Learnt vs. Learned: Why They're Both Correct

Main Learnt vs. Learned Takeaways:

Both learnt and learned are acceptable forms of the verb learn in past participle and past tense.
Learnt is more common outside of North America, especially in British English.
Wherever you are, when used as an adjective, only learnedis correct.
Sometimes learned is used as an adjective, but learnt is always a verb.

She learned all the words to the song in less than an hour.

She learnt all the words to the song in less than an hour.

His grandmother was a very learned woman and an accomplished researcher.

Unfortunately, sometimes hate is a learned behavior.

What’s the Meaning of Learned?

As a verb, learned means that you completed the process of acquiring or retaining knowledge. It’s how we conjugate the verb learn in both past tense and past participle. However, as an adjective, learned describes a knowledgeable or well-educated person. You also pronounce learned differently depending on whether you use it as a noun or a verb. For example, learned the verb sounds more like one syllable while learned the adjective sounds more like two.

learnt vs. learbed: Learnt and learned are both past participle of the verb learn. — Learnt and learned are both the past participle and past tense of the verb learn. Learnt is the preferred spelling in countries that use British English. Meanwhile, learned is commonly used in the U.S. and Canada.

Let’s dig a bit deeper into this difference in pronunciation.

You don’t fully pronounce the second “e” when you use learned in reference to information previously acquired. You know you’re saying the verb correctly when the word sounds more like it only has one syllable.

Here are some examples of when you would use this pronunciation of learned:

I learned how to ride a bike when I was eight years old.

Keeping your elbows off the table while you eat is learned behavior.

Conversely, you emphasize the second “e” when you use learned as an adjective to describe a person. You know you’re saying the adjective correctly when the word sounds more like two distinct syllables.

Here’s an example of when to use this pronunciation of learned:

Don spent so much time reading encyclopedias as as a child that he became quite the learned young man.

Learneddefinition:(verb) knowledge gained by personal experience or formal studies

Learntdefinition:(verb) knowledge gained by personal experience or formal studies

Learned definition:(adjective) scholarly; demonstrating, requiring, or characterized by learning

Learnt vs. Learned: Which one is Correct?

As a verb,both learned and learnt are correct. They both mean that you completed the process of acquiring or retaining knowledge. And, they are both accepted ways of conjugating the verb learn in past tense and past participle. Learnt is exactly the same thing, just the more common way of spelling the verb outside of North America. However, as an adjective, learned describes a knowledgeable or well-educated person. When used this way, only learned is correct, no matter your location. In short, you cannot use learnt as an adjective.

At the end of the day, you can typically use learnt or learned in a sentence without introducing a grammatical error. The only difference is that learned is more common in the U.S. and Canada, while learnt is often preferred outside of North America.

An American and British talking. The American is saying learned, while the Brit is saying learnt. There's a text that reads: As a past tense verb, both learned and learnt are correct. As an adjective, only learned is correct. — “Learned” is the only acceptable spelling when you want to use it as an adjective.

Interestingly, the -ed variant for past tense verbs is becoming more common in British English. That means learned may eventually replace learnt as the preferred spelling for English speakers in countries that use British English.

When used as verbs that indicate the past tense of learn, learnt and learned are interchangeable. But, you cannot use learnt as an adjective, as this function is reserved for learned.

How do you use Learnt in a Sentence?

You can use learnt any time you need the past tense of the verb learn. Let’s review some examples of learnt and learned in sentences.

After burning her wrist, Laylalearnedher lesson about cooking without an oven mitt.

Janoslearntthe material quickly, even though he was absent last week.

Michellelearnedhow to drive after just one month of practice.

Paullearnthow to build a deck by watching his father.

Lilianlearnedhow to cook after seeing a tutorial on YouTube.

Ricolearntthe multiplication table in less than a week.

In the sentences above, learned and learnt are interchangeable words. However, it’s important to remember you can only use learned as an adjective, not learnt.

You may have heard of learned behavior or learned attitude.

Her messiness was a learned behavior.

Her messiness was a learnt behavior.

Being messy is something shelearnedfrom her mom.

You can’t go wrong using learnt vs. learned as a verb, regardless of your location. Learnt is more common outside of North America, but it’s still an acceptable word for U.S. and Canadian speakers. You can even use it in Scrabble!

Test Your Learnt vs. Learned Skills With This Quick Quiz

Learnt vs. Learned Question #1

"Learned" and "learnt" mean the same thing in a sentence.

True

False

Correct! Wrong!

The answer is TRUE. Both words function as the past participle and past tense of the verb "learn."

Learnt or Learned Question #2

A. Noun

B. Verb

C. Adjective

D. Adverb

Correct! Wrong!

The answer is B. “Learnt” is a verb that references a previous process of acquiring or retaining knowledge.

Learnt Question #3

A. Learnt can act as an adjective in a sentence.

B. Both learnt and learned are grammatically correct.

C. Learned is commonly used in the U.S. and Canada.

Correct! Wrong!

The answer is A. You can only use learned as an adjective in a sentence.

Learned Question #4

Which of these sentences is grammatically incorrect?

A. Jane learned how to play the piano within a month.

B. Jane learnt how to play the piano within a month.

C. Playing the piano is a learnt skill.

D. Playing the piano is a learned skill.

Correct! Wrong!

The answer is C. You can only use “learnt” as a verb, but not as an adjective.

Learnt vs. Learned: Why They're Both Correct

What’s the Meaning of Learned?

Learnt vs. Learned: Which one is Correct?

How do you use Learnt in a Sentence?