both forms are acceptable, but "lit" is more commonly used. This is an unusual case, as "lighted" used to be the more popular adjective, but around the year 1900, people switched back to using "lit", and it has remained the more popular form since.
"Lit" is now much more common than "lighted" in both British and American English. This may be due in part to the slang use of "lit" to mean "intoxicated", "exciting", or "fun". However, the increased use of "lit" predates this slang by at least a decade.
In the sentence "I lit a candle", "lit" is the past tense of the verb "to light". It describes the action of igniting the candle. "Lighted" can also be used in this context, but it is less commonly used and may sound strange to some people.
As an adjective, "lighted" is more commonly used. For example, a "lighted hallway" or "lighted boots" refer to places where light is being shone. On the other hand, a "lit hallway" or a "lit candle" refer to places or objects that are producing light.
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Lighted is more commonly used as an adjective
The verb "light" has two past-tense forms: "lit" and "lighted". Both forms are acceptable, but “lit” is more commonly used in modern English.
However, when used as an adjective, "lighted" is more common. According to a Google Ngram search, which examines the frequency of words in published books, "lighted" was historically more prevalent as an adjective. While "lit" has become more popular over time due to its use as a slang term ("That party was lit!"), "lighted" is still the preferred adjective in certain contexts.
For example, "lighted" is often used to describe something that has light shone upon it, such as a path illuminated by streetlamps or a spotlighted stage. In contrast, "lit" is typically used to describe something that produces light or is on fire, such as a torch, fireplace, or marquee.
Therefore, while "lit" is generally more common as the past tense of "light," "lighted" remains the preferred adjective in certain situations, particularly when referring to something illuminated by an external light source.
To illustrate, consider the following sentences: "I lit a candle and lighted my path with it" or "The stage was spotlit, and the actors' faces were illuminated." In these examples, "lit" is used when something is ignited or emitting light, while "lighted" describes something illuminated by an external light source.
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Lit is an irregular verb
The verb "light" has two past tense forms: "lit" and "lighted". Both forms are acceptable, but "lit" is an irregular verb because it forms the past tense by changing its spelling rather than simply adding "-ed" to the end.
Historically, people used the irregular verb "lit" to describe the act of lighting a candle. Over time, the verb became regular, and people started saying "lighted" instead. However, around the year 1900, people switched back to using "lit", which is now the more common form.
The word "lit" has also become a slang term, often used to describe something exciting or enjoyable, as in "That party was lit!". This usage may have influenced the increased usage of "lit" over "lighted".
In certain contexts, "lighted" may sound more natural. For example, when referring to something that has light shone upon it, such as "a lighted path" or "a lighted stage". Additionally, when used as an adjective, "lighted" is more commonly used, as in "a lighted match".
In summary, while both "lit" and "lighted" are acceptable past tense forms of the verb "to light", "lit" is more commonly used and is considered an irregular verb due to its unique spelling change in the past tense.
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Lighted is a regular verb
The verb "light" has two different past tense forms: "lit" and "lighted". Both forms are acceptable, but "lit" is more commonly used and will likely sound more natural to readers.
"Lighted" is the regular verb form of "light" because it becomes past tense by adding "-ed" to the end of the word. "Lit," on the other hand, is an irregular verb because it becomes past tense by changing the spelling rather than simply adding "-ed."
Historically, the use of "lighted" and "lit" has shifted over time. Long ago, people used the irregular form "lit", but it later moved towards becoming a regular verb, with people saying "lighted." However, around the year 1900, there was a shift back to using "lit" as the past tense, which remains the more common form today.
Both "lit" and "lighted" can also be used as adjectives. For example, one can say "a lit hallway" or "a lighted hallway." According to a Google Ngram search, "lighted" used to be more common as an adjective, but "lit" has become more prevalent over time.
In certain contexts, one form may sound more natural than the other. For example, "I lit a candle" is more commonly used than "I lighted a candle." However, when referring to something that has light shone upon it, "lighted" may be more appropriate. For instance, "a lighted path" or "a lighted stage." Ultimately, the choice between "lit" and "lighted" depends on personal preference and context, as both forms are grammatically correct.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, 'lit' is the correct past tense of the verb 'to light' in this context.
Yes, 'lighted' is also considered correct as a past tense form of 'to light'. However, ''lit' is more commonly used and preferred by many.
Yes, both forms are interchangeable and can be used as adjectives or verbs. However, ''lighted' is more commonly used as an adjective, as in "a lighted hallway".
No, there are instances where ''lighted' is preferred. For example, when referring to a fixture, like a lamp, 'lighted' is used: "He lighted the lamp".
Examples of 'lit' in a sentence: "I lit a candle", "The candle was lit", "The moon is a sun-lit object".
Examples of 'lighted' in a sentence: "The woman lighted the candle", "The stage was lighted", ''The path was lighted by streetlamps'.
