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.
Tip Don’t want to spend time checking how you should spell this word? Use our spell checker! - 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 November 28, 2023, from https://www.scribbr.com/us-vs-uk/spelt-or-spelled/
