What’s the past tense of “spell”?
Spelt and spelled are both correct to reference the past tense of spell (the verb). To spell describes the act of writing or saying the letters of a word out loud, in the correct order.
- US English prefers spelled; i.e., the regular verb form ending in –ed.
- UK English uses spelled and spelt as a past tense and/or past participle form interchangeably.
She had spelled it wrong on every test until now.
She spell her name differently on the form.
Definition of the word “spell”
The word spell has another meaning, which makes it a homophone (words that sound the same but have different meanings). As a noun, a spell is “a spoken word or form of words held to have magic power.”
Anyone familiar with the Harry Potter series knows that wizards and witches are taught to cast spells—this is the sense in which the noun spell is meant. Spelt, in the past tense, is also a noun, and refers to the ancient and hulled wheat, spelt.
Forms of the verb spell
| Present | Past | Future | |
| simple | I spell | I spelt/spelled | I will spell |
| continuous | I am spelling | I was spelling | I will be spelling |
| perfect | I have spelt/spelled | I had spelt/spelled | I will have spelt/spelled |
| perfect continuous | I have been spelling | I had been spelling | I will have been spelling |
Irregular verbs like spell
| Base Verb | Past Tense | Past Participle |
| dream | dreamed/dreamt | dreamed/dreamt |
| burn | burned/burnt | burned/burnt |
| sleep | slept | slept |
| leap | leapt/leaped | leapt/leaped |
Spelt/Spelled in sentence examples
| Word Form | Examples |
| Past Tense (“spelt”) |
The child spelt the word for the teacher. You’ve spelt my name wrong. |
| Past Tense (“spelled”) |
‘Nevaeh’ is ‘heaven’ spelled backwards/backward. Is ‘necessary’ spelled with one ‘s’, or two? |
Remember the general rule: US English favors “spelled,” while UK English often uses “spelt.” Context and the overall style guide you’re following will determine which is more appropriate.
Phrases with the word spell
| Phrase | Meaning |
| to be under someone’s spell | to be magnetized or especially drawn to someone |
| death by spell check | when you submit something to spell check and it reports tons of errors |
| you can’t spell (something) without (something else | said of phrases or words that relate in meaning and share the same letters |
| I spell trouble | indicating that there’s impending trouble or doom |
| a dry spell | an extended period of time without rain |
| spell disaster Fig | to indicate sign of impending trouble or disaster |
| do I have to spell it out for you? | to have to explain something in the simplest of terms |
| a cold spell | to describe a period of extremely cold weather |
| to cast a spell | literally to induce the effects of a magic spell on someone |
| come in and sit a spell | a way of inviting someone to come in and relax a while |
Origin of the word spell
| Late 12c., brennen, “emit or perceive an odor,” not found in Old English, perhaps cognate with Middle Dutch smolen, Low German smelen “to smolder.” |
Learn more about grammar
| Commonly misused words | UK English vs. US English |
|---|---|
| former vs. latter | burned or burnt? |
| bear vs. bare | color or colour? |
| breathe vs. breath | favorite vs. favourite |
| compliment vs. complement | smelled or smelt? |
| affect vs. effect | gray or grey? |
| elude vs. allude | favor vs. favour |
| it’s or its | analyze or analyse? |
Worksheet
In American English, what is the past tense of “spell”?
Which sentence uses the past tense of “spell” correctly in British English?
The sentence “He spelt the word wrong” is:
Which of these is NOT a correct past tense form of “spell”?
According to the blog post, “spelt” can also be:
She the words perfectly.
The child his name for the teacher.
In US English, you would typically the word correctly.
The missing ingredient disaster for the cake.
He had the word incorrectly.
FAQs
Is “spelt” or “spelled” correct?
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When should I use “spelt” in writing?
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What’s the difference in usage between “spelt” and “spelled”?
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Is “He spelled the word wrong” correct?
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Are “spelt” and “spelled” past participles?
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Yash, D. "What’s the Past Tense of Spell? Spelled or Spelt?." Grammarflex, Jul 20, 2025, https://www.grammarflex.com/which-is-the-past-tense-of-spell-spelled-or-spelt/.
Sources
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Oxford Learner’s, definition of spell.
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Origin of the verb, origin of spell.
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Wikipedia, spelt.
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Wikipedia, homophones.
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“Spell.” Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. 2015. Farlex, Inc 3 Nov. 2023 https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/spell
