⚠️ Two traps in one: same spelling, different sound — AND same sound, different spelling!
lead /lɛd/
the metal
lead /liːd/
the verb, to guide
led /lɛd/
past tense of lead (verb)
noun — a heavy grey metal — 'a lead pipe' · 'lead poisoning'
mouth shape
short /ɛ/ — same vowel as 'led' below, just spelled differently
lead
/lɛd/
vowel length
plays as: “a led pipe”
verb — to guide or go first — 'lead the way' · 'she will lead the team'
mouth shape
long /iː/ — same spelling as the metal above, completely different vowel
lead
/liːd/
vowel length
plays as: “lead the way”
verb — past tense of 'lead' (the verb) — 'she led the team to victory' — homophone of lead-the-metal
mouth shape
same short /ɛ/ as lead-the-metal — past tense of lead-the-verb, spelled differently on purpose
led
/lɛd/
vowel length
plays as: “she led the team”
Key difference
Spelled lead: it could be the heavy grey metal (/lɛd/) or the verb meaning to guide (/liːd/) — only context tells you which. Spelled led: it’s always the past tense of the verb, and it happens to sound exactly like the metal, not like present-tense “lead.”
Example sentences
lead (metal):“Old pipes were often made of lead.”
lead (verb):“She will lead the meeting tomorrow.”
led:“She led the team to victory last year.”
Hear it in the wild
Real speech from native speakers — the most reliable way to check a pronunciation, since automated audio can vary by device and browser.
lead
Hear native speakers say “lead” in real sentences — news, lectures, and podcasts.
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led
Hear native speakers say “led” in real sentences — news, lectures, and podcasts.
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How teachers explain this
Approved tips from the community, sorted by helpfulness
Word families
lead (metal) family ▸
lead (verb) family ▸
Related pairs
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