Is It Spelt or Spelled? | Spelling, Difference & Examples
Spelt and spelled are two ways of spelling the past tense of the verb “spell,” which means “forming words with the letters in the correct order.” The spelling depends on the type of English you use.
- In British English, “spelled” and “spelt” are both used, but “spelt” is a bit more common.
- In American English, “spelled” is standard.
Examples: Spelt or spelled in a sentence
Eoghan carefully spelt/spelled his name to avoid any mistakes.
Abdullah spelt/spelled “synecdoche” with ease during the spelling bee competition.
Kimberley accidentally spelt/spelled the author’s name wrong in her essay.
Eoghan carefully spelt/spelled his name to avoid any mistakes.
Abdullah spelt/spelled “synecdoche” with ease during the spelling bee competition.
Kimberley accidentally spelt/spelled the author’s name wrong in her essay.
Misspelled or misspelt
Misspelled and misspelt are the negative forms of “spelled” and “spelt” and refer to the act of spelling a word incorrectly. It can also be used as an adjective to describe a word that is spelled incorrectly. The spelling again depends on whether you’re using American or British English.
- In British English, “misspelled” and “misspelt” are both used, but “misspelt” is a bit more common.
- In American English, “misspelled” is standard.
Examples: Misspelled or misspelt in a sentence
“Beck and call” is often misspelt/misspelled “beckon call.”
I have never misspelt/misspelled “onomatopoeia” before!
“Beck and call” is often misspelt/misspelled “beckon call.”
I have never misspelt/misspelled “onomatopoeia” before!
Cassandra was embarrassed when she realized she had misspelt/misspelled her friend’s name on a birthday card.
Spell as a regular or irregular verb
Spell can be considered either an irregular verb or a regular verb, depending on the chosen spelling of the past tense verb.
- Verbs that form their past tense by adding “-ed” are regular verbs.
- Verbs that form their past tense in some other way are irregular verbs.
Main differences between American and British English
American and British English are very similar, but there are a few main differences in spelling. Five important differences are:
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Frequently asked questions about spelt or spelled
Is it spelled or spelt wrong?
Spelled and spelt are two spellings of the same verb. The usage depends on the type of English.
- In British English, both “spelt” and “spelled” are used, but “spelt” is a bit more common. So “spelled wrong” and “spelt wrong” are both accepted.
- In American English, “spelled” is standard, so the correct version is “spelled wrong.”
Other examples of verbs that are both regular and irregular are dreamed or dreamt, burnt or burned, learnt or learned, and kneeled or knelt.
It's important to choose one and use it consistently. The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help you with this.
Is it spelled incorrectly or spelt incorrectly?
Spelled and spelt are two spellings of the same verb. The usage depends on the type of English.
- In British English, both “spelt” and “spelled” are used, but “spelt” is a bit more common. So “spelled incorrectly” and “spelt incorrectly” are both accepted.
- In American English, “spelled” is standard, so the correct version is “spelled incorrectly.”
Other examples of verbs that are both regular and irregular are dreamed or dreamt, burnt or burned, learnt or learned, and kneeled or knelt.
It's important to choose one and use it consistently. The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help you with this.