Get past or get passed can be confusing because past and passed sound exactly the same in everyday speech. However, they do not play the same role in a sentence. Get past is the standard expression when you mean moving beyond something, overcoming a difficulty, or going farther than a person or place.
Get passed is much less common and is only correct in specific passive constructions involving the verb pass. Learning the difference will help you avoid a common English spelling mistake and make your writing clearer, more natural, and grammatically accurate.
Why “Get Past” and “Get Passed” Are Confusing
The main reason learners confuse get past and get passed is pronunciation. The words past and passed are homophones in standard English pronunciation. This means they sound the same even though their spellings and grammatical functions are different.
Similar Pronunciation
Past and passed are normally pronounced alike. For example:
- We walked past the school.
- We passed the school.
When spoken aloud, the key words sound the same. This makes it difficult for learners to decide which spelling to use when writing.
Similar Spelling
The two words also look similar. Both contain the letters p-a-s, and their endings can be easy to confuse.
However, there is an important grammatical difference:
- Past can function as a preposition, adjective, noun, or adverb.
- Passed is the past tense and past participle of the verb pass.
Context Confusion
The phrase get past often describes moving beyond something:
We need to get past the security gate.
It can also describe overcoming an emotional or practical problem:
She found it difficult to get past her disappointment.
Learners sometimes write get passed in these sentences because they know that passed comes from the verb pass.
Common Learner Mistakes
A common mistake is:
✘ We need to get passed this problem.
The correct sentence is:
✔ We need to get past this problem.
Here, the meaning is to overcome or move beyond the problem, so past is correct.
Get Past vs Get Passed Explained Simply
The easiest way to understand get past vs get passed is to look at what each expression is doing grammatically.
Get past means to move beyond, go beyond, or overcome something, while get passed usually appears when something gets passed in a passive construction.
For example:
We couldn’t get past the locked gate.
Here, past indicates movement beyond a point.
Compare it with:
The proposal may get passed by the committee.
Here, passed is the past participle of the verb pass. The proposal is receiving the action.
One-Line Distinction
Use “get past” for moving beyond or overcoming something; use “get passed” only when “passed” is functioning as the past participle of the verb “pass.”
Examples
- She finally got past her fear of speaking in public.
- The new law could get passed before the end of the year.
In normal everyday expressions about overcoming or moving beyond something, get past is usually the phrase you need.
Understanding Homophones in English
Understanding homophones can help explain why mistakes involving past and passed are so common.
What Are Homophones?
Homophones are words that have the same pronunciation but different meanings, spellings, or grammatical uses.
A common example is:
- Their — belonging to them
- There — referring to a place
- They’re — contraction of they are
They sound alike but cannot be used interchangeably.
Similarly, past and passed sound the same but have different grammatical functions.
Why Homophones Cause Confusion
Homophones cause problems because pronunciation does not tell you which spelling is correct.
Consider:
Sarah passed the store.
and:
Sarah walked past the store.
Both sentences have similar meanings, and passed and past sound identical. However, passed is a verb in the first sentence, while past works with the verb walked in the second.
Therefore, context and grammar—not pronunciation—determine the correct spelling.
What Does “Get Past” Mean?
Definition and Core Meaning
Get past means to move beyond a person, place, obstacle, stage, problem, or difficult experience.
It can be used literally or figuratively.
For physical movement:
The car couldn’t get past the fallen tree.
For an emotional or abstract difficulty:
He couldn’t get past his fear of failure.
The central idea is moving beyond something.
Origin and Historical Use
The word past developed from forms connected with the verb pass. Over time, English developed past as a separate word referring to something beyond a particular point or something belonging to an earlier time.
This historical relationship helps explain why past and passed are similar in both sound and meaning.
In the expression get past, however, past is not the past-tense verb passed. Instead, it helps express the idea of reaching or moving beyond a point.
Modern Usage and Synonyms
Today, get past is widely used in both spoken and written English.
It can mean:
- To move beyond something physically
- To overcome a problem
- To recover from an emotional difficulty
- To progress beyond a stage
- To avoid or bypass a person or obstacle
- To stop focusing on a previous problem
Depending on the context, useful synonyms and related expressions include:
- get beyond
- move beyond
- overcome
- bypass
- go beyond
- recover from
- overcome an obstacle
Example Sentences
How did you get past the security guard?
