Search verbs that are often mixed up — lie/lay, say/tell, make/do — with the difference explained
| Verb | Pair | Difference | Example |
|---|
No verbs match your search.
This pair confuses even native speakers, partly because the past tense of lie is lay — the same word as the base form of the other verb.
Base: lie · Past: lay · Participle: lain
I lie down every afternoon. / Yesterday I lay down at 2pm.
Base: lay · Past: laid · Participle: laid
She lays the table every evening. / She laid the table an hour ago.
Some English verbs look or sound similar but aren't interchangeable — one might need a direct object and the other doesn't, or they simply mean different things. Mixing them up is one of the most common mistakes even at an advanced level. This page pairs each set together so you can see the contrast directly, instead of learning the verbs in isolation.
How to use it: type a verb, its partner, or a word from the explanation into the search box — the table filters instantly as you type.