British and American Spelling: Cancelled or Canceled?

ByKhamis Maiouf
thank you 16 British and American Spelling: Cancelled or Canceled?
🌳 B1 · INTERMEDIATE
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Quick Answer

British and American English spell some words differently. British English uses cancelled, flyer and blonde for a woman. American English often uses canceled, flier and blond.

Choose one style and use it all the way through your writing. This website uses British English.

Learn Them One by One

Neither spelling is wrong; they belong to different countries. Take one word at a time: see which spelling each country uses, then check the mistake to avoid.

Step 1: Cancelled or Canceled?

Both canceled and cancelled are correct. American English uses one L — canceled. British English uses two Ls — cancelled.

Examples:

  • The meeting was canceled because of the storm. (American English — one L.)
  • The meeting was cancelled because of the storm. (British English — two Ls.)
  • My favourite show has been cancelled. (UK, Australia, New Zealand.)

Common mistake

Thinking one spelling is wrong

✗ “Cancelled is a spelling mistake — the real word is canceled.”
✓ Both spellings are correct. (Canceled is American. Cancelled is British. Neither is a mistake.)

How to remember: Before you write, ask yourself, “Who is going to read this?” If your reader is American, write canceled. If your reader is anywhere else in the English-speaking world, write cancelled. And for the noun, always write cancellation — two Ls, every time.

Step 2: Flyer or Flier?

Both flyer and flier are correct. They mean the same thing. But flyer is much more common, so use it for everything. The only exception is the idiom take a flier, which means “take a big risk.”

Examples:

  • She handed out flyers for the school concert. (Printed papers with information.)
  • He is a frequent flyer with the airline. (A person who flies often.)
  • The company took a flier on a new product. (They took a big risk.)

Common mistake

✗ She is a frequent flier with the airline.

✓ She is a frequent flyer with the airline.

How to remember: Flyer is the safe choice — it works everywhere. Only switch to flier when someone is “taking a flier” on something risky.

Step 3: Blond or Blonde?

Both blond and blonde are correct. Use blond (no e) for a man or for anyone in general. Use blonde (with e) for a woman. When you are not sure, blond is always safe.

Examples:

  • He has blond hair. (male — no e)
  • She has blonde hair. (female — with e)
  • The blond boy sat next to the blonde girl.

Common mistake

✗ She is a blond woman.

✓ She is a blonde woman.

How to remember: If you are talking about a woman, think of the French word elle (she). Elle ends in e, and so does blonde.

Test Yourself: British or American Spelling?

Choose an answer to see your feedback immediately. Your first answer counts towards your score.

Question 1 of 5

1. An American newspaper writes: “The Super Bowl parade has been _______.”

2. A BBC reporter says: “All flights from Heathrow have been _______.”

3. She handed out _______ for the school concert.

4. Tom has _______ hair and blue eyes.

5. Everyone calls her “the _______” at school.

Keep Going — You Are Building Something

You can now spot British and American spellings. Next, look at one more word with two spellings: grey and gray.

Next lesson: Gray or Grey: Unveiling the Correct Spelling and Usage Differences

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