Pleaded or Pled

Leto Degeneres

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I keep looking at that earlier thread "He pleaded guilty" and it grates a little. I think either form is correct for the past tense, but anyone know of a preference for "pleaded" or "pled"?
 
I keep looking at that earlier thread "He pleaded guilty" and it grates a little. I think either form is correct for the past tense, but anyone know of a preference for "pleaded" or "pled"?

"He pled for her mouth on his cock."

"She pled for a second orgasm. And then a third..."


For some reason, the only time the other form works for me is as a speach indicator; "Oh darling, can't you just undress quickly?" she pleaded.
 
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I keep looking at that earlier thread "He pleaded guilty" and it grates a little. I think either form is correct for the past tense, but anyone know of a preference for "pleaded" or "pled"?

I always thought "plead" was correct for present or past tense.

"Pleaded" is more of a legal term than a linguistic term, although I'm sure there are differing views on that.
 
I keep looking at that earlier thread "He pleaded guilty" and it grates a little. I think either form is correct for the past tense, but anyone know of a preference for "pleaded" or "pled"?

The law prefers pleaded, but I've heard both.
 
Either, but "pleaded" is preferred by Webster's (the dictionary is your friend).
 
Either, but "pleaded" is preferred by Webster's (the dictionary is your friend).

The dictionary is what got me into this quandry! I would have been happy to let the whole thing go but it didn't ring.

Anyway, I could swear I've heard, often, "He pled guilty". Courts don't seem to help much because they seem to avoid the issue. "How do you plead" - "not guilty" - "let the record show that the defendant entered a plea of not guilty".

I'm kind of drifting towards Stella's take on this. I think I'd go with what sounded right. "Pled" sounds right to me. The only problem with it is that it doesn't LOOK right.

Weird word...
 
I keep looking at that earlier thread "He pleaded guilty" and it grates a little. I think either form is correct for the past tense, but anyone know of a preference for "pleaded" or "pled"?

He pled guilty.

She pleaded for leniency.

News anchors all say 'pleaded', so it must be right. :D
 
I have the same problem with 'learned' and 'learnt'. I always go with 'she learned', it's a much more elegant sounding and looking word. 'she learnt' always makes me think of the 'she should of' *shudder* school of English. And that's another one, the number of people who send me reports to type, who actually use the phrase 'she should of' where they mean 'she should have'.......drives me completely insane, especially when the perpetrators can't see what's wrong.

Aaargghhhhhhhhhhh.
 
I have the same problem with 'learned' and 'learnt'. I always go with 'she learned', it's a much more elegant sounding and looking word. 'she learnt' always makes me think of the 'she should of' *shudder* school of English. And that's another one, the number of people who send me reports to type, who actually use the phrase 'she should of' where they mean 'she should have'.......drives me completely insane, especially when the perpetrators can't see what's wrong.

Aaargghhhhhhhhhhh.


Ah, yes. "Learnt" sticks out in a line for me because I'm trained in American English. As time goes by it's becoming easier to adjust for. I have a similar problem with the Commonwealth term for "ass". "Arse" just doesn't hit me the same way. Again, I'm learning to adjust. Before long I won't be able to spell anything right!

"Should of" - shudder! woulda, shoulda, coulda ;)
 
The dictionary is what got me into this quandry! I would have been happy to let the whole thing go but it didn't ring.

Anyway, I could swear I've heard, often, "He pled guilty". Courts don't seem to help much because they seem to avoid the issue. "How do you plead" - "not guilty" - "let the record show that the defendant entered a plea of not guilty".

I'm kind of drifting towards Stella's take on this. I think I'd go with what sounded right. "Pled" sounds right to me. The only problem with it is that it doesn't LOOK right.

Weird word...


You can use either one, as you like. If you really want to lean in one direction in published works, the industry makes that pretty easy for you. Webster's Collegiate is the dictionary of choice (currently the 11th edition), and the first listed option is the spelling given preference. Not much hard about that--and you don't have to hem and haw and weigh all of the opinions based on anything running from daily personal preference of just anybody to the alignment of the stars to someone's Aunt Matilda's hairdresser's opinion.
 
...Not much hard about that--and you don't have to hem and haw and weigh all of the opinions based on anything running from daily personal preference of just anybody to the alignment of the stars to someone's Aunt Matilda's hairdresser's opinion.

I am so busted! No wonder I'm not getting anything accomplished. That's okay, though; you gave me a grin. Nice wording there.
 
I always thought it was "plen". E.G. "She plen for her life."
 
In the UK the gold standard in dictionaries are the Oxfords - there is a whole clan of them. My Oxford Dictionary of English, 2nd Ed revised 2005, says the following:

PLEAD > verb. Past and past participle PLEADED (or N. Amer., Scottish, or dialect PLED.)

Hope that clarifies things.
 
I wonder if the problem isnt one of mixing Latin words with Anglo Saxon syntax. Like using metric tools on American stuff.
 
Did a google and this is what I found on "Pleaded" vs. "Pled"

Both "pleaded'' and "pled'' (sometimes spelled "plead'') are correct past tense forms of "plead.'' They are also both used as the past participle of "plead.''


"Plead'' belongs to the same class of verbs as "bleed,'' "speed,'' "read,'' and "feed.'' As with those verbs, the past and past participle of "plead'' are formed irregularly with a short vowel sound "e'' replacing the long vowel sound "e'' of the present tense "plead.'' "Pled'' parallels the past and past participles "bled,'' "led,'' "sped,'' "read,'' and "fed.''


Competing with the short-vowel form "pled'' from the beginning however, was the regular form "plead.'' "Pleaded'' eventually predominated in mainstream British English, while "pled'' retreated into dialect and especially Scottish dialect use. Through Scottish immigration or some other means, "pled'' reached America.


In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many American language commentators attacked "pled,'' perhaps because it was not in good British use. "Pled'' steadily gained respectability, however, and today "pled'' and "pleaded'' are equally acceptable in American English.
 
Did a google and this is what I found on "Pleaded" vs. "Pled"

...Competing with the short-vowel form "pled'' from the beginning however, was the regular form "plead.'' "Pleaded'' eventually predominated in mainstream British English, while "pled'' retreated into dialect and especially Scottish dialect use. Through Scottish immigration or some other means, "pled'' reached America.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many American language commentators attacked "pled,'' perhaps because it was not in good British use. "Pled'' steadily gained respectability, however, and today "pled'' and "pleaded'' are equally acceptable in American English.

That's fascinating. I wouldn't have guessed. Scottish immigration...

I'm glad you found that. :)
 
I keep looking at that earlier thread "He pleaded guilty" and it grates a little. I think either form is correct for the past tense, but anyone know of a preference for "pleaded" or "pled"?

He done admitted he did done it?
 
I have the same problem with 'learned' and 'learnt'. I always go with 'she learned', it's a much more elegant sounding and looking word. 'she learnt' always makes me think of the 'she should of' *shudder* school of English. And that's another one, the number of people who send me reports to type, who actually use the phrase 'she should of' where they mean 'she should have'.......drives me completely insane, especially when the perpetrators can't see what's wrong.

Aaargghhhhhhhhhhh.

Learnt is a noun, learned is a past-tense verb.

The learnt and the unlearnt.

I learned a new word today.
 
Learnt is a noun, learned is a past-tense verb.

The learnt and the unlearnt.

I learned a new word today.

"Learnt" is British English (and is just as past and past participal as "learned" is) and "learned" is American English. That's the only difference.
 
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