Canceled vs. Cancelled

Q1. Which is correct: “canceled” or “cancelled”?

Both the words are correct. It solely depends on the location of the usage of these two words. ‘Canceled‘ is used in American English while ‘cancelled‘ is used in British English.

Q2. Give 2-2 examples of both ‘canceled’ and ‘cancelled.’

Canceled- (i) The theatrical play was canceled due to a fire. (ii) The meeting should not be canceled at the last hour due to some lame excuse. Cancelled- (i) The theatrical play was cancelled due to a fire. (ii) The meeting should not be cancelled at the last hour due to some lame excuse.

Q3. What is the difference between ‘canceled’ and cancelled?’

The difference between the two has already been explained earlier in this article.

Q4. How to pronounce ‘canceled’ and ‘cancelled?’

Kindly refer to the above article for understanding the pronunciation.

Q5. Is it canceled or cancelled in India?

In India, both “canceled” and “cancelled” are commonly used, and both are considered acceptable spellings. However, the preferred spelling may vary depending on individual preferences or the specific style guide being followed.

In British English, “cancelled” with two “l’s” is the preferred spelling. In American English, “canceled” with one “l” is more common. In India, due to the influence of both British and American English, you may encounter both spellings being used. It’s important to be consistent with your chosen spelling within a document or context.



Canceled or Cancelled – Which One is Correct?

Canceled or Cancelled 

“American and British English have many similar habits when it comes to past and present participles: both double the final consonant of a word when it follows a short vowel and has the stress on the syllable attached to the suffix (such as remit/remitted/remitting). However, if the stress does not come on the syllable that attaches to the suffix then the final consonant is not doubled (as is the case with edit/edited/editing).” – Lynne Murphy

Canceled or cancelled is the past tense of the verb ‘cancel.’ Both spellings are right. It’s just that Americans prefer ‘canceled‘ or ‘canceling,’ whereas ‘cancelled‘ or ‘cancelling‘ is used in British English and other dialects. However, the word ‘cancelation’ is rarely used and is technically correct, while ‘cancellation’ is by far the most widely-used spelling.

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Difference between Cancelled vs. Cancelled

The difference between canceled vs. cancelled is the same that we’ll find in other American and British spellings. For example, colour and colour; honour and honour; and favourite and favourite. In British English, the spellings outlined in Samuel Johnson’s A Dictionary of the English Language are used. Whereas, American publications use the spellings given in Noah Webster’s An American Dictionary of the English Language....

When to use Cancelled

‘Cancelled‘ is used as the past tense of ‘cancel’ when corresponding in British English....

When to use Canceled

‘Canceled‘ is used as the past tense of ‘cancel‘ when corresponding in American English....

Cancelled vs. Canceled: American Examples

(i) Jerry and Joanna couldn’t muster enough mangoes to bake a nice mango pie, so they just canceled the county barbecue....

Cancelled vs. Canceled: British (UK) Examples

(i) Since Nora’s pyjama party was cancelled, let’s line up for some sushi and drinks at the restaurant....

Cancelled vs. Canceled: Pronunciation

While pronouncing ‘cancel,’ we emphasize the first syllable. And, when a word is stressed on its final syllable, it generally takes two l’s before “ed.” For example, cancelled, compelled, rebelled, repelled, etc....

Conclusion

Thus, both words ‘canceled‘ and ‘cancelled‘ are used for the past tense of “cancel”, the one with single ‘l’ is more common in American English while the one with double ‘l’ is common in British English. Therefore, it’s a matter of location or who you are writing for while deciding whether to use two l’s or one. Also, American English just doubles the consonant if the stress is on the syllable attached to the suffix. Further, you can also check another article named “Gray vs Grey”....

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Q1. Which is correct: “canceled” or “cancelled”?...