The nature of the problem can be seen with an analysis of the set of irregular verbs:

OKE PAST TENSE

D PAST TENSE

T PAST TENSE

awake awoke awoken

break broke broken
speak spoke spoken
wake woke woken

bet bid bid

do did done
hide hid hidden
slide slid slidden
rid rid rid
bid bade bidden
lay laid laid
pay paid paid
read read read

bend bent bent

dream dreamt dreamed
lend lent lent
mean meant meant
send sent sent
spend spent spent

OUN PAST TENSE

bind bound bound
find found found
grind ground ground
wind wound wound
OOK PAST TENSE

ED PAST TENSE

forsake forsook forsaken

shake shook shaken
take took taken

bleed bled bled

breed bred bred
feed fed fed
flee fled fled
lead led led

UNG ANG PAST TENSE

OLD ELD PAST TENSE

cling clung clung

fling flung flung
hang hung hung
sling slung slung
sting stung stung
string strung strung
swing swung swung
wring wrung wrung
ring rang rung
sing sang sung
spring sprang sprung
dig dug dug

hold held held

uphold upheld upheld
withhold withheld withheld
sell sold sold
tell told told

ANK PAST

OVE PAST TENSE

drink drank drunk

sink sank sunk
stink stank stunk

dive dove dived

drive drove driven
strive strove striven
thrive throve thrived
weave wove woven

EW PAST TENSE

ORE PAST TENSE

bear bore born
swear swore sworn
tear tore torn
wear wore worn

deal dealt dealt

feel felt felt
kneel knelt knelt
spell spelt spelt
build built built
spill spilt spilt
lose lost lost
leave left left
meet met met
sit sat sat
spit spat spat
burn burnt burnt
learn learnt learnt
light lit lighted
creep crept crept
keep kept kept
leap leapt leapt
sleep slept slept
sweep swept swept
weep wept wept
OT OTE PAST TENSE
get got got
shoot shot shot
smite smote smitten
write wrote written
MISC

blow blew blown

draw drew drawn
fly flew flown
grow grew grown
know knew known
throw threw thrown
slay slew slain
UCK PAST TENSE

AUGH OUGH PAST TENSE

buy bought bought
bring brought brought
catch caught caught
fight fought fought
seek sought sought
teach taught taught
think thought thought

stick stuck stuck

strike struck struck

be was been
come came come
dig dug dug
give gave given
go went gone
have had had
lie lay lain
run ran run
shine shone shone
stand stood stood
steal stole stolen
spin span spun
swim swam swum

APPENDIX: IRREGULAR PARTICIPLES

D PARTICIPLE

T PARTICIPLE

N PARTICIPLE

EN PARTICIPLE

bind bound bound

bend bent bent

awake awoke awoken

find found found

grind ground ground
wind wound wound

lend lent lent

mean meant
meant
spend spent spent

bear bore born

shear sheared
shorn
swear swore
sworn
tear tore torn
wear wore worn

bleed bled bled

breed bred bred
feed fed fed
flee fled fled
lead led led

build built built

deal dealt dealt
feel felt felt
kneel knelt knelt
spill spilt spilt

read read read

say said said

creep crept crept

shed shed shed

keep kept kept

speed sped sped

leap leapt leapt

spread spread spread

sleep slept slept

sweep swept
swept
weep wept wept

lay laid laid

blow blew blown

grow grew grown
know knew known
fly flew flown
mow mowed
mown
sew sewed sewn
show showed
shown
sow sowed sown
throw threw
thrown

begin began

break broke broken

speak spoke spoken
wake woke woken
be was, were been
beat beat beaten
bid bid bidden
draw drew drawn
eat ate eaten
fall fell fallen
forbid forbade
forbidden
forgive forgave
forgiven
forsake forsook
forsaken
give gave given
mistake mistook
mistaken
shake shook shaken

pay paid paid

rid rid rid

slide slid slid

sell sold sold

tell told told

stand stood stood

withstand withstood
withstood
have had had
hear heard heard
hold held held
die died dead
shoe shoed shod
COME
become became
become
come came come

begun
run ran run
buy bought bought spin spun spun
bring brought
brought
win won won
catch caught
caught
saw sawed sawn
fight fought fought see saw seen
seek sought
sought
go went gone
teach taught
taught
lie lay lain
think thought
thought

burn burnt burnt

burst burst burst
curse cursed curst
rend rend rent
send sent sent
lose lost lost
leave left left
meet met met
sit sat sat
spit spat spat

G PARTICIPLE
cling clung clung
fling flung flung
hang hung hung
sling slung slung
string strung strung
swing swung swung
wring wrung wrung
ring rang rung
sing sang sung
spring sprang sprung

bet bet bet

cast cast cast
cost cost cost
cut cut cut
fit fit fit
hit hit hit
hurt hurt hurt
knit knit knit
let let let
put put put
quit quit quit
set set set
slit slit slit

shave shaved shaven

take took taken

bite bit bitten

drive drove driven
hide hid hidden
ride rode ridden
rise rose risen
strive strove striven

forget forgot forgotten

get got gotten
choose chose chosen
prove proved proven
freeze froze frozen
steal stole stolen
swell swelled swollen

dig dug dug

split split split

shut shut shut

Source: http://www.percepp.com/irreg4.htm