Cost or Costed – Which Is the Correct Past Tense?

“Cost” is a common word, and its past tense is known as “Cost”. However, some people say that “Costed” is also correct and should be used just as much. Is that true?

We want to know which form is correct, and if both, when should we use each.

Cost or Costed – Which Is the Correct Past Tense?

“Cost” relates to the value of things, tangible or not, and it’s worth. It has the same form for present, past and past participle – “Cost”, which is the form you should use more. However, “Costed” can be used in an accounting context, to indicate the estimated cost of something.

Take a look at the examples below:

• The shirt cost me seven dollars.
• The shirt costed me seven dollars. (incorrect)

• Has the project been costed yet?
• Has the cost of the project been estimated yet?

In the first set of examples, we see an affirmation about the price of a shirt. The correct word for it is “Cost”, while “Costed” is incorrect and shouldn’t be used.

In the second set of examples, we discuss the “Cost” of a project. It’s not incorrect to ask if the project has been “Costed” yet – meaning to inquire if calculations have been made to assess how much will be spent on it.

However, we can’t deny it sounds more organic to state it as in the second sentence: what’s the estimated “Cost”?

Cost

“Cost” indicates the value of things: monetary value, as well as sentimental value, for example. It may refer to the price of something or how valuable that item is – even if it has no monetary value. The past tense of “Cost” (in fact, both past and past participle) is “Cost”.

Take a look at some examples of the word “Cost” at work:

1. How much did the new computer cost?
2. What was the cost of your vacation?
3. Did the guitar cost much, or were you able to find a sale?
4. Did he tell you how much the wedding gift cost?
5. He quit his job abruptly, at the cost of risking his whole career.

You can use “Cost” in any verb tense, to describe or state the value of things in general.

Costed

“Costed” is only correct when used to indicate an accounting situation, where the “Cost” of a project or need for a business is in question. In no other context, “Costed” would be correct or acceptable.

Dictionary.com presents “Costed” as a form of “Cost” past tense. The Cambridge Dictionary acknowledges the accounting use of “Costed”. In any scenario, it’s certainly a very strict and rare use.

Let’s look at some correct and incorrect examples of the use of “Costed”:

1. Kyle said the shoes costed one hundred dollars. (incorrect)
2. Kyle said the shoes cost one hundred dollars.

3. How much the tickets costed was irrelevant. The performance was amazing! (incorrect)
4. How much the tickets cost was irrelevant. The performance was amazing!

5. The railway to the plant was costed at five million dollars.
6. The project hasn’t been costed yet, I hope to hear from the team soon.

Sentences 5 and 6 are the only ones with “Costed” being used correctly. It works, because it’s been used in an accounting environment.

However, keep in mind that you’d possibly be able to find easier, more clear ways to state the same points – without potentially sounding as grammatically incorrect, since many people might not know that “Costed” in that context is acceptable.

Which Is Used the Most?

Which one of those two words is used more often, “Cost” or “Costed”? Take a look at the graph from Google Ngram Viewer below, to find out.

As expected, given how strict its use is, “Costed” appears very close to zero in terms of how often it’s used. The word used more frequently is “Cost” – which, no doubt, makes sense, since this is the correct and more acceptable word to use.

Final Thoughts

“Cost” indicates the value of things, often from a monetary point of view, but not necessarily. Its past and past participle is also “Cost” – it doesn’t change! “Costed” is a word that can indicate the estimate for a project or undertaking, in an account context (and only in this context).