Led and lead in a sentence for each word

What’s the Difference Between Led and Lead?

These two words can confuse people because they deal with the same verb. Led is the past tense of the verb lead. In addition to that, lead can also be a noun or adjective.

Because these two words are used for different tenses, they can never be interchanged.

Lead, as a verb, is the opposite of the word follow. It means to go first or to act as a guide. It is the present tense form, and rhymes with seed or feed.

As a noun, lead can mean the first position or a dog’s leash. For both of these meanings, it also rhymes with seed.

Lead can also mean a type of metal. It is the metal labeled Pb on the periodic table of elements. When used in this way, it rhymes with bed or said.

Finally, as an adjective, lead means in the first position.

• Where you lead, I will follow. (verb)
• The race has just begun, and Dasher On the Rampage is in the lead! (noun meaning first position)
• Where is the lead? I want to take the dogs on a walk. (noun meaning dog leash)
• There is lead in the water. It is too dangerous to drink. (noun meaning the metal)
• She is the lead dancer in the play. (adjective)

Led is the past tense form of the verb lead. It rhymes with the word bed or said.

• Harriet Tubman led many slaves to freedom in the mid 1800’s.

It can be hard to remember how to pronounce all the meanings of lead and led.

Let’s practice a few ways you can use these words in your sentences.

Using Lead in a Sentence

When to use lead: Lead can be a verb and mean to go first to show others the way.

It can also be a noun and mean the foremost position, a tool to control a dog while walking, or a soft metal.

Lastly, it can be an adjective and mean first or most important.

For all of these definitions it has a long e sound like in the words bead or creed, with the exception of the metal. The metal is pronounced with a short e sound like red or bled.

For example,

• The tour guide leads tourists through the jungle and points out interesting animals and plants. (verb)
• I bet on greyhound number 3. I’m going to win, because he’s in the lead! (noun)
• My lead broke so my dog escaped and ran around for an hour before I could catch her. (noun)
• Many people believe pencils are made from lead. However, they are actually made from graphite. (noun)
• The lead singer is sick so she won’t appear in tonight’s concert. The fans are all disappointed. (adjective)

Although it might seem overwhelming to remember which of the definitions is pronounced which way, just remember only the metal has the short e sound.

Phrases That Use Lead

There are several common expressions using lead.

• lead up to: preceding something.
  • There were many events leading up to the war.
• Lead the way: Go first so that others may follow.
  • Fine, if you really want us to enter the haunted house we will. Lead the way.
• Lead to: result in
  • Exercising leads to a healthier body.

In both expressions lead has the verb form and, therefore, has the long e pronunciation.

Using Led in a Sentence

When to use led: Led is the past tense and past participle of the verb to lead. It has the short e sound.

For example,

• The quarterback led the football team to victory!
• The music teacher led the class in a song.

There is also the word LED, which is an acronym for light emitting diode. It is pronounced as the three separate letters el ee dee. You can recognize it is different because it appears in all capital letters.

Remembering Led vs. Lead

One way to help you remember which of these verbs is the present tense form and which is the past tense form is that the word present has more letters than the word past, just as lead has more letters than the word led.

Also lead has more definitions than led.

Outside Examples

• Unlike nearly every other team he’s been on, Rose would not be asked to shoulder the brunt of the scoring load, which could lead to him dominating the ball less than his career 27.9(PERCENT) usage rate and open up new avenues for him to impact the game. –Chicago Sun Times
• The 24-year-old Kang and Chella Choi shared the lead heading into the final round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Kang won the U.S. Women’s Amateur in 2010 in 2011, but she has never won an LPGA Tour tournament. –Denver Post
• Her work was deeply theoretical, but other mathematicians considered it boldly original and of untold future importance. Her doctoral dissertation, which she completed in 2004, solved two long-standing mathematical problems and led to publications in three major mathematics journals. –Washington Post
• A study published last year in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that the use of Proteus Discover led to greater reductions in blood pressure and cholesterol in patients with uncontrolled hypertension and diabetes than usual care. –Wall Street Journal

Quiz: Lead vs. Led

Select the correct word.

• The conductor __________ the musicians in several beautiful pieces at last night’s performance.
• My dog’s old __________ is so dirty that it’s ___________ to me needing to buy a new one.
• I’ll follow you. _________ the way.

See answers below.

Article Summary

Should I use lead or led? Despite having the same meaning as a verb, one is for the present tense and one is for the past tense. They are also pronounced differently.

• Lead is a present tense verb, and has additional meanings as a noun and adjective.
• Led is the past tense and past participle form of the verb.

Don’t forget to use the long e pronunciation for lead (except when referring to the metal) and the short e pronunciation for led.

