While lead is a word that would be used in a sentence, it is not the past tense of “to lead.” Lead is actually a metal…led means “to lead” in the past tense. This is a very common mistake that is made, and I constantly have to correct it in other’s work and in mine. It’s not that I don’t know the difference, it’s that my fingers think for themselves sometimes.

EXAMPLES

Once they had led them to the cemetery, they started the ritual killing.

Lead is an element on the periodic table of contents.