“Traveling” or “Travelling” (Which Spelling is Correct?)

Traveling or travelling?

The verb travel, which is to “go from one place to another, especially over a long distance”, uses different spellings based on UK English and US English:

• British English spells “travelling” with the double “L”.

• American English spells “traveling” with one “L”.

The same goes with other verb forms of “travel” in the past tense i.e., traveled and travelled; or as a noun, traveler and traveller.

Other words (like traveling or travelling)

UK English	US English
travelling, travelled	traveling, travelled
modelling, modelled	modeling, modeled
labelling, labelled	labeling, labeled
cancelling, cancelled	canceling, canceled

Word forms of travel

Other verb/noun forms also conform to the same spelling rules based on US/UK English:

Part of speech	US English	UK English
verb	traveling, traveled	travelling, travelled
noun	traveler	traveller

Sentences with traveling/traveling (present participle)

The travelling/traveling public have had enough of fare increases.

She grew up in a travelling/traveling family.

The birds are travelling/traveling south for the winter.

She enjoys travelling/traveling around Europe.

Sentences with traveled/travelled (past tense)

They travelled/traveled cross-country from New York to California.

The pain travelled/traveled down his back.

They travelled/traveled on the bus to and from work together.

Synonyms of travel

• journey
• voyage
• tour
• trip
• pilgrimage
• sojourn
• passage
• peregrinate (to travel especially on foot)

Phrases with travel

• travel light
• travel-sick/travel sickness
• travel agent or agency

Origin of the word travel

Etymonline on travel:

Late 14c., “to journey,” from travailen (1300) “to make a journey,” originally “to toil, labor”. Replaced Old English faran. Related: Traveled; traveling. Traveled (adj.) “having made journeys, experienced in travel” is from early 15c. Traveling salesman is attested from 1885.

—Etymonline, travel.

Read more about US English vs. UK English

Commonly misused words	UK English vs. US English
former vs. latter	burned or burnt?
bear with vs. bare with	canceled or cancelled?
breathe or breath	favorite vs. favourite
compliment vs. complement	smelled or smelt?
effect vs. affect	gray or grey?
elude or allude	favor vs. favour
it’s or its	analyze or analyse?

Sources

1. Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of humor.” Online Etymology Dictionary, Accessed 12 February, 2024.
2. “Peregrinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peregrinate. Accessed 12 Feb. 2024.