We need to get past this disagreement and work together.
She eventually got past her fear of driving.
The runner managed to get past his closest competitor.
Once you get past the first chapter, the book becomes easier to understand.
In all these examples, something is being moved beyond or overcome.
What Does “Get Passed” Mean?
Definition and Core Meaning
Get passed is not usually an alternative spelling of get past.
Instead, it can be grammatically correct when passed is the past participle of the verb pass and get helps create a passive construction.
For example:
The bill needs to get passed before the deadline.
The bill is not physically moving past something. Instead, people need to pass the bill, meaning formally approve it.
The passive version is:
The bill needs to get passed.
Origin and Historical Context
Passed comes directly from the verb pass.
The verb has long been used with meanings such as:
- to move by something
- to succeed in a test
- to transfer something
- to approve legislation
- to exceed a point
Its regular past tense and past participle form is passed.
For example:
She passed the exam.
Parliament passed the law.
When passed follows get in a passive construction, get passed may therefore be correct.
Modern Usage and Synonyms
Get passed is much less common as a fixed phrase than get past. Its meaning depends on the particular use of the verb pass.
Examples include:
- A law can get passed.
- A proposal can get passed.
- A note can get passed around a classroom.
- An object can get passed from one person to another.
- Information can get passed along.
Depending on the sentence, related expressions include:
- get approved
- be passed
- get accepted
- get transferred
- get handed around
- get circulated
Example Sentences
The legislation might get passed next month.
Make sure the message gets passed to everyone.
The note got passed around the classroom.
The proposal is unlikely to get passed without further changes.
Notice that passed describes an action happening to the subject.
Get Past vs Get Passed: Key Differences at a Glance
| Word/Phrase | Part of Speech | Meaning | Example Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get past | Verb + preposition/adverb | Move beyond or overcome something | We need to get past this obstacle. |
| Get passed | Get + past participle | Have something passed, approved, transferred, or circulated | The bill could get passed tomorrow. |
| Past | Preposition, adjective, noun, or adverb | Beyond a point or related to an earlier time | Walk past the building. |
| Passed | Verb | Past tense/past participle of pass | She passed the test. |
The most important difference is that passed is always connected to the verb “pass,” while past is not a verb.
How to Remember the Difference Between Get Past and Get Passed
A simple memory trick can make this distinction much easier.
Easy Memory Trick
Ask yourself:
Does the sentence mean “get beyond” or “overcome”?
If yes, use get past.
I need to get past this problem.
You could say:
I need to get beyond this problem.
The meaning still works, so past is correct.
Association Technique
Remember:
Passed = PASS + ED
Because passed contains the complete word pass, it represents the past tense or past participle of the verb pass.
Think:
- pass → passed
- walk → walked
- finish → finished
By contrast, past does not function as a verb.
Memorable Example
Consider these two sentences:
We need to get past the gate.
The law needs to get passed.
In the first sentence, you need to move beyond something.
In the second, someone needs to pass the law.
If you can replace the idea with get beyond, choose get past.
Common Mistakes and Confusions
One of the most common errors occurs when people use get passed simply because they are thinking about the verb pass.
Mistake 1: Physical Movement
✘ We couldn’t get passed the truck.
✔ We couldn’t get past the truck.
Explanation: The meaning is that you could not move beyond the truck. Therefore, past is correct.
Mistake 2: Overcoming a Problem
✘ You have to get passed your fear.
✔ You have to get past your fear.
Explanation: You are overcoming or moving beyond the fear.
Mistake 3: Emotional Recovery
✘ She couldn’t get passed what happened.
✔ She couldn’t get past what happened.
Explanation: The sentence means she could not emotionally move beyond the event.
Mistake 4: Passive Use
Sometimes learners make the opposite mistake:
✘ The bill needs to get past by Friday.
✔ The bill needs to get passed by Friday.
Here, the intended meaning is that someone must pass or approve the bill. Therefore, passed is the correct past participle.
An even more formal version would be:
The bill needs to be passed by Friday.
Examples Section: Correct and Incorrect Usage
Here are more examples to make the distinction clear.
✔ Correct: We need to get past the traffic before rush hour.
✘ Incorrect: We need to get passed the traffic before rush hour.
Why? You are trying to move beyond the traffic.
