Traveled and traveling

[Rachel Adams]

Hello.

Is ''traveling'' and ''traveled'' correct spelling? In British English English the correct forms are ''travelled'' and ''travelling'' but are the other two forms acceptable in American English?

 

[Rachel Adams]

Yes.

And ''canceling'' and ''canceled'' as well. Right?

 

[Rover_KE]

Yes — and the same goes for most other verbs ending -el (but not -eel).

 

[GoesStation]

It's not followed religiously, but the rule in American English is that you double the final consonant when adding -ed or -ing to single-syllable verbs ending in a vowel plus a consonant but not multiple-syllable verbs with an unstressed final syllable.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Hello.

Are ''traveling'' and ''traveled'' the correct spelling? In British English the correct forms are ''travelled'' and ''travelling,'' but are the other two forms acceptable in American English?

Yes, indeed.

Just checked my Webster's to be sure. Both are used, but the single L forms come first.

 

[GoesStation]

I used to supply software to a branch of the travel industry. I always used traveled, traveling, canceled, and canceling, but my clients (all American) tended to double the Ls.

 

[probus]

Not that I expect people to care much about what we do in little old Canada, but we double those Ls just as they do in BrE. It must be a hangover from our colonial history because in most respects our English is AmE.

 

[GoesStation]

Not that I expect people to care much about what we do in little old Canada, but we double those Ls just as they do in BrE. It must be a hangover from our colonial history because in most respects our English is AmE.

It may be mostly American, but it's British-coloured. ;-)

Canadian spelling is often described as midway between American and British.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I used to supply software to a branch of the travel industry. I always used traveled, traveling, canceled, and canceling, but my clients (all American) tended to double the Ls.

And we're always right and we never lie.

 

[bubbha]

It's not followed religiously, but the rule in American English is that you double the final consonant when adding -ed or -ing to single-syllable verbs ending in a vowel plus a consonant but not multiple-syllable verbs with an unstressed final syllable.

I would add: unless using a single letter would give the preceding vowel wrong the wrong sound. So "kidnaped" is wrong, because it requires a double "p" to retain the correct vowel sound.

 

[Rachel Adams]

I would add: unless using a single letter would give the preceding vowel wrong the wrong sound. So "kidnaped" is wrong, because it requires a double "p" to retain the correct vowel sound.

I thought the final consonant is doubled only when the [FONT=&quot]final syllable is stressed in speech as it is explained here and shown in ''[/FONT][FONT=&quot]beGIN,'' ''preFER''[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT]https://speakspeak.com/resources/en...C7XE0x856mFbotmF4q7jVawjSND58w3iOMxlAU8IMCfJw

 

[GoesStation]

I thought the final consonant is doubled only when the final syllable is stressed in speech as it is explained here and shown in ''beGIN,'' ''preFER''

Yes, that's the general rule. Two tendencies of English spelling conflict here. If you spell it canceled, a pronunciation tendency tells the reader to lengthen the first "e" and say "can-sealed". If you spell it cancelled, another tendency tells the reader to pronounce the "e" correctly but to incorrectly stress the second syllable. British publishers avoid the first problem; American publishers generally choose to avoid the second. I think the British adhere to their rule more consistently than Americans do to theirs.

 

[Rachel Adams]

Yes, that's the general rule. Two tendencies of English spelling conflict here. If you spell it canceled, a pronunciation tendency tells the reader to lengthen the first "e" and say "can-sealed". If you spell it cancelled, another tendency tells the reader to pronounce the "e" correctly but to incorrectly stress the second syllable. British publishers avoid the first problem; American publishers generally choose to avoid the second. I think the British adhere to their rule more consistently than Americans do to theirs.

Then the article should add the verb "kidnap" as an exception. As it added "cancel" and "prefer".

 

[GoesStation]

Then the article should add the verb "kidnap" as an exception. As it added "cancel" and "prefer".

"Prefer" isn't an exception. It's stressed on its final syllable.

I'm not sure the article is correct to label "cancel" and "prefer" as exceptions in British English. I thought doubling final consonants was a general rule over there. I've been wrong once, though, and it's possible I was wrong about that, too.

 

[GoesStation]

"Prefer" isn't an exception, anyway. It's stressed on its final syllable, so its participles require doubled consonants in any variety of English.

 

[Rachel Adams]

We do not normally double the final consonant if the second syllable is unstressed - except when the final consonant is l. There are quite a few of these.

I meant ''kidnap'' is an exception, isn't it?

 

[GoesStation]

I meant ''kidnap'' is an exception, isn't it?

I guess so. We use two Ps in the participles in American English, too.