Which is correct, 'cancelled' or 'canceled'?

Canceled’ is the past tense of the verb 'to cancel.' It is usually spelled with one L in the United States. In Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia, ‘cancelled’ is usually spelled with with two L’s. The Associated Press Stylebook dictates that 'canceled' should be used in American publications, while 'cancelled' is better suited for publications in other English-speaking regions. One should follow the same guidelines when spelling 'cancelable' and 'cancellable' or 'cancelers' and 'cancellers'. Note that this spelling convention is NOT followed when spelling 'cancellation', which is spelled with two L’s everywhere. Americans have only recently adopted the one-L spellings and not everyone is aware of the change. The MLA Style Guide

Canceled vs. cancelled

When performing Google searches of American publications, cancelled and cancelling still appear in approximately twenty percent of the search results. When performing Google searches of non-American publications, one will almost always encounter spellings with two L’s.

Use of ‘canceled’ and ‘cancelled’ in American English

American English has gradually adopted the one-L spelling of 'canceled', however the two-L spelling still exists in American writing. This Ngram indicates the use of ‘canceled’ and ‘cancelled’ in American books, journals, and magazines published from 1800 to 2000.

Use of ‘canceled’ and ‘cancelled’ in British English

This Ngram indicates the use of ‘canceled’ and ‘cancelled’ in British books, journals, and magazines published from 1800 to 2000. As you can see, the British prefer the two -L spelling, ‘cancelled’.



Have you tried the FREE PaperRater automated proofreader yet?  What are you waiting for?

Automated Proofreader



Example sentences which use 'canceled'

  • You should always have a backup plan in case your flight is delayed or canceled.
  • Cancelled The university canceled the scheduled talk, citing safety concerns in the wake of violent incidents.
  • Contrary to popular belief, few contracts can be canceled after they have been signed.
  • It's been a rough year for network television, many shows were canceled seemingly out of nowhere.
  • My appointment with the psychiatrist was scheduled for July 19 but I got a letter in the mail saying that it was canceled.
  • The meeting was canceled due to lack of a quorum.
  • The annual Festival of Lights has been canceled due to excessive heat.
  • The Time Warner CEO says that Bill Simmons' HBO show did not flop and was not canceled because of poor ratings.
  • These plans were later canceled, however.
  • Gaba only pays instructors for lessons that are booked and not canceled.
  • This was reportedly canceled in the conceptualization phase, after about 6 months work.
  • The song was planned for a Christmas 2016 release, but was later canceled.
  • At the end of the war the order was canceled.
  • When the mania ended, most of the titles were canceled.
  • The series was canceled before the Riddler's fate could be resolved.
  • It was also slated for release in Xbox format, but was canceled.
  • Adding to the problems, the zip fuel program was canceled in 1959.
  • Many flights were canceled however the airport did not close.

Example sentences which use 'cancelled' and 'cancelling'

  • The freediving champion plunged to 100m on a single breath only to have what would have been a national record cancelled.
  • Illegal black market activities by foreign Olympic committees could cause thousands of tickets to be cancelled.
  • There are many considerations you need to take into account when cancelling a project.
  • Are they truly cancelling the show or just moving it to a different time slot?
  • This noise is very effective at cancelling the higher frequency noise produced by humans.
  • You can use one of our phones to let the business know you're cancelling the appointment.
  • The 1916 Summer Olympics were cancelled due to the onset of WWI.
  • The fans were disappointed to hear that the League has cancelled the championship game due to lack of interest.
  • Consumer groups say organizers of the European Grand Prix overreacted in cancelling the opening day of the race.
  • News was leaked yesterday that the band had gone into hiding after cancelling the concert.

Which is correct, 'cancel' or 'cancell’?

Cancel’ is correct. 'Cancell’ is just a misspelling of ‘Cancel’.

When should I use 'canceled'?

You should use 'canceled' when writing for American publications or when a teacher or professor requires you to use AP style. Examples
  • The speaker says that credit card companies provide a code for every account they close, denoting the reason the card was canceled.
  • The Christmas Parade scheduled for Saturday, December 17, has been canceled due to a lack of participants.

When should I use 'cancelled'?

You should use 'cancelled' when writing for publications in English-speaking regions other than the USA. Examples
  • Due to the impact of the cyclone, flights departing to Chennai and Tirupati were cancelled on Sunday.
  • The outdoor events as a part of the Bicentennial celebration have been cancelled for this evening due to the rain.

Which is correct, 'cancelled' or 'canceled'?

They are both correct. The version with two L’s, 'cancelled', is more common in British English while the version with one 'L', 'canceled', is more common in American English.

