The English language is full of peculiarities that make it quite difficult to spell and write in the correct manner, and this is complicated to an even greater degree when considering the differences between the various countries in which English is spoken. One word which often poses particular difficulty and conflict is the past tense version of "cancel," which the Americans spell "canceled" and
. the British spell "cancelled." There are several reasons that this spelling confusion exists, but it is primarily due to the fact that rules of spelling and grammar generally contain exceptions.Due to their exceptional nature, it is most often best to learn the exceptions through rote memory. One area where this is the case is in regard to past tense verbs. These verbs generally follow a rule of adding the "-ed" suffix to the end of a verb. It becomes much more complicated with irregular verbs, but for now it is best to only consider regular verbs. The following are examples of a verb and the corresponding past tense version of the verb:Flag-FlaggedRig-RiggedFit-FittedAfter considering these regular, past tense verbs, it is useful to consider the following verbs and the corresponding past tense version of each verb:Wow-WowedRoot-RootedWade-WadedNotice that in the first set of verbs, the past tense version of each verb requires repeating the final letter of the present tense verb. In the second set of verbs, however, this is not required. The rule behind this is that verbs which end in a short vowel sound require the final consonant of the verb to be repeated in the past tense version of the verb, whereas verbs that end in a long vowel sound do not require repeating the final consonant. This rule should mean, therefore, that the past tense version of the word "cancel" is "cancelled." The British agree with this and maintain consistency, but the Americans create an all too frequent exception by spelling the word as "canceled."Understanding the rules of spelling and grammar is a useful pursuit, but there comes a time when it is necessary to simply learn through experience and repetition. The past tense version of the word "cancel" is such an example, and the best thing to remember is that the spelling varies depending upon the version of English in use.More reference links: http://oxforddictionaries.com/words/british-and-american-spelling http://www.heartlandconnection.com/news/story.aspx?id=571455#.TuoRE9QgfCA
