Texted

I work for a media organization that has recently been discussing this issue. Always difficult with new words where the written form has not yet been formalized.

Many people just say TEXT for both the present and past tense, as in SHALL I TEXT YOU? (present) and I TEXT YOU LAST NIGHT (past). TEXTED is also used, with the pronunciation TEKS-TUD. We agreed on the standard TEXTED, rather than TEXT.

I don't suppose there is a "correct" form. The verb TEXT is fairly new. I expect the commercial you saw was just going with the fairly common TEXT as both present and past.

What is the difference in pronunciation between "text-ed" and "texted"?

I'm a curmudgeon. I don't think "text" is a verb.

Rather than "They just texted me back," I'd say "They just sent me a text [message]." Yeah, it takes longer, but I think it sounds better.

I agree with EGKG. "Text" should never be made into a verb. It's lazy enough to start using weird acronyms to spell whole sentences (LMAO). Let's not start removing words and changing the make up of others just because it's quicker to say.

Of course that means contractions should probably go too, if our forefathers have any say.

Oh nevermind. :)

Our forefathers used contractions too! They were used with the telegraph. Latin inscriptions contain lots of contractions.

Yes, text is a verb. This is from another thread but I think it's relevant here:

The OED has "text" as a verb with these meanings:

1. To inscribe, write, or print in a text-hand or in capital or large letters. Also fig. Obs.

b. trans. To write in a text-hand upon. c. intr. To write in text-hand.

2. a. intr. To cite texts. b. trans. To cite a text at or against (a person). Obs.

for meaning 1a, they provide this citation:

1599 SHAKES. Much Ado V. i. 185 Yea and text vnder-neath, heere dwells Benedicke the married man.

There is an additional meaning:

trans. Telecomm. To send (a text message) to a person, mobile phone, etc.; to send a text message to. Also intr.: to communicate by sending text messages.

with these citations:

1998 Should I or shouldn't I? in alt.cellular.gsm (Usenet Newsgroup) 14 Mar., We still keep in touch..‘texting’ each other jokes, quotes, stories, questions, etc. 2000 Guardian 3 June (Weekend Suppl.) 26/1 One private school in Berkshire has just instituted a fine system for anyone caught texting in teaching-time. 2001 Publican Newspaper 4 June 5/6 Customers will be invited to text a message to a number given on the banner if they want to take part. 2001 Leicester Mercury (Electronic ed.) 31 July, I texted my mother and my friends when I got my results.

If you prefer TOOKST, then get started spreading the word.

Will wait and see on this one... TEXTED ME TEXTED TEXTED TEXTED.. Everyone is doing it! Text messages has surpassed cell calls in Asia 10-2008/Fact www.Texted.me

This is a hard one because adding 'ed' to a word that ends in 't' or 'd' typically creates an additional syllable......part becomes part-ed, pro-ject becomes pro-ject-ed. Adding 'ed' to words ending in most other letters, simply adds the 'd' sound to the end of the word....play/played, push/pushed, stop/stopped. I think the 'x' in text is what makes it seem silly to say text-ed. Take the word 'tax' ,for instance, it changes to 'taxed' but is sounds like 'taxt' when you say it. Until today, I always said texted with one syllable, but after thinking about it, it probably really is text-ed with two syllables.

Using "Texted" as a word is all over the media, as those train operators were doing during use on their "Crackberries". Highly addicting for most sane normal people.
Habituated mindset!!!!

Anything sent related to texted me or future mobi sites...

Please respond to this blog and tell us all how you feel when using
words like "Texted" or Slang Text versions, Text'd, Tx'd , Txd , others I have found
on search engines.
How about back-up servers for private sent "texted" messages something
like twitter but only you control it in any Country other than the good old USA!

If you know what I mean.

Thanks to all, appreciate the input, most of which I agree with. "texted" pronounced "tex ed" just doesnt sound right, why cant they just say "texted" with emphasis on the 'ed' part is what I'm now thinking. Anyhow it was great to get your responses and wade through to read other people's impressions.
Maggie in Michigan

Both would be correct
Its like used as Tex ted or Texted, Same as Tes ted or Tested.

Elsewhere on this blog there is a lively debate of whether irregular verbs should be "regularized" or not. There are fewer than 200 irregular English verbs, and the trend is towards fewer. For example, the word "mown," the (former) past participle of "mow," is rarely used, except as an adjective. Should we really be adding irregular verbs to the language? The past tense of "text" should be "texted."

I guess the bank wanted to convey their message clearly, and so the difficult-to-pronounce xt'd cluster has been made into two syllables.

I wonder when the verb 'to text' will enter Standard English? 'To tweet' in reference to twitter has already made it into the Macquarie Dictionary...

