When you combust something, is it being burnt or burned??

foxstudy

^^^

Both are perfectly fine. 'Burnt' is more typical in British English, and 'burned' is more common in American English.

Reply 2

Kindred

20

Original post by foxstudy

^^^

I would tend to use burned for the action and burnt for the result.
"I can't believe you burned my pasta!"
"Do you like burnt toast?"

In practice I probably use them pretty interchangeably though or just do whatever my spell check tells me to.

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 3

username4601382

5

I use 'burnt', because I'm English. I think 'burned' is more common in American English.

Reply 4

Good bloke

19

This is not a chemistry question; it is an English question.

Both 'burned' and' burnt' are perfectly correct past participles, and the past tense, of the verb 'to burn'. However, you will never see 'burnt' used when the burning relates to emotion rather than chemical conflagration, and 'burned' is more likely to be used by an American.

Thus, I burned with anger; I burnt the toast; I burned my papers.

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 5

foxstudy

OP

11

Original post by Good bloke

This is not a chemistry question; it is an English question.

Both 'burned' and' burnt' are perfectly correct past participles, and the past tense, of the verb 'to burn'. However, you will never see 'burnt' used when the burning relates to emotion rather than chemical conflagration, and 'burned' is more likely to be used by an American.

Thus, I burned with anger; I burnt the toast; I burned my papers.