Spelt or Spelled | Meaning, Difference & Examples
Spelt and spelled are two different spellings of the past tense of the verb ‘spell’, used to refer to the act of writing or saying letters in a specific order to form a word.
The spelling tends to vary based on whether you’re using UK or US English:
- In UK English, both ‘spelled’ and ‘spelt’ are commonly used.
- In US English, ‘spelled’ is standard, and ‘spelt’ is generally not accepted.
The child spelt/spelled the word for the teacher.
The two dictionaries spelt/spelled the word differently.
I’d heard someone talk about Scribbr, but I wasn’t sure how it was spelt/spelled.
‘Spell’ can be either regular or irregular, with the irregular form more common in UK English. This is also true of ‘learnt/learned‘, ‘dreamt/dreamed‘, ‘knelt/kneeled‘, and ‘burnt/burned‘.
Misspelled or misspelt
Misspelled and misspelt are the negative forms of ‘spelled’ and ‘spelt’. They can be used as verbs to refer to the act of spelling a word incorrectly, or as adjectives to describe a word that has been spelled incorrectly. The same spelling distinction carries over to these forms:
- In UK English, both ‘misspelled’ and ‘misspelt’ are common.
- In US English, ‘misspelled’ is correct.
‘Ad nauseam‘ is often misspelt/misspelled as ‘ad nauseum’.
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Frequently asked questions
- Is the past tense of ‘spell’ ‘spelt’ or ‘spelled’?
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Spelt and spelled are two different spellings of the past tense of the verb ‘spell’.
The spelling tends to vary based on the version of English you’re using:
- In US English, ‘spelled’ is standard.
- In UK English, both ‘spelled’ and ‘spelt’ are acceptable.
- Is it ‘spelled’ or ‘spelt’ in Ireland?
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In Ireland, both spelled and spelt are commonly used as the past tense of the verb spell. This is similar to the trend in UK English.
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Ryan, E. (2023, September 25). Spelt or Spelled | Meaning, Difference & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved 22 November 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/uk-vs-us/spelled-or-spelt/