I just sounds so WRONG --textED you sound like a 5 year old. I worked with a young girl (17, I'm 38) and she would say that and the word "like". "I like, text-ed you like 4 times last night, like why didn't you text me back?" It would drive me nuts, we worked in customer service, people just stopped going to her. She would also refer to her friend Rebecca as BeKKA....stressing the k sound. Grow up! Use the proper language dumbass! This is future of america?! Oh, and don't forget all the time she says....UMMM.

I agree with you michele, Texted is now the main norm , not Text-ED , The future of the New America is here to stay... UMMM. See Ya!

I found it here,per your request. One syllable always!

I don't understand the debate. Is the question whether we should pronounce "texted" as two syllables? Has anyone tried pronouncing it as a single syllable? You can't pronounce a "d" sound directly after a "t" sound. I suppose you could pronounced it as "texd" making the second "t" silent, but that's just silly.

An episode of 'Flight of the Conchords' juxtaposes two possible past tense forms of the verb 'text' in a dialog between a New yorker and one of the New Zealand band's members. The New Yorker says "he had known for two days before he text me" while the New Zealander says "he texted me" later in the conversation (though in his accent it sounded more like 'tikst?d'). To be honest, neither seemed right, but 'text' sounded more natural.

In a letter to a book dealer, Thomas Jefferson wrote: "In giving loose to Neologisms, indeed, uncouth words will sometimes be offered, but the public will judge them, and receive or reject, as sense or sound shall suggest..." He is right. If text survives as a verb – and I suspect it will – grammarians and style-book writers will have to bow to usage.

The national AD campaign using Texted and Texual is found on the Parent/Youth/Teen site called Thats not cool . com, when I checked a few minutes ago Google had 18,565,000 HITS!!! WOW! Go figure?

It just sounds too ghetto. Use " text " or " sent you a text ". Try to sound like someone who has indoor plumbing.

Everything can be found on this new 2009 website,using all combos of words like "TEXTED" Many links can be viewed!

First of all, text can be used as a verb. Of course, with advances in technology, etymological changes follow. (try saying "I 'microwaved' my lunch"100 years ago)

text [t?kst]
verb
(Electronics & Computer Science / Telecommunications) to send a text message from a mobile phone

So, the obvious answer, if we agree that text is a verb, is that the past tense is 'texted' (pronounced tex-ted)

just like:

I called you last night (called - not call)

or:

anyone who thinks the past tense of text is text should be tested (tess-ted) to see if they can speak English properly.

other words that people who can't understand this can use as a reference are:

rested (past tense of rest)
bested (to defeat in a competition)
dusted (past tense of dust)
nested
listed
vested

So, everyone, please, use proper English.

Say:

"I just TEXTED you"

If you can't bring yourself to say that, then say:

"I just sent you a TEXT message"

And not:

"I just TEXT you"

I don't personally think textéd (that is how you show the e is stressed) works particularly well. I prefer to follow taxed, which is quite similar, and comes out like tax'd. If we say texted as text'd then it sounds either like text or tex'd, but while these are not perfect, they are definitely less cumbersome than textéd.

Let's look at using the English language correctly. Would you say, "I lettered you?" No, you would say, "I sent you a letter." So, therefore you should say, "I sent you a text message." And don't forget to add the word message.

Why would you say, "I sent you a text?" A text what? A text book? So if we used proper English, we would simply say, "I sent you a text message." It's not that difficult. We are just dumbing down our society by accepting the use of the fictitious word, texted.

The verbification of nouns is not inherently incorrect, or even unusual. Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage is emphatic on the issue:

"It occasionally comes as a surprise to the linguistically unsophisticated that nouns can be put to work as verbs. This, like the use of nouns as adjectives, is a practice with a long history."

Now, I'm not calling you unsophisticated. Objection to verbed nouns is not new, nor limited to the unlearned. Benjamin Franklin wrote to Noah Webster to decry the use of "notice" and "advocate," which up to then (1879) had both been nouns, as verbs. Time proved Franklin wrong on both counts, as both denominal verbs have survived.

You cite "letter" as an example of a noun not commonly used as a verb (at least outside of varsity sports). Fair enough. But what about "mail?" That noun, originating in Middle English, has only been used as a verb since the early 19th century (Merriam-Webster). Does anyone seriously object to it as a verb? More recently, "email" has quickly evolved from noun to verb after the same pattern. "Text" – noun and verb alike – follows suit.

It is unclear to me why this normal evolution of the language indicates a "dumbing down" of our society. To the contrary, it shows that English is alive and kicking.

Definitely text, not texted. And for those of you who are language experts, answer this: Do you say cutted for past tense of cut? How 'bout put? With any luck, text will similarly evolve.

