Learnt vs Learned

[chepyl]

I have never Ised the word learnt; to me, it sounds awful! I just received and email from reading Eggs saying my child had learnt the following...

 

It was something corrected in spoken English in elementary school. Learnt was incorrect, learned was correct.

 

What does everyone else think, what were you taught?

[AK_Mom4]

I was taught that "learnt" was not generally used in American English as an adjective or participle, but is fairly common in other places.

 

Not wrong, just not used much.

[ravinlunachick]

I was taught that learnt was ignorant and incorrect, and that the only people who used it were the same ones who said fir when they meant for. As I've gotten older and met more people from other English speaking countries, I've realized it's perfectly acceptable. I probably won't ever use it, but I enjoy seeing it in print. I do fancy the word "whilst" as well. :)

[chepyl]

I was taught that learnt was ignorant and incorrect, and that the only people who used it were the same ones who said fir when they meant for. As I've gotten older and met more people from other English speaking countries, I've realized it's perfectly acceptable. I probably won't ever use it, but I enjoy seeing it in print. I do fancy the word "whilst" as well. :)

 

That is basically what I was taught. I looked it up online and found that it is more common elsewhere, but not in the US.

[gardenmom5]

I believe learnt is british english (I've seen it alot from british authors), and learned is american english.

[Guest submarines]

I believe learnt is british english (I've seen it alot from british authors), and learned is american english.

 

:iagree: This is what I learnt when I started learning English as a second language. My textbook was British. Then I learned that everyone said / wrote "learned." :tongue_smilie:

[JeneralMom]

It's kind of like leapt/leaped. The one thing that bugs me about SOTW audio is when JW drags out leeeeeaped, because it sounds do wrong. It should be leapt. I think that may be a US versus other English countries thing. I was always told it was leapt (in Canada).

[ereks mom]

I've seen "learnt" many, many times in British literature. I just took it as the British way of saying/spelling "learned".

[nukeswife]

I was taught to use "Learned" but to answer another poster I use leapt, I think Leaped just sounds wrong.

[eternalknot]

:iagree: This is what I learnt when I started learning English as a second language. My textbook was British. Then I learned that everyone said / wrote "learned." :tongue_smilie:

 

I was taught learnt/whilst.

 

I have no idea where my books were from, but apparently it wasn't the US!

 

I have no clue which I use in normal writing or speech, and now I'm looking for an excuse to say learnt/learned in context so I can know :tongue_smilie:

[Laura Corin]

'I learned to play the recorder.'

'I have learnt to play the recorder.'

 

I don't know if this is standard Brit.

 

Laura

[Isabella]

Learnt is common in Australia. Leapt is also normal, but I have to say when I write the word it doesn't look quite right, so I'm thinking we might 'say' it more than we would 'write' it! We pronounce Leapt as 'lept', while Leaped is the normal 'leeped'.