”Burned” or “Burnt”: What’s the difference?

Should you use “burned” or “burnt”?

When writing in American English, the word “burnt” should always be used as an adjective describing something that has been burned. If you want to use the word “burn” in the past tense, you should always use “burned,” never “burnt.” However, in many dictionaries, both words appear as acceptable past tense forms of burn.

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In other English-speaking countries, these words can be used interchangeably. American English makes a distinction, so if you’re writing primarily for a U.S. audience, you shouldn’t use “burnt” as a past tense form of burn.

How to use “burnt” in a sentence

The word “burnt” should be used as an adjective describing something that has been burned, but in some cases, you can use “burned” instead of “burnt”—like when describing overcooked food. Technically, “burned toast” would be grammatically correct, but “burnt toast” likely sounds better and would be much more common in published writing.

In some cases, you aren’t able to use the word “burned” instead of “burnt.” Typically, this is the case when the word “burnt” is a part of a common phrase. For example, the color “burnt sienna,” should never be written using the word “burned.”

These sentences show common examples of how to use the word “burnt” correctly in your writing.

• “The kids ate burnt marshmallows by the fireplace.”
• “The auto shop smelled like gasoline and burnt rubber.”
• “The interior designer chose burnt orange as the accent color for the living room.”

How to use “burned” in a sentence

Use the word “burned” as the past tense version of the verb “burn.” You can also sometimes use “burned” as an adjective, but it’s more common to see it as a verb in a sentence. Here are examples of “burned” being used as a verb.

• “Henry yelled after he burned his hand on the stovetop.”
• “I accidentally burned a hole in the sleeve of my sweater while lighting a candle.”
• “We ordered pizza after she burned our dinner.”

Is It “Burned out” or “burnt out”?

Although the verb “burned” often refers to something being literally burned by fire or another source of heat, it can also be used as a part of metaphorical phrases. For example, you might use the phrase “burned out” when referring to a light bulb that no longer works. If you’ve become overworked and exhausted at your job, you could describe yourself as “burned out.”

When writing these phrases, it’s acceptable to use “burned” and “burnt” interchangeably. The sentences “I’m feeling so burned out from work,” and “I’m feeling so burnt out from work,” are both grammatically correct.

Using correct grammar and spelling can be challenging, but once you’ve learned how to avoid the most common mistakes you won’t be burned by poor writing.