How do you spell cancel in the past tense?

Canceled is the past tense of the verb 'to cancel'. It is usually spelled with one L in the United States. In Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia, cancelled is usually spelled with with two L’s.

Trends in the use of ‘canceled’ and ‘cancelled’

This graph shows the trends in the use of ‘cancelled’ by country. You can compare with this graph which indicates the trends in the use of ‘canceled’ by country.

How do I use 'canceled'?

Both 'canceled' and 'cancelled' are used in exactly the same way. You simply must remember to use 'canceled' when writing for American publications or when you are required to use AP style for a writing assignment. Examples
  • The sports fans spoke with a security guard who stopped by to tell them that practice was canceled.
  • Today's Cross Country meet versus Smallville has been canceled due to the weather.

How do I use 'cancelled'?

The words 'cancelled' and 'canceled' have the same meaning. You should use 'cancelled' when writing for publications which use British English as opposed to American English. Examples
  • With war raging across the globe, the IOC cancelled the Olympics.
  • Thousands of passengers were stranded on Tuesday, as 142 trains were delayed and 26 cancelled due to dense fog in north India.

Which is correct, ‘cancelation’ or ‘cancellation’?

Cancellation’ is correct. 'Cancelation’ is just a misspelling of ‘cancellation’.

Example sentences using ‘cancellation’

  • The current club was refounded in 2013 after the cancellation of the previous club.
  • The club experienced two consecutive relegations, and a successive cancellation because of financial troubles.
  • Per FIGC rules, they suffered cancellation once again.
  • This was part of an arrangement that came as a result of the cancellation of car production.
  • Police claimed to have turned away 2,000 teenagers who approached the property unaware of the party's cancellation.
  • With the announcement of the show's cancellation, a fan campaign on social media emerged.
  • Following "Pan Am's" cancellation, Robbie has appeared in the feature films "About Time" and "The Wolf of Wall Street".
  • In June 2012, Wolfe filed a lawsuit against the Companies causing public damage to the Companies and subsequent cancellation of a Get Motivated event.
  • However, a fourth season did not go ahead following the cancellation of the series.
  • The new show remained in production for six years beyond the cancellation of the old show on which it was based.
  • For many years, very little content from the game was ever released beyond screenshots that had been released to the media in promotion of the game prior to its cancellation .
  • The game's cancellation also led to the ultimate disbandment of Sega Technical Institute.
  • The cancellation of the show was confirmed in a press release.
  • Rising cost was another likely factor in the cancellation.
  • "Beryl's Lot" ran for 3 series and 52 episodes in total before its cancellation .
  • Following the cancellation of "The Colbys", the characters of Jeff and Fallon were immediately reintroduced into "Dynasty" during that series' eighth season premiere".
  • For a more detailed description of the “discharge of indebtedness”, look at Section 108 (Cancellation of Debt (COD) Income) of the Internal Revenue Code.
  • He returned home in order to cure a kidney problem he developed on the road, forcing the cancellation of the rest of the tour.
  • After the cancellation of its popular horror titles in early 1955, Farrell received a cash infusion from Dearfield Publishing, which became a key investor.
  • The character originated in March 1997 as an infant on the now-defunct series "The City", in its final days before cancellation.
  • Hitler called for the cancellation of German reparations, which he regarded as vindictive.
  • They announced the cancellation of the tournament.
  • When the cancellation was announced Canada disbanded their training camp and Canadian players returned to their club teams.
  • At the close of the third season, "The Wire" was still struggling to maintain its ratings and the show faced possible cancellation.


More sentences using ‘cancellation’

  • In late 1987, following the cancellation of the American TV series, it was announced that a feature film titled "Max Headroom for President" would be produced.
  • One factor which may have caused the cancellation of the concession contract was the precipitate preparation.
  • The series, at the time of its cancellation, was hosted by ESPN personality Mike Golic.
  • Browne was disappointed by the cancellation of the planned slick version, however, and to some extent reverted to Palmer's policy of publishing sensational fiction.
  • The pilot was written by "Lucy" veteran writers Madelyn Pugh Bob Carroll, Jr. Cancellation.
  • Whedon called the cancellation "hugely depressing" and attempted to influence the studio to allow future showings.
  • R.S. Praveen Raj, then petitioned IPAB requesting it to initiate an action on its own will (suo motu) for the cancellation of GI status to the Tiruppathi laddu.
  • His University lectures on the historical events back in 1905 were of such a character that the Nazi authorities demanded their cancellation.
  • Aguirre-Sacasa's series, entitled "Marvel Knights 4", ran for 30 issues until its cancellation in 2006.
  • Following the cancellation of the CBS television series that was based on "Sh*t My Dad Says," Halpern wrote for Grantland.com.
  • An outbreak of flu led to the cancellation of Luton's game at Kidderminster Harriers, which, combined with injuries, left Kinnear with fewer than eleven players to choose from.
  • Entitled "An open letter to the fans from Axl", Rose announced the cancellation of four concerts that were scheduled for January 2007.

