There is a hot debate about the past tense of dream; is it dreamed or dreamt?

Actually, both are correct, and despite one having been in use longer than the other, you can choose which one you prefer. In fact, both are listed as alternative uses of each other in all major dictionaries.

Confused? Don’t be. Occasionally, words take on various spellings due to inflictions of dialect, and when both spellings become common, then it is entirely acceptable to use your preference. My only advice is to pick one spelling and stick to it.

Let’s take a closer look at how you can use both dreamed and dreamt in your own speech and writing.

There is no difference between dreamed and dreamt. They both mean to have been thinking of or imagining things as possible or happening when asleep or awake.

Both are considered correct and function as the past tense and past participle of the verb dream. Dreamed is preferred in all main varieties of English, but dreamt is more likely to be used in British English than American English.

Dreamt is also more often used in the figurative senses of the word—especially in the phrase dreamt up. Dreamed is more likely to denote the mental activity that occurs during sleep. But this is by no means a rule, and both words are used both ways.

For example:

Dreamed has always been more common than dreamt, and dreamt is likely the newer form despite its common use. There are instances of both their uses as far back as the 16th century, but dreamed is used more often than dreamt. Regardless, both appear as past forms at the same time that the word dream made an appearance in the mid-13th century.

There is no difference between dreamed and dreamt. Both have functioned as past tense and past particle forms of the verb dream since the mid-13th century. While dreamed and dreamt are both acceptable, dreamed is the more common choice in all English-speaking countries. Dreamt is more likely to be seen used in British English or as a figurative use, while dreamed is preferable to American English.