Cancelled or canceled – which one is correct?

There are some words such as travelled/traveled (the past tense of travel) that have a bit different spellings in American and British English. How about the words cancelled and canceled? Do they follow the same pattern? Are they both correct, depending on the context or… where you call home? Should you use one L or two? Let’s find out together!

Cancelled or canceled – which form is correct?

In fact, both cancelled and canceled are correct. However, the spelling is determined by whether you are in a country that uses British English or in the United States. Cancelled is used in British English while canceled is more common in American English.

What’s the meaning of the words cancelled and canceled?

Cancelled or canceled is the past tense of the verb to cancel. There is no difference in meaning between cancelled and canceled. It means that some planned event won’t take place.

Canceled or cancelled – what’s the difference?

Spelling in the English language has always been a bit inconsistent. The main difference between cancelled and canceled is that British English goes for two L’s. In American English, there is usually one L in words.

American English is generally the shorter spelling. Americans tend to shorten words when possible. They omit letters which aren’t needed to pronounce the word. That’s why there are differences in the words like color/colour, rumor/rumour or honor/honour. The same applies to canceled/cancelled.

Cancelled or canceled – what are other forms of these words?

Cancelled or canceled – it’s all clear! Examples from literature

How could this happen? Shouldn’t we have been notified that the flight was cancelled?

Sharon M. Draper,Out of My Mind

First, classes were cancelled, and the whole school was overrun by guards poking through all our bedrooms.

Julia Alvarez, In the Time of the Butterflies

I carefully explained that I’d canceled my trip, worried about my truck.

Stephenie Meyer,Twilight