Stank or Stunk: Understanding the Past Tense of Stink
Quick Answer
The past tense of stink is stank. With “have,” “has,” or “had,” use stunk.
Every day: Old fish stinks.
Yesterday: The bin stank all morning.
With have: My shoes have stunk since the rain.
Stink, Stank, Stunk — See the Pattern
Read these sentences. Look at how the verb changes:
- The cheese stinks in the fridge. (now — every time)
- The cheese stank last week. (past — it is finished)
- The cheese has stunk for three days. (past with “has”)
Did you see the pattern? There are three forms:
| When? | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Now / every day | stink | Old eggs stink. |
| In the past | stank | The room stank yesterday. |
| With have / has / had | stunk | The bin has stunk all week. |
When to Use Stank and When to Use Stunk
This is the part that confuses many learners. Here is the simple rule:
Use “stank” when you talk about the past — something that smelled bad and is finished:
- The fish stank when I opened the box.
- His old socks stank after the long walk.
Use “stunk” when there is a helping word before it — have, has, or had:
- The bin has stunk for two days.
- My gym bag has stunk since last week.
- The milk had stunk for days before I threw it away.
Easy way to remember: If you see have, has, or had before it, use stunk. If not, use stank.
The Rule in One Line: have/has/had → stunk. No have → stank.
Real-Life Examples With Stink, Stank, and Stunk
Here are examples you might say in everyday life:
- The kitchen stank after I burned the rice. (past — it is finished)
- My running shoes stank last night. (past — no “have”)
- The bathroom has stunk all morning. (with “has” — use stunk)
- My hands have stunk since I cut the onions. (with “have” — use stunk)
- The room stank of smoke when we walked in. (past — no “have”)
You are doing great. Now let’s look at the mistakes many learners make.
Three Mistakes to Avoid With Stink
These are the most common mistakes with “stink.” Even advanced learners mix up “stank” and “stunk” sometimes — so if you get confused, you are not alone.
Mistake 1: Using “stunk” without have/has/had
✗ The bin stunk yesterday.
✓ The bin stank yesterday.
Mistake 2: Using “stank” with have/has/had
✗ The fish has stank for two days.
✓ The fish has stunk for two days.
Mistake 3: Saying “stinked”
✗ The cheese stinked last week.
✓ The cheese stank last week.
How to remember: Think of drink, drank, drunk. It follows the same pattern: stink, stank, stunk. The vowel changes from i → a → u.
Other verbs like this: sink, sank, sunk / shrink, shrank, shrunk / sing, sang, sung / ring, rang, rung.
Test Yourself: Stink, Stank, or Stunk?
Choose the correct answer for each sentence. Click Check to see if you are right.
1. The bin _______ in the hot sun all day yesterday.
2. My gym bag has _______ since I left it in the car.
3. The fish _______ when I opened the box this morning.
4. The old cheese had _______ for a week before we noticed.
5. His socks _______ so much that we opened all the windows.
Keep Going — You Are Building Something
You just learned stink, stank, stunk. That is one more irregular verb you will never get wrong again.
But did you know that shrink follows the exact same pattern? Shrink, shrank, shrunk — the vowel changes just like stink. So when do you use shrank and when do you use shrunk?
Next lesson: Shrank or Shrunk — Which One is Correct?
Source
- Etymology online, origin of stink
- Definition of stink
My name is Khamis Maiouf. I am the creator of the English Teacher Site, dedicated to providing valuable resources and insights for students around the world. With a passion for education and a commitment to helping students enhance their skills, I aim to make English teaching more effective and enjoyable for both educators and students.
