Canceled vs. Cancelled
The English language is spoken widely around the world. Not only is English the dominant language in the United States, but it is also the dominant language in Great Britain, Canada, and Australia. Often, spellings of the same word differ depending on the location. Let's take a look at the past tense of the word cancel, which is one example of how spellings differ depending on location.
Cancel is a verb meaning to call off, negate, avoid, or abandon.
1. The referees decided to cancel the game due to rain.
2. Will the bank cancel a check once they receive it?
3. When solving math equations, what you cancel on one side of the equal sign you must also cancel on the other.
The past tense of cancel can be formed as canceled or cancelled. Both spellings are accepted, but in some locations, one is more accepted than the other.
In the United States, or in American English, canceled has become the more preferred term.
1. The party was canceled due to the snowy weather.
2. Mrs. Jones canceled our quiz on Friday.
In Canada, Great Britain and Australia, the preferred spelling is cancelled.
1. The Queen cancelled the annual garden party.
2. The rugby match was cancelled when one team fell ill with the flu.
While one spelling might be more accepted in one location than the other, both spellings are considered to be correct. This is another example of how language changes and morphs over time as we use words to communicate.
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