lend, lent, loan, loaned

Lend is always a verb.

• Could you lend me $200?
• Bjorn lent us his ski chalet for the weekend.

The verb lend can also have a figurative meaning.

• Please lend me a hand with this project.
• The bright colours lent a cheerful air to the room.

Loan may be used as a noun or as a verb.

As a noun, loan refers to something that someone is allowed to borrow, or to the act of lending.

• John and Lisa took out a loan to pay for the renovations to their house.
• Could I have the loan of your car for the weekend?

As a verb, loan is used as a synonym for lend, especially in the case of valuable objects and money.

• Consuela loaned the museum her collection of Aztec artifacts.
• The bank loaned Elspeth the money to pay for the car.