spelled or spelt? [SOLVED]

mooshoepork

I am having this epic argument at the moment, so I turn to you, the PA community, to help me win.

What is the past tense of "spell"

I would assume it is "spelled", as "spelt" is a type of German wheat.

IS IT SPELLED OR SPELT?

Edilith

Dictionary.com suggests that it can be either, and personally I interchange them o.o

mooshoepork

Yeah, I thought it might be either as dictionary.com suggested, but "spelt" just sounds retarded. Are there any super english guys at PA? Maybe Writer's block...hmm

Cojones

Either is acceptable; it makes absolutely no difference which you use. If you think that "spelt" should be outlawed because you don't think it looks as good then that's your prerogative.

Thanatos

Both are correct, much like "learned" and "learnt." "Spelled" is probably more common, as I think "spelt" is a leftover from Middle English, and is probably considered more archaic.

mooshoepork

Cojones wrote: »

Either is acceptable; it makes absolutely no difference which you use. If you think that "spelt" should be outlawed because you don't think it looks as good then that's your prerogative.

cool. Anyway,

Thanks everyone else. I always spell it "spelled" when writing, but if I say it, "spelt" usually slips out.

Hallucinogen

I have to agree with you, mooshoepork. Regardless of what is "correct", spelt sounds wrong to my ears, as does learnt, simply because it's inconsistent with most other words' past-tense. Dived and other similar ones also bother me. I always change it to dove in my head when I'm reading it. I mean, you don't say, "I drived to work."

Logan's Heroes

Spelt and learnt sound like the backwoods, uneducated way of saying spelled and learned. Maybe it's a coastal thing?

Janson

Yeah, thanks

Spelt, learnt, dreamt, whilst etc. are far more common in the UK.

squirly

Learned and spelled both sound retarded. I can't ever really recall anyone ever using those 2 words in Australia as well, it's always with the t like Janson pointed out.

I don't think any Americans are in a position to say anything negative about how anyone else pronounces words considering how they pronounce aluminium and caribbean.

Thanatos

squirly wrote: »

Learned and spelled both sound retarded. I can't ever really recall anyone ever using those 2 words in Australia as well, it's always with the t like Janson pointed out.

I don't think any Americans are in a position to say anything negative about how anyone else pronounces words considering how they pronounce aluminium and caribbean.

Hate to break it to you, but "aluminium" is a British word. It doesn't exist in the U.S. We only have "aluminum."

TL DR

Now quickly, settle the age-old question:

See-rup or S"eye"rup on your pancakes?

Thanatos

Hurt and Burn wrote: »

Now quickly, settle the age-old question:

See-rup or S"eye"rup on your pancakes?

o_O

I have never in my life heard anyone pronounce it "s-eye-rup." That's not to say it couldn't be accurate in some regional dialect that I am unfamiliar with (are you from West Virginia, by chance?).

TL DR

Although I did live in Hurricane, WV, for several years, I'm in the see-rup camp.

My old lady however, is a freedom hating beaver loving canuck.

Thanatos

Hurt and Burn wrote: »

Although I did live in Hurricane, WV, for several years, I'm in the see-rup camp.

My old lady however, is a freedom hating beaver loving canuck.

Yeah, they speak some crazy moon-language in the Appalachian region of the U.S. that only bears a passing resemblance to English, so I find that generally if it's a pronunciation that I have never even begun to conceive of--let alone hear--it frequently comes from there.

embrik

I would have gone with "Sir-rup" as the pronunciation of syrup. Midwest US here. However, pronunciation isn't really the main topic here. I'd only ever heard of "spelled" being used, as in "I spelled out the terms of the agreement to everyone." Dreamt and whilst are words I've used quite a bit, but learned is the word I prefer there.

vonPoonBurGer

embrik wrote: »

I would have gone with "Sir-rup" as the pronunciation of syrup.

Here in Canada, I think most people pronounce it "see-rup." The first part sounds like sear, as in to sear a steak. "Sir-rup" sounds very American to my ear.

embrik wrote: »

I'd only ever heard of "spelled" being used, as in "I spelled out the terms of the agreement to everyone." Dreamt and whilst are words I've used quite a bit, but learned is the word I prefer there.

I've noticed that I use either when speaking, usually depending on whether or not the word following has a vowel. In normal conversation, I would say "It's spelled out...", but I'd also say "It's spelt with..." Maybe that's a personal quirk, "spelt out" sounds weird to me, but "spelled out" sounds fine.

Scrublet

vonPoonBurGer wrote: »

embrik wrote: »

I would have gone with "Sir-rup" as the pronunciation of syrup.

Here in Canada, I think most people pronounce it "see-rup." The first part sounds like sear, as in to sear a steak. "Sir-rup" sounds very American to my ear.

embrik wrote: »

I'd only ever heard of "spelled" being used, as in "I spelled out the terms of the agreement to everyone." Dreamt and whilst are words I've used quite a bit, but learned is the word I prefer there.

I've noticed that I use either when speaking, usually depending on whether or not the word following has a vowel. In normal conversation, I would say "It's spelled out...", but I'd also say "It's spelt with..." Maybe that's a personal quirk, "spelt out" sounds weird to me, but "spelled out" sounds fine.

I think this is the correct answer. In a way, I think it follows the same logic as "I bought a soda" versus "I bought an elephant"...you use 'a' and 'an' at different times. Clearly that rule is much more concrete and obvious, but I think subjectively vonPoonBurGer's saying the same thing.

mooshoepork

Thanks guys, this has turned into quite an interesting conversation :P. Consider this solved!