OT: Is it "Canceled" or "Cancelled"?

[fireford]

In light of the fact that we'll be seeing the word canceled/cancelled a lot in the near future (unfortunately) I felt the need to double-check the spelling to make sure I don't get a ticket from the BY spelling police. Turns out you can't go wrong either way.

I always prefer to use "cancelled" because the ls seem to roll off your tongue in a way where they should be doubled. "Canceled" seems to be like it should be pronounced "Can suh lead" the way it's spelled.

In any case, both work.

You're welcome for helping you sleep better tonight.

Canceled vs. Cancelled: Which Is Spelled Correctly?

With everything going on these days, you might be wondering which is the correct term to use: canceled or cancelled? Can you spell it both ways?

www.dictionary.com

 

[Sifaka]

Now that you have revealed yet another difference between AE (American English) and BE (British English), perhaps you are ready to tell us whether you prefer spelled or spelt.


Here are a few more for your collection.

British	US
defence	defense
licence	license
offence	offense
pretence	pretense

British	US
colour	color
flavour	flavor
humour	humor
labour	labor
neighbour	neighbor

Lots more here: British and American spelling | Lexico.com

 

[Plebe]

Ha fun topic.

The ambiguity arises on multisyllabic verbs in which the last syllable is atonic (unstressed) and ends in a vowel + L combination (cancel, marvel, level, dial, imperil).

In the UK, only "cancelled" is considered correct.

As you say, either spelling is correct in the US. But the nearly unanimous preference among US-based stylebooks (AP, New York Times, etc.) is to declare independence from the mother country through the radical act of dropping one of the L's: canceled, marveled, leveled, dialed, imperiled.

If the last syllable carries stress, the L always doubles: compelled, rebelled, patrolled, extolled.

 

[fireford]

Now that you have revealed yet another difference between AE (American English) and BE (British English), perhaps you are ready to tell us whether you prefer spelled or spelt.


Here are a few more for your collection.

British	US
defence	defense
licence	license
offence	offense
pretence	pretense

British	US
colour	color
flavour	flavor
humour	humor
labour	labor
neighbour	neighbor

Lots more here: British and American spelling | Lexico.com

I prefer "spelled" in this case because "spelt" makes we think of someone getting hit with an open hand (i.e., a different form of "belt": He spelted him in the back of the head) but as we can surmise The past tense of the verb “spell” can be "spelt" in two ways.

 

[Happydad745]

Actually I'd like to know if the game will be rescheduled.

 

[fireford]

Actually I'd like to know if the game will be rescheduled.

We all hope it is eventually. We can only play with the hand we're dealt (but not dealed).

 

[Mdoggie]

Caroline or Carolyn is the question. Lol

 

[eebmg]

How is this OT?

 

[psconn]

Anyone who has gotten this far in the thread may be an english language nerd. Check out:

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An amazingly detailed historical look at why our language is what it is today. 154 geek-tastic episodes sure to transport all word-wonks to nerdvana.

 

[Monte]

Actually I'd like to know if the game will be rescheduled.

If it is, and you can't go, you CAN SELL your tickets.

 

[UcMiami]

Spent a year in HS at a school in England which totally messed up my already atrocious spelling. Add to that taking German classes that added in a 'crossed 7' and it is a wonder anyone understands anything I write.

 

[Boreifs]

Actually I'd like to know if the game will be rescheduled.

Would the Brits spell it reschedulled? Probably not; looks terrible.

 

[McFly]

Would the Brits spell it reschedulled? Probably not; looks terrible.

Probably not. But where we pronounce it reskeduled, I believe they say resheduled.

 

[Skeets]

I worry about (aboot in Canada) a lot of things, but this ain't one of them

 

[Puppy Love]

I did a stint working with customers who were behind on debt payments many years ago. Our department was called ‘Consumer Counseling’. About half the time, it was misspelled ’Consumer Counselling’.

 

[fireford]

I did a stint working with customers who were behind on debt payments many years ago. Our department was called ‘Consumer Counseling’. About half the time, it was misspelled ’Consumer Counselling’.

That's what happens when there's no spelchek.

 

[Kaizen]

Anyone can pronounce "annulé et reprogrammé" ?

 

[Nyskier]

Since I majored in English Lit, and read many English novels, I have a tendency to use many Brit spellings. In art class, I always use "grey" instead of "gray", and sometimes Americans give me a strange look.

 

[visitingcock]

Since I majored in English Lit, and read many English novels, I have a tendency to use many Brit spellings. In art class, I always use "grey" instead of "gray", and sometimes Americans give me a strange look.

I was raised on British children's stories like Wind in the Willows, Jungle Book, Riki Tiki Tavi etc etc. Even into my teens, I was reading Homer, Dickens etc from British-published books and "grey" is deeply ingrained in me. There are other spellings that sometimes cause me to fall into the British way.

 

[visitingcock]

A bit off topic:

"I pled the 5th when I appeared before Congress" vs. I pleaded the 5th when I appeared before Congress.

When I was a youth, "pled" was considered proper. When I went to law school (as a mature student) pleaded was considered the standard but "pled" was not considered erroneous. Nowadays, I never see "pled" written but I hear it spoken. Indeed my spellcheck does not recognize "pled." To further confuse things, the spoken "pled" can be spelled "plead."

Pled. ... Though still sometimes criticized, it is fully respectable today and both pled (or plead) and pleaded are in good use in the U.S. In legal use (such as “pleaded guilty,” “pled guilty”), both forms are standard, though pleaded is used with greater frequency. Mirriam-Webster Dictionary

 

[cancontent]

Anyone can pronounce "annulé et reprogrammé" ?

I can muddle through it with my basic French from school, however I don't recall, "reprogrammé" having that accent on the "e" before.

 

[cancontent]

Now that you have revealed yet another difference between AE (American English) and BE (British English), perhaps you are ready to tell us whether you prefer spelled or spelt.


Here are a few more for your collection.

British	US
defence	defense
licence	license
offence	offense
pretence	pretense

British	US
colour	color
flavour	flavor
humour	humor
labour	labor
neighbour	neighbor

Lots more here: British and American spelling | Lexico.com

There should be a category for "Canadian English" (CE). A lot of what's listed in British is how we spell words here, but there are times where we seem to flip to AE when it's convenient.

All I can say is that it's a good thing we're not talking French as Quebecois French is VERY different from the French from France.

Ha fun topic.

The ambiguity arises on multisyllabic verbs in which the last syllable is atonic (unstressed) and ends in a vowel + L combination (cancel, marvel, level, dial, imperil).

In the UK, only "cancelled" is considered correct.

As you say, either spelling is correct in the US. But the nearly unanimous preference among US-based stylebooks (AP, New York Times, etc.) is to declare independence from the mother country through the radical act of dropping one of the L's: canceled, marveled, leveled, dialed, imperiled.

If the last syllable carries stress, the L always doubles: compelled, rebelled, patrolled, extolled.

In Canada, we spell "cancelled" that way as well. Nowadays this is changing though with more people relying on Auto Correct and forgetting to change their English settings.

 

[Zorro]

But pled sounds so much more sophisticated! Pleaded just doesn't sound right.

 

[Golden Husky]

It's canceled. It was canceled when I started as a sportswriter in 1970 and it still was canceled when I retired in 2016. It's in the Bible. No, not that Bible; the bible for journalists: The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual, something that's sat on my desk for nearly half a century.

 

[eebmg]

Haven't we had enough L's?