Canceled or cancelled: what's the right spelling? (2024)

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Remember when you were a kid and the confusion betweencanceledvs.cancelledgot you into an argument with your classmate?

Now that you’ve grown up, you’re likely looking to get over this confusion between the twoEnglish spellingsso you don’t use it incorrectly onsocial mediaor in your professional communication.

So what’s thecorrect spelling —canceledwith one “l” orcancelledwith two “l”s? The short answer is: both are correct. The long answer: thepreferred spellingdepends on where you live and who you’re writing for.

Let’s clear up this confusion by diving deep into the story behindcanceledvs.cancelled,so you canknow howto use the correct spelling.

Canceledvs.cancelled: which is the correct spelling?

While they usedifferent spellings, they mean the same thing: thepast tenseof theverbcancel. The difference lies in whether you’re writing for anAmerican audienceor a UK audience.

For beginners, here’s the difference betweencanceledvs.cancelled:

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The double “l” or (“LL”) version is also the one that’s used in other countries outside the US, including Canada and Australia.

This holds true for most versions of thepast tense ofcancelsuch ascancelledandcancelling, and even the wordcanceller.

However, with the wordcancellation, you’ll always use double “l” irrespective of where you live or who you write for. So, in a sense,cancelationis incorrect. Why? Because the generally accepted spelling forcancellationhas double “ll” — there’s no American orBritish Englishin this case. Strange, right?

Let’s look at examples now:

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The universal cancellation:You may also receive an email, SMS, and/or a phone call from us informing you about your flight cancellation. (FlyDubai)

When is it okay to use double “ll” in the American spelling ofcanceled?

Now, here’s where things get complicated (feel free to lean into your screen right about now): in some instances, the American spelling uses double “ll” in variations ofcancel.

But before you go all ninja on me, let me explain. When Americans like to stress the finalsyllableof a word, they add to the effects by using double “ll”.

For example:

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Similarly,cancelbecomescancelledandcancellinginAmerican English. This is why you sometimes seecancelledwith a double “ll” inAmerican books, captions in your favoriteTV show, and publications such as theNew York Times.

The root of thedifferent spellings

The difference betweencanceledvs.cancelledis the same that you’ll find in other American andBritish spellings. For instance,colorandcolour,honorandhonour, andfavoriteandfavouriteare all different.

Thecanceledvs.cancelleddifference, in particular, arose when leading dictionaries started using the different spellings. Brits chiefly use spellings outlined in Samuel Johnson’s A Dictionary of the English Language.

On the other hand, American publications follow spellings given in Noah Webster’s An American Dictionary of the English Language.

In the 1806 version of Webster’s dictionary,cancelled(double “ll” like in British English) was used. However, Webster — the spelling simplicity proponent that he was — usedcanceledwith a single “l” in the 1828 dictionary version. Following Webster’s dictionary, usingcanceledbecame common in American English.

American English: examples ofcanceled

• For the second year, Boston Calling has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, organizers announced Monday. (Boston Globe)

• Canceling the contract would be cheaper but not cheap. (Chicago Tribune)

• The entertainment news show, launched in 1991, was canceled in response to the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, a representative for NBC Universal confirmed with CNN Business in an email. (CNN)

British English: examples ofcancelled

• Unsurprisingly, the last one caused the biggest backlash, with right-wing pundits claiming that “childhood is cancelled” after the estate of Dr. Seuss quietly removed six lesser-read books which they said featured “hurtful and wrong” racial stereotypes, first published in 1937. (The Independent)

• Then, without any warning whatsoever, your new favourite TV series, is cancelled. (Stylist)

• YouTuber and makeup artist Manny Gutierrez found himself “cancelled” following an online feud with fellow vloggers. (BBC)

When to usecanceledvs.cancelled(and how to remember it)

The preferred spelling depends on a couple of factors:

Understand who your reader is.

If you’re writing to apply for a university in the UK, you’re likely going to impress the recipient by usingcancelled, the British English version.

Understand which spelling your company uses.

If you’re well into your career already or are starting one as a writer or journalist, understand which spelling the publication or brand you work with uses. Chances are they’ll give you astylebookthat’ll answer this question for you. If not, read internal content and see which spelling is used.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

If you’re not professionally writing or communicating, you’ll want to use the spelling that others who live in your state/region use. For instance, if you’re currently inNew Zealand, usecancelled.

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The question now is: how do you remember to use the correct version based on your location, target readers, and publication preferences?

UseWriterto automatically help you correct the version. All you need to do is set up the default setting to US or UK English or make astyle guidefor your brand and go on to use the right spelling. Kudos! It’s that simple.Start a free trialtoday.