Sneaked vs. Snuck
In the English language, there are many irregular verbs. When a verb has an irregular past tense form, that form is typically the only one that is considered to be correct. This is not the case with the verb sneak, however, because it has two past tense forms that are considered correct: sneaked and snuck. Let's take a look at this sneaky little verb and how it came to have two correct past tense forms.
Sneaked and snuck are both past tense forms of the verb sneak. It means to move stealthily or secretively.
1. The little boy sneaked/snuck up on his mother and scared her so badly that she spilled a cup of coffee.
2. The mountain lion was quiet as it sneaked/snuck up on the unsuspecting deer.
3. This year, Christmas sneaked/snuck up on me, and I have not done any shopping for presents!
4. We watched as the cat sneaked/snuck up on the mouse that was busily eating acorns in the yard.
As you can see, these two past tense forms of sneak can be used interchangeably, and both are accepted today. The original past tense of sneak was not irregular-sneaked. However, over time, snuck "snuck" into usage in the United States in the early 20th century. Now, it is widely accepted and used in more than one country as a past tense form of sneak.
If you are concerned about which to use, you can always default to the original form, which was not irregular. But, feel free to sneak either form into your speaking and writing.
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