Spelled or Spelt?

What Is the Difference between "Spelled" and "Spelt"?

"Spelled" and "spelt" are interchangeable in the UK, but not in the US. Here is some guidance:

• If you're following US writing conventions, use "spelled."
• If you're following UK writing conventions, you can use "spelled" or "spelt."
• If you're referring to the wheat-like foodstuff, use "spelt."

This graph shows how "spelled" has overtaken "spelt" in British English.

More about "Spelled" and "Spelt"

The verb "to spell" most commonly means "to write or name the letters that form a word in correct sequence."

In the UK, "to spell" has both an irregular form and a regular form. This means the past tense and the past participle can be written as either "spelled" or "spelt."

Americans Demand "Spelled"

In America, "spelled" dominates. The use of "spelt" as the past tense or past participle of "to spell" is considered a spelling mistake.

Brits Can Use "Spelled" or "Spelt"

Outside America, "spelled" has become more common, but "spelt" is widely accepted. (The recent emergence of "spelled" is a result of growing American influence.)

Here is the evidence that "spelled" has overtaken "spelt" in British English.

Misspelled and Misspelt

It's the same with "misspelled" and "misspelt." Americans demand "misspelled," and Brits will accept it. However, Brits prefer "misspelt."

Verbs with Irregular and Regular Forms

The following verbs (like "to spell") can be regular or irregular :

Verb	Past Simple	Past Participle
burn	burned OR burnt	burned OR burnt
dream	dreamed OR dreamt	dreamed OR dreamt
learn	learned OR learnt	learned OR learnt
smell	smelled OR smelt	smelled OR smelt
spell	spelled OR spelt	spelled OR spelt

As with "spelt," the second form (e.g., "learnt," "dreamt") is more common in British English.

"Spelt" the Wheat

Of note, the noun "spelt" refers to a kind of wheat grain.

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