✔ Correct: She finally got past her disappointment.
✘ Incorrect: She finally got passed her disappointment.
Why? She overcame an emotional difficulty.
✔ Correct: Do you think the proposal will get passed?
✘ Incorrect: Do you think the proposal will get past?
Why? If the intended meaning is “Will the proposal be approved?”, passed is the past participle of pass.
✔ Correct: The message needs to get passed along to the rest of the team.
✘ Incorrect: The message needs to get past along to the rest of the team.
Why? The message is being transferred or communicated.
✔ Correct: I couldn’t get past the first level of the game.
✘ Incorrect: I couldn’t get passed the first level of the game.
Why? The speaker could not progress beyond that level.
✔ Correct: Once we get past this difficult stage, things should become easier.
✘ Incorrect: Once we get passed this difficult stage, things should become easier.
Why? The intended meaning is to move beyond or overcome the stage.
Self Assessment: Test Your Knowledge
Choose past or passed to complete each sentence.
- We couldn’t get ______ the large crowd near the entrance.
- The new proposal needs to get ______ before the end of the month.
- She is trying to get ______ her fear of public speaking.
- Once you get ______ the first few lessons, the course becomes much easier.
Self Assessment Answers
- Past — We couldn’t get past the large crowd near the entrance.
- Passed — The new proposal needs to get passed before the end of the month.
- Past — She is trying to get past her fear of public speaking.
- Past — Once you get past the first few lessons, the course becomes much easier.
A useful pattern appears here: when the meaning is move beyond or overcome, the answer is normally past.
FAQs
1. Is It “Get Past” or “Get Passed”?
Both can be grammatically correct, but they have different uses. Get past means to move beyond or overcome something. Get passed is used when passed functions as the past participle of the verb pass.
2. Is “Get Passed” Grammatically Correct?
Yes, get passed can be grammatically correct in a passive construction.
For example:
The bill needs to get passed.
Here, passed means approved.
However, you should not use get passed when you mean move beyond.
3. Do You Say “Get Past Someone” or “Get Passed Someone”?
Usually, you say get past someone when you mean move beyond that person.
I couldn’t get past the security guard.
If another person overtakes you, however, you might say:
Don’t let him get past you.
4. Is It “Get Past It” or “Get Passed It”?
The normal expression is get past it.
You need to get past it and focus on the future.
Here, the phrase means to overcome something or stop allowing a previous event to affect you.
5. Is It “Can’t Get Past” or “Can’t Get Passed”?
Use can’t get past when you cannot move beyond, understand, accept, or overcome something.
I can’t get past the fact that we missed such a good opportunity.
Using passed would be incorrect in this context.
6. What Is the Difference Between Past and Passed?
Past can refer to an earlier time or indicate movement beyond a point. Passed is the past tense and past participle of pass.
For example:
We walked past the library.
We passed the library.
The sentences have similar meanings, but the grammar is different.
7. Is It “Get Past the Problem” or “Get Passed the Problem”?
Get past the problem is correct when you mean overcome, solve, or move beyond the problem.
We must get past the problem before we can make progress.
A useful test is to replace get past with get beyond. If the sentence still makes sense, past is usually the correct choice.
Conclusion
Understanding the difference between get past and get passed becomes much easier once you focus on grammar rather than pronunciation. Although past and passed sound the same, they serve different purposes. Get past is the expression you will use most often. It means to move beyond a physical point, overcome an obstacle, recover from a difficult experience, or progress beyond a particular stage. You can get past a building, get past a problem, or get past a fear.
Get passed, on the other hand, is used in more specific grammatical situations. Here, passed is the past participle of the verb pass. A bill can get passed by lawmakers, a message can get passed around a group, or information can get passed from one person to another.
The easiest memory trick is to ask whether get beyond could express your intended meaning. If it can, choose get past. If the sentence describes something receiving the action of the verb pass, get passed may be correct.
Also remember the spelling clue: passed = pass + ed. With that simple rule and regular practice, choosing between get past or get passed will soon become natural and automatic.
David Parker is a language researcher and content writer at WordClarity.com, specializing in English word meanings, comparisons, spelling differences, and usage guides. He creates easy-to-understand content that helps readers improve clarity and confidence in everyday English. His work focuses on making language learning simple, accurate, and practical.