Here is an example of a mistake I’ve found recently in a few different books. Hopefully this will clear up any confusion.
Led means guided. It is the past tense of to lead.
Lead is a type of metal. It rhymes with red.
I’ve found the word lead used many times when the author meant led. Not only is the wrong word being used, but it makes the reader pause to determine if the sentence is in the past or present tense.