Sentences illustrating the correct use of ‘cancellation’

  • The overwhelming majority of e-shopping transaction in the Middle East are COD; with cancellation rates soaring due to the lack of sense of obligation.
  • However, a number of commemorative items had already been made for the event, the demand for which and the value of which was greatly inflated by the Jamboree's cancellation.
  • According to an interview with co-creator Claire Labine, after the show's cancellation in 1989, Paul went back to school at the age of 56.
  • As a result of the cancellation and scaling-back of this draft, what is now called Canadian Tire Centre hosted the 2008 draft.
  • It lasted two seasons before cancellation.
  • A second series of "Inhumanoids" figures was in the works at the time of the line's cancellation.
  • Every attempt to show even one erroneous cancellation decision has utterly failed. Domestic Television Distribution, and after its cancellation, she went on to be a correspondent of "Extra".
  • It is clearly necessary for embeddability that "S" have the cancellation property.
  • Although Donahue's show had lower ratings than several shows on other networks, and most reports on its cancellation blamed poor ratings, it was the highest-rated program on MSNBC's struggling primetime lineup at the time of its cancellation.
  • This book was complete and waiting for art at the time of the game's cancellation.

Sentences illustrating the correct use of ‘canceled’

  • Great, therefore, was the astonishment when at the end of the month, he canceled all his obligations with his usual punctuality.
  • The show was canceled after two seasons.
  • Knowlton became so abusive in her Usenet posts that Pacbell canceled her account in 1999.
  • The third single was rumored to be either "Ditto", "Call U Out", or "Kiss Me", but was canceled.
  • His disqualification was later canceled and on 2 June 2010 he became the manager of Daugava Daugavpils.
  • Later Operation Sturgeon gets canceled as the fish smoking operation in Brooklyn was legit.
  • Colonies that did not have at least 150 inhabitants would be canceled.
  • However, the warning was canceled as there were no tsunamis to be found and recorded nearby.
  • The series was canceled after one season.
  • However, this first sentence was canceled in 1983 and the suspect absolved in 1985 by the Court of Cassation.
  • The show was also criticized for "excessive violence", and was canceled after 26 episodes.
  • The game itself has not been canceled, as the website for Gekido is available, provided by the Naps Team website.
  • However, rain canceled the scheduled qualifying session, and the field was set by the NASCAR rulebook.
  • Plans were originally made in 2007 to open at Ridgedale Center in 2011, only to be canceled in 2009.
  • Depending on their decision, the project can be canceled, put on hold, or approved to proceeded normally.
  • The series was canceled in autumn of 2007.
  • After "Classic Now" was canceled, Elliott began contributing to "ESPN the Magazine" and ESPN.com.
  • However, "The Colbys" was ultimately a ratings disappointment, and was canceled after two seasons.

Example sentences using canceled

  • The series was canceled later that same year.
  • The series struggled in the ratings and was canceled by ABC in January 1990.
  • News Center at 10" was eventually canceled by WCSH after a six year run.
  • Those with lower credit scores can have their premiums raised or insurance canceled outright.
  • In the episode, Peter creates and stars in a children's TV show after his favorite show is canceled.
  • Mother Maggie announces that the show has been canceled.
  • More often than not, a project trapped in this state will be abandoned by all interested parties or canceled outright.
  • Additional orders of Hillary Clinton’s book were canceled.
  • The following shows returned with new episodes after being canceled previously: Programs Ending in 2011.
  • The authorization act officially canceled the Constellation program.
  • The series was canceled after completing a 22 episode season.
  • Cantrell was scheduled to present an award at the ceremony but canceled in favor of his rescheduled, previously canceled tour dates.
  • The class comprised the lead ship and her sister , along with a canceled third ship, "Ceara".
  • The navy's failure at Baltimore effectively canceled out the success of Washington.
  • The German President, Joachim Gauck canceled a visit to Ukraine.
  • The project was canceled in 1991 due to the collapse of Yugoslavia.
  • Governor Nelson Rockefeller canceled the proposed extension in 1973.
  • Nine ideas were discussed in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, but all were canceled.
  • The show was canceled after its short run.
  • One of their gigs was canceled and a few had to be moved to higher ground.
  • The show was canceled in July 1999 after six months.