Answers from Quiz

• led
• lead, led
• Lead

The words «lead» vs. «led» are particularly tricky: Sometimes they sound alike and sometimes they don’t. «Led» (which rhymes with «red») is both the past and past participle form of the verb «lead» (which rhymes with «deed»). The verb to «lead» means guide, direct, or bring to a conclusion.

The noun «lead» (rhymes with «red») refers to the metal (as in «a lead pipe»). The noun «lead» (which rhymes with «deed») refers to an initiative, an example, or a position at the front («in the lead»). The verb «lead» and the noun «lead» are homographs: words that have the same spelling but differ in meaning and (sometimes) pronunciation.

How to Use «Lead»

Use the verb «lead» to indicate that someone is directing or at the front of others, as in:

• They «lead» the group to safety.
• He «leads» the group to safety.

To use «lead» as a noun or adjective when you mean the metal, you can craft a sentence such as:

• Many children became sick due to «lead» paint on the walls of older houses.
• The paint was made with «lead.»

You might also have read a sentence such as:

• The baseball player «leads» the league in home runs.

This sentence uses «lead» in the sense of having a position in front of.

How to Use «Led»

To use «led,» simply use it as the past tense or past participle for «lead,» as in:

• He, alone, «led» the group to safety.
• They have «led» the group to safety.

Merriam-Webster suggests that if you aren’t sure whether to write «led» or «lead» as the verb in your sentence, try reading it aloud to yourself. If the verb is pronounced «led» (with a short «e»), write «led.»

Examples

To determine when to use «lead» or «led,» it’s simplest to first discuss the term «led,» which is always either the past tense or the past participle of the verb «lead.» So, you might say:

• We «led» the game until the eighth inning.

The word «lead,» however, can have a number of meanings. If you want to use the word in terms of being in the front position, you might say:

• Now the Cubs have taken the «lead.»

This means that the Cubs are, at present, ahead of their opponents. Up to this point in the game, they have scored more runs. You can also use «lead» in the same sentence in a couple of different ways:

• Exposure to «lead» in paint may «lead» to serious health problems.

In this sentence, the first use of «lead» (rhymes with «head») refers to the metal, which has been found to have many unhealthful properties. In the second use, «lead» (rhymes with «bead») means to tend toward or to have a result.

John Emsley, in «The Elements of Murder,» uses both «lead» and «led» in the same sentence and adjacent to each other:

«The theory that lead led to the decline of the Roman Empire was first advanced in 1965.»

In this case, Emsley uses «lead» referring to the metal, and «led» as the past tense of «lead.» You can also use «lead» in a few other ways, including:

• Your advice will «lead» me into trouble.

In this use, «lead» means to guide or cause a person to get into trouble. You can also say: «The runner was in the ‘lead’ for most of the race,» meaning the runner was in front of his competitors, or, «He took the ‘lead’ in fighting the measure,» indicating that he directed the fight against the measure. By contrast, if you say, «His ‘lead’ was the ace of spades,» you are saying that he played that particular card first.

How to Remember the Difference

A few memory tricks can help you keep the various meanings straight. You might remember:

• I like to «lead» with an ace, but previously, when I didn’t have any aces, I «led» with a lower card.

Or you might try another memory trick like:

• He took the «lead» in letting everyone know that «lead» «led» to the decline of the Roman Empire.

This may help you remember that «lead,» meaning a leadership position, is pronounced with a long «e,» while «led» as the past tense of «lead,» as well as «lead» the metal, is pronounced with a short «e.»

Special Uses and Idioms

«Lead» has a myriad of other uses. It can mean a clue, as in:

• The detective had no «leads» to go on.

In this case, it’s often used as a plural. «Lead» can also be used as an idiom, as in:

• He had a «lead-foot.»

Of course, a human being does not have a foot made of «lead.» Rather, «lead» is a heavy metal, so the idiom is using the term to indicate that the person has a tendency to step on the gas pedal too hard and drive too fast. Some dictionaries even list the term «leadfoot,» meaning a person who drives too fast, as in:

• Joe’s «leadfoot» was always getting him into trouble.

In this use, clearly Joe does not have a «leadfoot» or a «lead-foot»—that is, a foot that simply weighs more than the average foot and therefore pushes harder on the gas pedal. Instead, Joe chooses to disobey the law, put the pedal to the metal (fully depress the gas pedal), and drive much faster than the posted speed limit, possibly «leading» to speeding tickets and other moving violations.

Sources

• «The Grammar Guru: Lead vs. Led.» University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
• “LeadFoot.» Urban Dictionary.
• Mclaughlin, William. “The Reasons Why Rome Fell — Lead Poisoning Is Often Dismissed as a Major Cause for the Decline of Rome, but the Theory Does Have Some Merit.” War History Online, 22 Nov. 2017.