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When to Use Lead or Led
There is some persistent confusion about lead and led. Or, we should say, there is confusion about the leads and led. Lead is both a noun and a verb, as most people know. There are several unrelated nouns spelled lead: one most commonly refers to a metal (as in, "The paint was made with lead"), and the other most commonly refers to a position of advantage (as in, "Our team was in the lead"). The verb lead is pronounced /LEED/, with a long e; the noun that refers to a position or advantage is also pronounced /LEED/, with a long e; the noun that refers to the metal, however, is pronounced /LED/, with a short e. To this moderately convoluted situation, add the past tense and past participle of the verb lead, which is led and pronounced like the metal noun lead with a short e. The homophonic confusion leads to homographic confusion, and you will therefore occasionally see lead in constructions where led is called for (as in, “She lead the ducklings to safety” instead of “She led the ducklings to safety”). The correct past and past participle of lead is spelled led. If you aren’t sure whether to use led or lead as the verb in your sentence, try reading it aloud to yourself. If the verb is pronounced /LED/, use led.
Examples of led in a Sentence
Alyssa Grabinski, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026
Both say that consistency is the key to unlocking LED’s benefits.
—Brennan Kilbane, Allure, 15 Jan. 2026
The main headlight projectors appear to be vertically stacked under the horizontal accent LED, which is sort of the opposite of how the gas Cullinan arranges them.
—Adam Ismail, The Drive, 15 Jan. 2026
Headlights have evolved from halogen to LED, and their profile is higher, given SUVs and trucks are now more common than sedans and coupes.
—Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for led
Cite this Entry
“Led.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/led. Accessed 26 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
led
1 of 2past and past participle of lead
LED
2 of 2 nounNoun
light-emitting diode
