The terms learned and learnt are alternative forms of the past tense and past participle of the verb learn, which means “to gain or acquire knowledge of or skill in something by study, experience, or being taught.” Both words are generally accepted.
However, while learned is often used both in American English and British English, the word learnt can be mostly found in British English. Words that possess the same alternative forms include kneeled and knelt, spelled and spelt, and dreamed and dreamt.
Below are examples of the use of learned in publications and web sites:
“Five Essential Lessons I Learned In 20 Years Of Managing People”
Fast Company“How This Female Founder Learned To Market Her Brand On A Shoestring Budget”
Forbes“In 2016, ‘they’ became singular, and everyone learned more about gender”
The Washington Post
Here are instances of the word learnt in online publications and news channels:
“Lorry attacks are a terrifyingly effective weapon – as I learnt in Baghdad. We must not let them change our way of life”
Telegraph.co.uk“The best leadership lesson: I learnt to sell, says Nithin Kamath Founder & CEO, Zerodha”
Economic Times“India v England, 4th Test, Mumbai: Keaton learnt to play spinners from Virat – Father Ray”
Times of India
Meanwhile, learned can also be used as an adjective referring to “having a lot of knowledge because you have studied and read a lot” or “connected or involved with the pursuit of knowledge, especially of a scholarly nature.” It is also pronounced differently, having two syllables “lur-nid.”
“CIO Profile: UniSuper’s John Pearce leading the learned”
Investment Magazine“The learned Headsetter”
Deccan Chronicle
