Eat, Ate, Eaten: The Past Has Two Pronunciations
An eater is one who eats. The past tense ate is said two different ways, and both are entirely standard.
An eater is a person or animal that eats, usually described in some way — a fussy eater, a big eater. The verb behind it hides a live pronunciation split: British speakers usually say *ate* to rhyme with *bet*, while American speakers say it to rhyme with *late*. Both are standard in their own varieties, and neither is a mistake. The participle *eaten* is the same everywhere.
- One who eats. *A fussy eater.*
- Ate — the past tense. *He ate quickly.*
- Eaten — the participle. *Has eaten.*
- Edible — fit to eat. *Edible mushrooms.*
- Eatery — an informal restaurant. *A local eatery.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | eat | Eat up. |
| Past | ate | She ate. |
| Participle | eaten | Has eaten. |
| Agent | eater | A slow eater. |
| Noun | eatery | An eatery. |
- He is a notoriously fussy eater.Person.
- The apple is an eater, not a cooker.British: for eating raw.
- Ate rhymes with bet in Britain.Pronunciation.
Eating words worth knowing
- Eater — in British greengrocery, an apple for eating raw
- Cooker — an apple for cooking, such as a Bramley
- Edible — safe to eat
- Palatable — pleasant enough to eat
- Eat humble pie — from *umbles*, the offal of a deer
From *eat*, Old English *etan*, from a Germanic root shared with Latin *edere* and Greek *edein*.
Is ate pronounced et or ate?
Both. The rhyme with bet is standard British; the rhyme with late is standard American.
What is an eating apple?
In British usage, an apple grown to be eaten raw, as opposed to a cooker like a Bramley.