spelt
v.v. the past tense and past participle of the word 'spell'. You use it to say that someone wrote or said the letters of a word in a specific order.
v. the past tense and past participle of 'spell'. Common in British English and other non-American varieties; American English typically uses 'spelled'.
She spelt my name wrong on the card.
I realized I had accidentally spelt the client's name with a 'k' instead of a 'c' in the final report.
The document was clearly written by someone from the UK, as several words like 'colour' and 'theatre' were spelt using British conventions throughout the text.
From spell + -t. See spell.
From Middle English spelt, from Old English spelt (“spelt, corn”), from Old Saxon spelta (“spelt”); or from Late Latin spelta (“spelt”), from Frankish spelta (“spelt”); all from Proto-Germanic spiltaz (“spelt”).
The noun is from Middle English spelt, from Old English spelt, connected with the verb. Compare speld and German Spelze (“husk”). The adjective is from Middle English spelt, probably a contraction of spelked, past participle of spelken (“to bruise (beans)”), itself of obscure origin. Compare Scots spilkings (“split peas”), the later verb, and perhaps also splet. The verb is probably from the adjective. Compare earlier spald, speld.
Used as the past tense or past participle of 'spell'.
He spelled it (in a UK context)He spelt itWhile 'spelled' is standard in American English, 'spelt' is the preferred form in British English for the past tense.