Try these words.
Call
Fax
Scan
email
Blog
Skype
Talk

Its Text, adding (ed) is pointless, texted sounds so childish.

Saying somethying like 'he texted me' just *sounds* ignorant. I reform the sentance and say "he sent me a text". It's also akward to say other words in plural or past tense if you pronounce the actual word like the plural for wasp - wasps, desk - desks, ghost - ghosts, its got that extra 't-ts' at the end making it sound wrong, when it is not. I really dont like 'text-ed', 'text'd' or any other form... I actually don't like texting!

yes I have just read the whole of this blog and people that say 'texted' are just plain ignorant and need to go back to school and retake their English GCSE's or equivalent. i sent you a text message earlier IS THE CORRECT way to speak in ENGLISH not I texted you, my god that is so so awful. Please stop corrupting and insulting the Queens GOOD English language you slobs.
Thank you and good night xxxx

Texted.

The word is TEXT not TEXTED. The same people that pronounce the word with two syllables are the people that end sentences in "at" (i.e., Where is the store at). They are also the same people that think they need to add "like" to every sentence (i.e., So I was like going to the store and I like got lost and didn't know where I was at so I texted my friend).

I text my mother the other day.
I will text my mother when i have time.
I'm not sure but i think my mother may have text me the other day.
Not sure why people would even add the ed at the end.
Tried writing texted on many phones using predictive text and yet to find a phone that has texted pre installed in dictionary.
Would have thought for all the people that want to text, have text, and are going to text, or to be text from others they would have added the correct word.........hold on!!!they did....its Text. Past,present,future.

Having only one tongue, I can't say "texted" in one syllable.

@Stee, You text your mother the other day? Cool. I phone my mother last week. Does that *really* sound correct to you? Rats...now I need to explain my use of asterisks.

@CharlotteGarner, people who think this is currently taught in schools are the type of people who don't capitalize their sentences. Back when I was in school, I "learnED" to add "-ed" to show past-tense. Perhaps that makes me learned? Golly, how shall we pronounce the last word in that last sentence?

"Text message"? What other types of texts are sent? Text pictures? A bit redundant.

I almost think I get it. "Text" sounds, to the uneducated ear, like "texed". But only to people who don't know what a text is. And, yes, I understand that "a text" is a new concept for some. "I texed my mother last week" might sound ok but is clearly incorrect. "I text Mom last week" would sound better as "Me text Ogg last week", assuming, of course, that my mom's name is Ogg, which it isn't, and that we're cave people, which we aren't. Still, the concept holds.

"I texted" -- two syllables -- seems clearly correct; it only sounds incorrect to uneducated people who don't know what "a text" is. Learn at your own pace; I really don't see any hurry.

"I texted" -- two syllables -- seems clearly correct; it only sounds incorrect to uneducated people who don't know what "a text" is. Learn at your own pace; I really don't see any hurry.

No matter how much of a smart arse you think you are, no matter if its an uneducated person or someone as mighty as you. Every time you say it as "texted" (2 syllables) you sound like an idiot!!!

@Stee, You text your mother the other day? Cool. I phone my mother last week.......and what the hell is this. shit example even writtten correct- phoned... you still wouldnt make yourself sound like an idiot by sayin phone-ed so not having it!!!!! hahahahahahaah
Text a reply if you like
Ill text later if i can
i hope what u have text next time isnt too nasty.
hahahahahahahaha

Personally, I have to weigh in with the text-ed (two syllables) set. I can't imagine why anyone would suggest otherwise. That being said, let me make a suggestion. I don't see anything wrong with someone pronouncing it "texed" (one syllable). It's not uncommon to hear someone pronounce the possessive "the Jones' "as "the Jones" (one syllable) rather than "the Jones-ES" (two syllables), especially if followed by further sibilance. I would suggest that it's no different than saying "wudja do?" when you mean "what did you do?" Clearly, there's nothing wrong with "wudja". It's said all the time by pretty much every English speaker. Even so, absolutely no one would ever claim that "what did you" is wrong and that "wudja" is the "correct" way to say it.

I know this is possibly beating a totally dead horse, and if anyone's paying attention then great! but with "text" being synonymous with "text message" and "texting" being synonymous with "text messaging" as in, the act of sending a text message, I propose that the past tense is indeed texted. Because you don't "text message" someone yesterday, you "text messaged". "texted" is simply a contraction of "text messaged."

[From Tom in TX, above...now I'm told someone else is using that name.]

"Yesterday, I cast my net into the sea". I certainly didn't "casted" it.
I'm starting to see the light.
What's the name of this website again?

AnWulf... you're an idiot... painted, started, interested, ect are not IRREGULAR VERBS. Go back to middle school... just because they end in "t" doesn't make them irregular