Sentences illustrating the correct use of cancelled

  • In pursuance of the same act, the bank cancelled exchequer bills to the amount of
  • In her death she winged her way back to her calm untroubled youth, and cancelled all the rest.
  • The administration’s suspensions of teachers were cancelled after the settlement was finalized.
  • The Exploited cancelled the remaining of the Tour Of Chaos 2014 due to Buchan's condition.
  • The art fair was cancelled in 2012 after going through financial problems.
  • However for some unknown reasons the single was cancelled.
  • But when Tundra was bought by Kitchen Sink, the project was cancelled.
  • So far, nothing more has been heard of the project and it has likely been cancelled.
  • Smith cancelled all engagements and determined to leave television permanently.
  • The show was unsuccessful in the Nielsen ratings and was cancelled by November 1976.
  • The game was cancelled during the summer of 2005. All Tsubaki activities were cancelled and the band would be on hiatus till further notice.
  • However, in late 2007, the deal was cancelled for unknown reasons.
  • SpeedFerries was placed into administration on 13 November, and services were cancelled.
  • Her transfer was cancelled due to Djurgården's relegation.
  • However, in July 2006 the proposed merger was cancelled.
  • As South Africa had clinched the championship before the game was to begin, it was cancelled.
  • That can be cancelled System of workers.
  • However, they soon left that series and it was eventually cancelled in 1972.
  • Because of irregularities, the government cancelled elections in 13 constituencies.
  • The tour, however, had to be cancelled when it reached Berlin.
  • The series was cancelled after 54 years.
  • The sale was cancelled and the escort was transferred to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet.
  • Top Gear Australia was cancelled in September 2011 Russia.
  • Since the element of surprise was lost, the attack on the barracks had to be cancelled.
  • The first edition was ridiculed, and because of poor sales, it was cancelled.

Example sentences using cancelled

  • Three rounds were cancelled for a variety of reasons, beginning a disturbing trend with
  • A1 Grand Prix which plagued the following season which was cancelled altogether.
  • The program was cancelled before construction of the prototype began.
  • FM 606 was designated in 1942, and was cancelled and redesignated in 1954.
  • The series was cancelled during the 2008 season.
  • She was unable to compete in the Super Combined event because it was cancelled.
  • However easyJet cancelled four of five destinations in 2012.
  • Because of the start of World War II, however, the Congress was cancelled.
  • NBC cancelled the series after 13 weeks.
  • However the show did not do well and was cancelled after eight performances.
  • Stewart would produce "Reach for the Top" until 1985, when it was cancelled by the CBC.
  • The festival was cancelled in 2013 because of the widespread floods that year.
  • Construction of "Creamer" was cancelled on 5 September 1944.
  • The network series was cancelled in 1949.
  • A whole leg, covering South America, was cancelled.
  • However, her construction was cancelled on 6 June 1944.
  • Subsequently, the German offensive was cancelled and their forces withdrawn.
  • The debate was eventually cancelled on the advice of police.
  • He was unable to compete in the Super Combined event because it was cancelled.
  • The first two dates of the tour had to be cancelled because of Hurricane Frances.
  • The shows were sold out, but the shows were cancelled.
  • The re-scheduled shows though, had to be cancelled.
  • A 1941 performance was cancelled when Pearl Harbor was bombed.
  • The game was cancelled because it had no effect on the playoffs."
  • The show was cancelled in April 2004 after having failing ratings on The WB.

Which is the correct spelling, 'cancel' or 'cancell’?

Cancel’ is usually spelled with one L in the United States. In Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia, ‘cancell’ is usually spelled with with two L’s. The Chicago Manual of Style

Trends in the use of 'cancelled' or 'canceled'?

Trends in the use of ‘canceled’

Trends in the use of ‘cancelled’

Is it spelled ‘cancellation’ or ‘cancelation’?

Cancelation’ is usually spelled with one L in the United States. In Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia, ‘Cancellation’ is usually spelled with with two L’s. Walden University Grammar Handbook

Which spelling is preferred, 'canceled' or 'cancelled' ?

Canceled’ with one L is usually preferred in the United States. In Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia, ‘cancelled’ with with two L’s is generally prefered.

Is CANCELLED spelled with two l's?

Cancelled’ with two L’s is generally prefered in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Guide to Grammar and Style

Other articles you may find helpful

When should I use square brackets?

How do I use linking verbs?